SOFT 2004 Meeting Abstracts - Society of Forensic Toxicologists

C5
DETECTION OF NITRAZEPAM USING ION MOBILITY SPECTROMETRY
G. Jayashanker*, N.V.R.Kiran, A.K.Srivastava, M.Afzal, R.K.Jain,P.Samikannu, S.Sudhakar, R.K.Sarin.
Central Forensic science laboratory, MHA, Govt. Of India, Ramanthapur, Hyderabad-India 500013.
Ion Mobility Spectrophotometer (IMS) has been used as a rapid sensitive and selective technique for the
detection of Nitrazepam in body fluids. Nitrazepam an tranquillizer is often misused/abused in criminal
activities like theft, robbery, rape etc. The detection of specific compound in body fluid determines the drug
administered in such cases. The standard routine procedures are time consuming. In this study IMS was
used as rapid technique to detect Nitrazepam. The IMS utilizes the fact that a mixture of different ions may
be separated into individual components as they travels at different velocities [mobilities] under the
influence ofan electric field, through a tube containing the drift gas.
The case of a lady being sexually assaulted and found unconscious was brought to the hospital by police for
treatment. The clinical symptoms of being drugged could be observed and the stomach wash collected and
sent to the forensic lab for testing. The routine drug screening was followed and simultaneously a portion
of the sample was subjected to IMS screening. The ion mobility of standard Benzodiazepines like
Diazepam, Flurazepam, Nitrazepam were carried and the drift time and Ko value was noted.
SINo Sample Drift time Ko
1. Calibration 9.044 1.86
2. Diazepam 13.79 1.213
3. Flurazepam 16.44 1.023
4. Nitrazepam 16.55 1.016
5. Sample 16.55 1.016
I
I
I
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The exhibit was analysedand the drift time and Ko value could be matched with Nitrazepam. The standard
screening procedure of Acidic and basic fraction analysis by GC-MS also confirmed the Nitrazepam. The
standard solution of diazepam was studied for the limit of detection with 50 ng solution. The selectivity of
the method for the drug identification can be only compared with the standard samples ion motilities
analysed sequentially with samples as the drift times ofdifferent compounds may overlap on the same. The
IMS technique could detect the Nitrazepam even in the gastric lavage directly put on the sample holder of
IMS. The interference from the direct analysis had no shift in the peaks. The IMS was found to save time,
simple and easy technique to detect drugs of abuse. The procedure can be used to screen for the presence
of Benzodiazepine group of drugs in routine analysis and is an additional analytical corroboration in the
analysis ofdrugs.
Key words: IMS, Toxicology, Drug-facilitated sexual assault
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