Portable gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in drug checking: Detection of carfentanil and etizolam in expected opioid samples

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dc.contributor.authorGozdzialski, Lea
dc.contributor.authorAasen, Jarred
dc.contributor.authorLarnder, Ashley
dc.contributor.authorRamsay, Margo
dc.contributor.authorBorden, Scott A.
dc.contributor.authorSaatchi, Armin
dc.contributor.authorGill, Chris G.
dc.contributor.authorWallace, Bruce
dc.contributor.authorHore, Dennis K.
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-23T14:31:55Z
dc.date.available2023-07-23T14:31:55Z
dc.date.copyright2021en_US
dc.date.issued2021
dc.descriptionThe authors acknowledge the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University for their ongoing support of our research and students.en_US
dc.description.abstractBackground: There has been a recent increase in adulteration of opioids with low concentration actives such as fentanyl analogues and benzodiazepines. As drug checking projects using vibrational spectroscopy continue to seek confirmatory lab-based testing, the concern and reality of missing these potentially harmful substances in point-of-care testing is prevalent. Methods: A portable GC-MS was used to analyze select opioid samples acquired at a drug checking service in Victoria, Canada ( ). Certified reference standards of several fentanyl analogues and benzodiazepines were measured to guide targeted analysis of these samples. Results were compared with those obtained using a lab-based paper spray mass spectrometer. Results: Portable GC-MS was able to identify 62% of samples containing carfentanil and 36% of samples containing etizolam. In the case of etizolam, the success rate was higher for more potent samples: 78% of etizolam-containing samples were identified when the etizolam concentration was above 3% by weight. In comparison, infrared spectroscopy was able to detect etizolam in only 9% of the etizolam-containing samples, and is not sensitive enough to detect carfentanil at relevant concentrations. Conclusions: Portable GC-MS has potential in identifying low concentration substances in a point-of-care setting, without relying on subsequent off-site confirmatory testing.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThis project was funded by a grant from the Health Canada Substance Use and Addictions program, with additional support from the Vancouver Foundation. LG and MR are grateful to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for CGS-M scholarships, and LG thanks the University of Victoria Department of Chemistry for a GRACE scholarship. High performance computing was provided by the University of Victoria, WestGrid, and Compute Canada, with support from Belaid Moa. Special thanks are extended to Thermo Fisher Scientific for ongoing technical guidance and for providing the PS-MS instrumentation used for this study. Zachary Lawton, Timothy Freeman, Charlie Schmidt, Andrews Ahiabu, and Tiffany Arbon at Perkin-Elmer have been an integral part of the development of this project, with technical support provided by Greg Henry and Shawn Johnson.en_US
dc.identifier.citationGozdzialski, L., Aasen, J., Larnder, A., Ramsay, M., Borden, S. A., Saatchi, A., Gill, C. G., Wallace, B., & Hore, D. K. (2021). Portable gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in drug checking: Detection of carfentanil and etizolam in expected opioid samples. International Journal of Drug Policy, 97, 103409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103409en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103409
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/15227
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherInternational Journal of Drug Policyen_US
dc.subjectDrug checking
dc.subjectGas chromatography
dc.subjectMass spectrometry
dc.subjectFentanyl
dc.subjectCarfentanil
dc.subjectEtizolam
dc.subjectCanadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR)
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Chemistry
dc.subject.departmentSchool of Social Work
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Computer Science
dc.titlePortable gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in drug checking: Detection of carfentanil and etizolam in expected opioid samplesen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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