You probably have heard of testing blood and urine samples for the presence of drugs and their metabolites. But do you know about the benefits of hair and nail analysis? In a recent webinar, Tina Binz, Deputy Head of the Center for Forensic Hair Analysis, University of Zurich, discussed the benefits of developing comprehensive and sensitive LC-MS/MS for the detection of low-level drugs and metabolites in keratinized matrices.
LC-MS/MS is a powerful analytical tool in forensic toxicology testing that can support a variety of testing regimes such as screening, confirmation and quantitative workflows. More specifically, analysis of NPS using LC-MS/MS provides many advantages, including the ability to reliably detect new drugs and their metabolites from a variety of biological matrices.
The development of analytical methods for the detection and quantitation of drugs and metabolites in a range of biological matrices is a challenging process. Forensic toxicology labs need a reproducible and reliable methodology to ensure the robustness of the data and the quality of the results. They also need robust and sensitive instrumentation that can detect drugs at trace levels with high specificity, especially when it comes to novel psychoactive substances (NPS), which can be difficult to monitor and control.
The increased prevalence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in the recreational drug market has been a major contributor to the ongoing opioid crisis. NPS are newly emerging compounds designed to mimic existing recreational drugs and have become potent alternatives to controlled opioids. They are also frequently used as adulterants or cutting agents for commonly abused drugs. Continuous abuse of these substances can result in severe intoxication and, in some cases, fatal overdose.
Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are compounds designed to mimic existing recreational drugs. The emergence of NPS has changed the landscape of the synthetic drug market. While previously the market had a limited number of compounds belonging to a few chemical groups, with NPS it now has hundreds of compounds. The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction is currently monitoring 730 substances, with more being identified each year.
To continue to improve the quality of the SWATH acquisition data that one can achieve in complex matrices, we are working on ways that we can decrease the size of the Q1 window, while still maintaining full mass range coverage and optimal cycle times. One great way...
In data-independent acquisition strategies like SWATH acquisition, an expanded mass isolation window is stepped across a mass range covering the mass-to-charge (m/z) distribution of peptides and a full scan MS/MS spectrum is collected at each step. Post-acquisition,...
The popularity of CBD products has been on the rise following a federal move to legalize hemp. In an effort to regulate the sale of hemp-derived products in the United States, the government legalized CBD derived from hemp that contains no more than 0.3% THC by dry...
The recent influx of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) into the recreational drug market has posed a serious burden to public health. The availability of these substances through the Internet has contributed to the widespread of NPS globally, raising great concern...
Listen to the Toxpod, an informative podcast about the many facets of the field of forensic toxicology created by Tim Scott and Peter Stockham, two forensic toxicologists working for the South Australian government. Produced by Forensic Science South Australia and the...