Illicit Drugs and the Environment

Daughton, Christian G.

doi:10.1002/9781118000816.ch1

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Several studies have investigated the levels of illicit drugs in various environments. Most of these studies have focused on detection of drugs in waste waters and surface water for a variety of purposes – from understanding the health effects [14,15] to estimating drug usage [16] to examining the potential investigative value of such an analysis [17]. In addition to wastewater and surface water, work has been completed to measure the level of illicit drugs in the air of cities across the world [18–20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A snapshot of drug background levels on surfaces in a forensic laboratory

2018

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While background studies have been commonplace in many occupational fields for a long time, attempts to understand the chemical background in forensics labs has been largely understudied. Such studies can help define the efficiency of cleaning procedures and the integrity of collected data, which is becoming increasingly important due to improving sensitivity of instrumentation and the prevalence with which potent drugs of abuse, such as the opioids, are being seen. The results from this study provide a snapshot of the drug background levels on surfaces in a laboratory system comprised of a central laboratory and two satellite laboratories. Samples were collected from work surfaces by swiping with meta-aramid wipes, and extracted for analysis by LC/MS/MS, for quantitation, and TD-DART-MS, for non-targeted screening. Surfaces were sampled from within the drug unit (where drug evidence is processed) and the evidence receiving unit (where drug cases are handled) in all laboratories as well as the report writing area, the toxicology unit and the crime scene unit in the central laboratory. Results showed that the background was restricted primarily to the benches, balances, and instrumentation within the drug unit – with approximately an order of magnitude higher concentrations observed on the balances, compared to the benches. Higher levels were also observed in analyst specific surfaces when compared to general use surfaces within the drug unit – which corresponded to where bulk evidence handling was completed. Background in the evidence receiving and report writing sections was minimal. Comparison of the main laboratory to the satellite laboratories showed similarities amongst frequently encountered drugs like cocaine, but noticeable differences in opioids which could be attributed to differences in the make-up of exhibits each laboratory receives. Understanding the background levels of drugs in a forensic laboratory environment is crucial to improving cleaning protocols, helping define detection limits for highly sensitive analyses, and providing additional results to the broader community that has been establishing background levels in other environments.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A snapshot of drug background levels on surfaces in a forensic laboratory

2018

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“…Let us give a couple of examples: “As is the case with the DPCBDC [diphenylcyclobutanedicarboxylic] acids, there are theoretically eleven possible truxilline‐type alkaloids comprised of esters of methyl ecgonine and the DPCBDC acids” 14 ; “100 years elapsed before all 11 possible stereoisomers of truxillines were finally identified by J. M. Moore and his associates at the Drug Enforcement Administration in the USA” 2 ; “Of the 11 possible truxillines, 10 were observed in cocaine samples by researchers” 20 ; “to separate and successfully quantitate 10 of the 11 isomers.” 19 Moreover, it became a standard to denote all truxillines as (dia)stereoisomers, not distinguishing between truxinates and truxillates, which constitute structural isomers, not (dia)stereoisomers. Examples are as follows: “The alkaloid truxilline, as an example, occurs in coca leaf as 11 stereoisomers” 21 ; “all eleven diastereomeric truxillines.” 22,23 …”

Section: The Counting Problem—how Many Truxillines Are There?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…19 Moreover, it became a standard to denote all truxillines as (dia)stereoisomers, not distinguishing between truxinates and truxillates, which constitute structural isomers, not (dia)stereoisomers. Examples are as follows: "The alkaloid truxilline, as an example, occurs in coca leaf as 11 stereoisomers" 21 ; "all eleven diastereomeric truxillines." 22,23 Stereochemistry of truxillines was also commented upon in a recent work by Iga, which primarily deals with the so-called chitwin structures, that is, chiral molecules composed of two identical chiral halves.…”

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confidence: 99%

Counting the truxillines—11 or more, the question is now

Portada,

Brkljača

2024

Chirality

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Truxillines are a group of tropane alkaloids present in coca leaves that are formed by photochemical dimerization of cinnamoylcocaine(s). Proportion of different truxilline forms present in cocaine serves as its geographical, manufacture, and storage “fingerprint”; thus, the quantitative determination of truxilline content represents one of the powerful methods of analysis and characterization of cocaine samples. Contrary to the statements repeatedly presented in the literature, namely, that there exist exactly 11 truxillines and that every single truxilline is diastereomer of any other, here we show that, in fact, a total of 15 truxillines exist, which can be divided in two structurally isomeric groups—five mutually diastereomeric truxillates and 10 mutually diastereomeric truxinates.

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Transformation Products of Illicit Drugs

Lambropoulou

Εvgenidou

2014

Transformation Products of Emerging Contaminants in the Environment

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Illicit Drugs and the Environment

Cited by 4 publications

References 58 publications

A snapshot of drug background levels on surfaces in a forensic laboratory

A snapshot of drug background levels on surfaces in a forensic laboratory

Counting the truxillines—11 or more, the question is now

Transformation Products of Illicit Drugs

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