Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry as a routine method in forensic sciences: a proof of maturity

The applications of LC-API-MS in routine forensic toxicological casework we re presented. This technique has been used for routine determination of sev eral groups of drugs: opiate agonists (like morphine, codeine, dihydrocodei ne and their glucuronides, methadone, buprenorphine) cocaine and its metabo lites (benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester), amphetamine and other ps ychoactive phenethylamines, like MDMA, MDE or MDA, benzodiazepine derivativ es (flunitrazepam and metabolites, triazolam, bromazepam), hallucinogens (L SD, psilocybin, psilocin) and olanzapine, A common solid-phase extraction p rocedure for all drugs (with exception of LSD) has been developed. Among tw o ionization sources, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization appeared mor e universal and assured generally higher sensitivity. Only in the case of v ery polar drugs (e.g. psilocin or psilocybin) electrospray ionization was m ore sensitive. LC-API-MS became a very powerful and flexible method for ded icated analyses of substances of forensic interest. The use of this techniq ue for general, broad applicable screening depends on the establishing of i nterlaboratory database of standardized mass spectra. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.