Gas chromatographic identification and quantification of hydroxyzine: application in a fatal self-poisoning

A method for the identification and quantification of hydroxyzine in human fluids by GC/NPD is presented. The method employs acepromazine as the internal standard and requires no derivatization. After a single alkaline extraction in n-heptane isoamylalcohol (98.5:1.5, v/v), analysis is achieved in 7 min. The lower limit of detectability was 0.8 ng/ml in plasma. Capillary gas chromatography mass spectrometry assay was developed for confirmation. Toxicological findings, after a fatality involving hydroxyzine are presented as an application of the procedure.     

Study of ethno-racial and sexual specificity of hard palate mucosa for person identification

Relief of hard palatal mucosa was examined to identify ethno-racial and gender affiliation in representatives of europeoid, mongolid, and intermediate racial groups, viz Estonians (northern europeoid type), Azerbajaninans (southern europeoid), Koreans (Far East mongoloid), and Kasakhs (intermediate). The results of the study suggest the possibility in principle to identify the ethno-racial affiliation of human subjects from the distribution pattern of hard palate mucosal folds.     

The cannabinoid content of marihuana samples seized in Greece and its forensic application

The three major cannabinoids, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) were identified and determined quantitatively using a GCD (GC–EI) instrument, in samples of illicit herbal cannabis, seized by Customs and Police authorities in two areas of Greece (Ipiros and Lakonia) during 1996. These samples were sent by the above authorities to the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, University of Athens, for forensic chemical analysis. The cannabinoid content of these samples led to the classification of cannabis into two chemical phenotypes and to the differentiation of resinous and textile plants by using three different classification indexes. The cannabinoid content of cannabis plants is of forensic value in determining the geographical origin of cannabis samples, since it can be used for their classification, allocating this way the area of cultivation of the relative plants. The forensic aspects of cannabis classification are discussed.     

The specificity of electron impact mass spectroscopy for the identification of N-ethyl-1-phenylcyclohexylamine (PCE)

The electron impact mass spectrum of N-ethyl-1-phenylcyclohexylamine (PCE) was studied using both deuterium-labeled compounds and structurally related analogs. The deuterium-labeled compounds used were d2 . PCE with two deuterium atoms on the methylene carbon of the N-ethyl group, d3 . PCE with three deuterium atoms on the methyl carbon of the N-ethyl group, d4 . PCE with four deuterium atoms on the beta carbons of the cyclohexyl rings, and d5 . PCE with five deuterium atoms on the phenyl ring. Structurally related compounds used included the N,N-dimethyl, N-propyl, and cyclopentyl analogs. The identities of some major fragments and possible pathways leading to their formation are shown. Electron impact mass spectroscopy is shown to be a definitive test for the identification of PCE.     

A simple gas chromatographic identification and determination of 11 CNS stimulants in biological samples. Application on a fatality involving phendimetrazine

A method is presented for the simultaneous identification and quantification of several CNS stimulants, including amphetamine in plasma and urine by GC/FID using mephentermine as an internal standard. No derivation is necessary and after a single alkaline extraction, GC analysis for the 11 compounds tested is achieved in 23 min. The lower limit of detectability was found to be 4 ng/ml for amphetamine in plasma. This method is sensitive, reproducible, selective and applicable in forensic and clinical toxicological analyses. Toxicological findings, after a fatality involving phendimetrazine are presented as an application of the procedure.     

Detection of delta 9-THC in saliva by capillary GC/ECD after marihuana smoking

A method is described for the determination of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta 9-THC) in the saliva by the use of a combination of moving-precolumn injector and glass capillary gas chromatograph with electron capture detector (GC/ECD). There were no interfering peaks due to impurities around the peak of pentafluoropropyl derivative of delta 9-THC (delta 9-THC-PFP). This GC/ECD method was linear over the range of 5-200 ng/ml of delta 9-THC-PFP. The lower detection limit was approximately 1 ng/ml. delta 9-THC content in the saliva after experimental marihuana smoking was measured by this method. It was demonstrated that for at least 4 h after smoking the level of delta 9-THC was sufficient for detection.     

Enzyme immunochemical detection of the use of hashish and confirmation by thin-layer chromatography

The EMIT cannabinoid assay was used for screening blood and urine after smoking tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; 10 mg) or ingestion of THC (30 mg). Cannabinoid levels in urine remain detectable up to 1 week. Confirmation was done by adsorption of the THC carboxylic acid onto a C18 extraction column and elution with acetone and TLC. The method is simple and sensitive and is applicable with common laboratory equipment. The detection limit is 10 ng/ml, using 10 ml urine.     

Private roles in food safety provision: the law and economics of private food safety

Private food safety standards play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of the foods we consume. A voluntary instrument, private standards are so widespread to have become de facto mandatory for suppliers who wish to access the most profitable markets. Developed by retailers and business coalitions and enforced through third-party certification, private food safety standards constitute one of the principal food safety governance instruments of agribusiness value chains. Albeit private and voluntary, such standards have profound public implications because they contribute to food safety and protect consumers’ health. This article uses law and economics theory to identify their strengths and vulnerabilities and understand the relationship between public and private regulation. Specifically, it examines whether private standards can fulfill the public interest objective of protecting consumers’ health and whether they compete with or rather complement public regulation. The article argues that private standards have emerged in response to food scares to coordinate complex food value chains and have become ever more relevant in the context of intense market globalization, an area in which public regulation often failed. Among the advantages of private standards, are their flexibility and ability to rapidly respond to new risks. Through their focus on management-based regulation and strong market incentives for producers, private standards promote compliance better than traditional inspection methods. Private standards also present several gray areas including increased risk of capture due to their limited transparency and gaps in enforcement by third-party certifiers. The article suggests areas that deserve additional scrutiny, especially the opacity of standards vis-à-vis consumers and the public sector and the quality and reliability of third party certification.