Investigation of heroin profiling using trace organic impurities

Abstract

The acidic and neutral impurities in heroin samples (46 Purified South-East Asian (PSEA) and 8 non-PSEA samples) were analysed using gas chromatography. Mass spectral detection allowed the construction of a comprehensive library of over 649 impurities. A variety of statistical procedures were used to select 70 viable profiling parameters. Cluster analyses were used to investigate the similarities between samples using organic parameters. A blended PSEA profile was constructed for comparison with samples of unknown origins. Resolution between samples of PSEA/non-PSEA origins was demonstrated with a selection of 25 (18 continuous and 7 dichotomised) discriminating factors. Several predictive logistic models were created using up to 18 parameters, explaining 85-100% of the variation in the experimental data.

Isolation and identification of unique marker compounds from the Tasmanian poppy Papaver somniferum N.

“…These compounds are well resolved and present in sufficient quantities to allow detection using the current Australian National Heroin Signature Program GC-MS procedure for trace organic analysis (see Section 2) [5]. Fig.…”

“…In an HSP, seized samples are analyzed by a number of different analytical procedures with the aim of providing crucial drug trafficking and distribution intelligence information. HSP's typically analyze and evaluate major synthetic impurities and adulterants, and these approaches have been extensively researched and previously reported [1,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10].…”

Chemometric procedures for analyzing trace organic impurities present in street doses of heroin via a constant weight approach

“…For sample clustering, the former does not require the knowledge of sample origin, whereas the latter is usually trained with samples of known origins. Related studies in this area are available in the literature 6,10,11 .…”

“…Literature detailing analytical methods for the profiling of trace organic impurities abounds [3][4][5][6][7][8] and most of these methods are able to extract a very high number of impurities. For instance, Allen et al and Morello et al have successfully identified more than 30 acidic impurities from a single extract 4,9 .…”

A quick and automated method for profiling heroin samples for tactical intelligence purposes

“…Since the beginning of the 1980's, many studies have been conducted to determine chemical links between heroin exhibits [1][2][3][4].…”