Problems of Forensic Sciences 2010 Vol. 83 (LXXXIII) 269-287
ORGANIC IMPURITY PROFILING OF 3,4-METHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE (MDMA). COMPARISON OF ANALYTICAL AND STATISTICAL PROCEDURES
Karolina SEKUŁA, Dariusz ZUBA
Department of Forensic Toxicology, Institute of Forensic Research, Kraków, Poland
Streszczenie
Four popular procedures for MDMA impurity profiling were compared. Studies were performed both on MDMA samples prepared in the laboratory and seized ecstasy tablets. Extraction from carbonate buffer of pH = 9.0 into ethyl acetate gave the best results. GC-MS conditions differed slightly, and mainly influenced the total time of analysis. The most efficient chemometric approach was to calculate the fourth root of peak areas of key impurities, followed by calculation of correlations based on the
Pearson coefficient or on the cosine and agglomeration by Ward’s method.
Słowa kluczowe
Forensic science; 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; Ecstasy; Profiling of impurities; Chemometric analysis.