AUTOMATED GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHIC AMPHETAMINE PROFILING

A computerized procedure is presented for profiling and comparison of illicit amphetamine seizures. The system involves an optimized capilla ry gas chromatographic separation step followed by peak identification by linear retention indices. An individual amphetamine street sample can be recognized after up to 14 identified characteristic peaks are m athematically compared with the data in an intralaboratory database vi a an exponential comparison algorithm. The procedure enables rapid scr eening: the GC analysis of an unknown sample and computer comparison a gainst several hundred samples is performed in just over an hour.