Analysis of Citalopram and XtrackT SPE

A paper was recently published in Journal of Forensic Sciences (e-published January 2013)by Dr. Shane Darke et al (National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia) where UCT Xtrackt solid phase extraction columns were employed to extract drugs from post mortem blood samples in cases where Citalopram was involved. The analysis not only involved Citalopram but a wide range of drugs including Opiates, Amphetamines, Cocaine, Benzodiazepines as well as other prescription drugs (antidepressants/antipsychotics). The large particle size of the Xtrackt offers analysts better flow performance with very viscous samples such as post mortem blood, and with a mixed mode chemistry, the analysts can be assured of high quality results in a reproducible manner. UCT is recognized as providing the finest solid phase extraction materials for over 25 years. 

For Many Environmental Labs, Winter Means Housekeeping

It's winter in the northern hemisphere.  For many that means frozen soil and surface water as well as monitoring wells buried under snow and ice.   This translates into a slow period for environmental labs testing wastewater and soil in cold climates.

However, slow doesn't mean idle.  This is a great time to update those MDL studies and technical performance evaluations AND a great time to validate new methods!

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is not the sole province of drinking water labs.  Wastewater labs can enjoy the same time and cost savings too.  All of the SW-846 methods allow SPE, just reference extraction method 3535 instead of liquid/liquid extraction.  Popular SPE methods include 1664, 1668, 8015, 8081,8082, 8141, 8151, 8310, 8323 and 8330.

If you would like to give SPE a try, contact your regional UCT representative, partner or technical support (dshelly@unitedchem.com).

50th anniversary of FRPW/NACRW

Join us in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of FPRW, now the North American Chemical Residue Workshop.  The show runs from July 21-24, 2013.  This year it will held at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, FL.  Registration opens on January 31.

Clean Screen THC and Robotics

In the area of forensic toxicology, probably the most requested drug analysis is that of THC. Toxicologists around the world are faced with analyzing whole blood samples for the presence of THC and its metabolites: Hydroxy-THC and Carboxy-THC. In performing this analysis, they can not only offer quantifiable concentrations but also an interpretation into impairment with regards to operating a motor vehicle. In order to perform this type of testing in a timely fashion, analysts are being asked to go to lower and lower concentrations in less and less time. UCT has always been recognized as producing the finest SPE sorbent in the world with this goal in mind, Clean Screen THC (CSTHC).

In a study accepted for publication by Journal of Forensic Toxicology and Pharmacology in December 2012, Dr Jeff Hackett (in conjunction with a major crime laboratory) employed this sorbent on board a robotic SPE workstation (Janus) to process the extraction of THC and its metabolites from whole blood samples. The robotic workstation permitted analysts to conduct other tasks while the SPE operation
was performed. The extraction process allowed concentrations of down to 0.5 ng/ mL of all of the cannabinoids to be detected by LC-MS/MS, with recoveries greater than 95%, and minimal matrix effects. The time savings by the robotic workstation over manual preparation was significant. This report offers another exciting avenue for the premier THC SPE sorbent in the area of analytical forensic toxicology.

Clean Screen THC SPE and NIDA study into THC Tolerance

In the area of forensic toxicology, the effect of drugs such as Cannabis on the psychomotor skills of humans is a question faced by many testifying analysts. In order to offer an interpretation, analysts rely not only on their own findings, but on data obtained and published from sources of the highest integrity. The toxicology laboratories at NIDA (The National Institute on Drug Abuse) are acclaimed as one of the worlds centers of excellence when it comes to the study of THC and its metabolites and human performance. At NIDA, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, analysts employed UCT Inc. Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) columns for extracting THC and the related metabolites (THC-OH, and THC-COOH) from plasma samples.

This was demonstrated in a recently published report "Tolerance to Effects of High-Dose Oral D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Plasma Cannabinoid Concentrations in Male Daily Cannabis Smokers" in Journal of Analytical Toxicology by David A.Gorelick et al (from the team of Dr. Marilyn Huestis). This group used UCTs ZSTHC020 SPE column to study the plasma concentrations of these compounds after high dose ingestions. The Clean Screen THC sorbent has also been employed by many forensic toxicology laboratories around the globe when clean extractions, high recoveries and high reproducibility are desired.

UCT's world-class QuEChERS

UCT QuEChERS products are favored by private and government labs on 6 continents.  With our large selection of high quality products and capability to customize UCT QuEChERS products are constantly in high demand.  In addition, all of our QuEChERS products are supported by our superior technical team.

QuEChERS was originally developed by Anastassiades and Lehotay, et al. in 2003, for the extraction and analysis of moderately polar to non-polar pesticides from fruits and vegetables.  At the request of the USDA, UCT became the first commercial producer of QuEChERS kits.  Since then, QuEChERS has been expanded to include the extraction of a huge variety of analytes from nearly every agricultural commodity.
As the scope of QuEChERS has expanded, so has the range of QuEChERS products and applications offered by UCT.  The most novel of our developments is ChloroFiltr®.  ChloroFiltr® is used in the dSPE clean-up step to remove chlorophyll from the QuEChERS extract.  Without ChloroFiltr®, analysts would be forced to use graphitized carbon black (GCB) which also removes planar pesticides.  ChloroFiltr® only removes chlorophyll without removing pesticides.  A second product unique to UCT is the QuICK QuEChERS Push-Thru cartridge.  The cartridge contains magnesium sulfate anhydrous and PSA.  Recoveries are comparable to the traditional dSPE product, but extracts are remarkably cleaner.  With the use of a disposable syringe to “push” the QuEChERS extract through the cartridge, QuICK QuEChERS is much faster than dSPE and a centrifuge is not required.

Fluoroamphetamine and Clean Screen DAU

The number of new designer drugs is steadily rising and forensic toxicologists are being faced with providing results to assist coroners/medical examiners/enforcement agencies regarding the concentrations of these drugs in various bio-fluids. Forensic toxicologists know that the most important step is isolating these drugs from different, and often difficult matrices.  

In a recent report in ToxTalk (October 2013, pp14-15), Dr. Mark Lichtenwalner and his team (Onondaga County Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Syracuse NY) were faced with not only identifying and confirming, but offering results of the concentrations of 4-Fluoroamphetamine in post mortem and ante mortem samples of blood. Dr. Lichtenwalner employed the Clean Screen ZSDAU020 SPE column as the sorbent for this analysis, along with GC-MS. From his data, he was able to provide the medical examiners with an accurate time line of the drug in this case. This published report demonstrates that the sorbents made by UCT are applicable not only to a wide range of well known drug classes and medications but are able to be used with newer  drug classes also.