SOFT 2004 Meeting Abstracts - Society of Forensic Toxicologists

At
DETERMINATION OF PHENETHYLAMINE· AND PIPERAZINE·DERIVED DESIGNER
DRUGS IN URINE BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY
Yvonne Lood* and Arne Eklund, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Department ofForensic Chemistry,
University Hospital, SE-5S1 S5 Linkoping, Sweden
New designer drugs have appeared on the illicit drug market during the last years. Many of these drugs are
easily available on the Internet and there are several web sites that give a lot of information about these
substances. Forensic laboratories are continuously in need of complementary addition of existing methods
or developing new methods for these substances. Screening of urine samples for amphetamines in our
laboratory is routinely done by enzyme immunoassay and those giving positiv results are confirmed by
another analyze. The urine is analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the selected
ion monitoring mode (81M) after liquid-liquid extration with isooctane followed by derivatization with
tritluoroaceticanhydride. This method is quantitative for amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA
and qualitative for MDEA, MBDB, phentermine, phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, pseUdoephedrine and
phenmetrazine. If the result of this method is negative in spite of positive immunological testing or if the
police or the pathologists have a request about other central stimulating designer drugs we use our method
for phenetylamines and piperazines. It is a rapid and simple method because we use the sample extract
from the former analysis and just reinject it on the GClMS using the SIM. Verification of a positive result
is done by full scan analysis and searching in our own reference library. The method was developed for
identification of the phenetylamines p-methoxyamphetamine (PMA), p-methoxymethamphetamine
(PMMA), 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA), 3,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine (TMA), 2,5-dimethoxy-4­
methylamphetamine (DOM), 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine (DOB), 4-chloro-2,5­
dimethoxyamphetamine (DOC), 4-ethyl-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine (DOET), 4-bromo-2,5­
dimethoxyphenetylamine (2C-B), 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenetylamine (2C-I), 4-ethyl-2,5­
dimethoxyphenetylamine (2C-E), 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenetylamine (mescaline) and the piperazines N­
benzylpiperazine (A2), N-(3-tritluoromethylphenyl)piperazine (TFMPP), N-( 4-methoxyphenyl)piperazine
(MeOPP) and N-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (CPP). The selection ofsubstances included in the method was
dependent on the seizures done by the police and the availability ofthe substances. Seven ofthe substances
were kindly received from the National Laboratory ofForensic Science, Linkoping, Sweden. Immunoassay
screening methodology is of limited value in detecting designer drugs in urine because of low cross
reactivity for most of these substances. When a case, with clearly symptoms of being under the influence of
central stimulant, needs to be investigated the described method is used even if the urine has been tested
negative with immunological methods. In November 2003 one 17-year- and two IS-year-old males were
found positive for 2C-E. They were caught by the police in the street showing symptoms that indicated
ingestion of some narcotics. The urine samples were negative for screening but we analyzed further with
the method for phenetylamines and piperazines and could by that identify 2C-E. The concentrations were
2,1 IlglmL, O,S Ilg/mL and 0,06 IlglmL respectively. Until today we have in 54 cases identified and verified
seven ofthese substances in urine samples, 2C-E, MeOPP, A2, DOC, PMA, PMMA and 4-MT A.
Keywords: Designer drugs, Amphetamines, GC-MS
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