Loading...
16 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 16
- Spatio‐temporal assessment of illicit drug use at large scale: evidence from 7 years of international wastewater monitoringPublication . González‐Mariño, Iria; Baz‐Lomba, Jose Antonio; Alygizakis, Nikiforos A.; Andrés‐Costa, Maria Jesus; Bade, Richard; Bannwarth, Anne; Barron, Leon P.; Been, Frederic; Benaglia, Lisa; Berset, Jean‐Daniel; Bijlsma, Lubertus; Bodík, Igor; Brenner, Asher; Brock, Andreas L.; Burgard, Daniel A.; Castrignanò, Erika; Celma, Alberto; Christophoridis, Christophoros E.; Covaci, Adrian; Delémont, Olivier; Voogt, Pim; Devault, Damien A.; Dias, Mário; Emke, Erik; Esseiva, Pierre; Fatta‐Kassinos, Despo; Fedorova, Ganna; Fytianos, Konstantinos; Gerber, Cobus; Grabic, Roman; Gracia‐Lor, Emma; Grüner, Stefan; Gunnar, Teemu; Hapeshi, Evroula; Heath, Ester; Helm, Björn; Hernández, Félix; Kankaanpaa, Aino; Karolak, Sara; Kasprzyk‐Hordern, Barbara; Krizman‐Matasic, Ivona; Lai, Foon Yin; Lechowicz, Wojciech; Lopes, Alvaro; López de Alda, Miren; López‐García, Ester; Löve, Arndís S. C.; Mastroianni, Nicola; McEneff, Gillian L.; Montes, Rosa; Munro, Kelly; Nefau, Thomas; Oberacher, Herbert; O'Brien, Jake W.; Oertel, Reinhard; Olafsdottir, Kristin; Picó, Yolanda; Plósz, Benedek G.; Polesel, Fabio; Postigo, Cristina; Quintana, José Benito; Ramin, Pedram; Reid, Malcolm J.; Rice, Jack; Rodil, Rosario; Salgueiro‐González, Noelia; Schubert, Sara; Senta, Ivan; Simões, Susana; Sremacki, Maja M.; Styszko, Katarzyna; Terzic, Senka; Thomaidis, Nikolaos S.; Thomas, Kevin V.; Tscharke, Ben J.; Udrisard, Robin; Nuijs, Alexander L. N.; Yargeau, Viviane; Zuccato, Ettore; Castiglioni, Sara; Ort, ChristophBackground and aims Wastewater‐based epidemiology is an additional indicator of drug use that is gaining reliability to complement the current established panel of indicators. The aims of this study were to: (i) assess spatial and temporal trends of population‐normalized mass loads of benzoylecgonine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in raw wastewater over 7 years (2011–17); (ii) address overall drug use by estimating the average number of combined doses consumed per day in each city; and (iii) compare these with existing prevalence and seizure data. Design Analysis of daily raw wastewater composite samples collected over 1 week per year from 2011 to 2017. Setting and Participants Catchment areas of 143 wastewater treatment plants in 120 cities in 37 countries. Measurements Parent substances (amphetamine, methamphetamine and MDMA) and the metabolites of cocaine (benzoylecgonine) and of Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol) were measured in wastewater using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Daily mass loads (mg/day) were normalized to catchment population (mg/1000 people/day) and converted to the number of combined doses consumed per day. Spatial differences were assessed world‐wide, and temporal trends were discerned at European level by comparing 2011–13 drug loads versus 2014–17 loads. Findings Benzoylecgonine was the stimulant metabolite detected at higher loads in southern and western Europe, and amphetamine, MDMA and methamphetamine in East and North–Central Europe. In other continents, methamphetamine showed the highest levels in the United States and Australia and benzoylecgonine in South America. During the reporting period, benzoylecgonine loads increased in general across Europe, amphetamine and methamphetamine levels fluctuated and MDMA underwent an intermittent upsurge. Conclusions The analysis of wastewater to quantify drug loads provides near real‐time drug use estimates that globally correspond to prevalence and seizure data.
- UPLC MS/MS Method for the Analysis of Cardiovascular Medications in Putrefied Specimens obtained from an Exhumation AutopsyPublication . Simões, Susana; Castañera, Antonio; Dias, Mário
- QUANTIFILER®TRIO DNA method performance in a collection of ancient samplesPublication . Vieira- Silva, C.; Lopes, J.; Afonso Costa, H.; Ribeiro, T.; Porto, M.J.; Dias, M; Cunha, E; Amorim, A,During the past few years significant progress has been made in solving technical challenges associated with STR profiling including the ability to analyze degraded DNA and low amounts of DNA. The result of these changes is that useful STR profiles can now be obtained from previously untypeable forensic DNA samples. Analysis of DNA from ancient material represents an important role in molecular anthropology, although there are many limitations concerning low DNA quantity and/or degraded DNA, and/or PCR inhibitors. These factors can make it difficult to decide whether to continue with STR analysis, which STR panel to use and how much DNA to add to PCR reaction. With all these constraints, DNA quantification represents an important tool to decide which method will follow in order to improve workflow and have good results in less time-consuming. The Quantifiler® Trio DNA method provides a quality index (QI) to detect the presence of degraded DNA along with PCR inhibitors.This guide allows the selection of the optimal short tandem repeat (STR) analysis chemistry (autosomal, or miniSTR) and streamlines the workflow while increasing downstream analysis success rates. In order to compare DNA quality from different extraction methods, samples from 46 exhumed Middle Ages individuals were extracted with modified phenol-chloroform method and also PrepFiler Express BTA™ method. DNA was quantified with Quantifiler® Trio DNA Quantification in an Applied Biosystems® 7500 Real-Time PCR System. Results were analyzed and allow us to point Quantifiler® Trio method as an important tool in pre-STR typing methods in ancient samples
- Drogas Clássicas versus Novas Drogas - reflexão sobre a situação atualPublication . Tarelho, Sónia; Castro, André Lobo; Dias, Mário; Franco, João
- Screening of recently seized new psychoactive substances in urine of potential consumers and urban wastewaterPublication . Celma, Alberto; Bijlsma, Lubertus; Sancho, Juan V.; Hernandez, Felix; Dias, Mário; Simões, Susana; Salgueiro, Noelia; Castiglioni, Sara; Zuccato, EttoreNewPsychoactive Substances (NPS) areconstantly being developed as legalsubstitution of traditional drugs of abuse.Although the traditional drugs maintain popular, new drugs are regularly introduced, changing the drug market ceaselessly. Monitoring NPS and its consumption is challengingas these compoundsare normally missed in routine drug analysis. Users do often not exactly know what they consume andinformation available islimitedof what is being sold. Furthermore, very little information exists onmetabolism of these newly introduced NPS. This highlights the needof applying a strategic workflow making use of modernanalytical techniques to face this novel public health safety challenge.The workflowpresented in this work consists of three stages: i)the creation of a databaseincluding approximately 200 NPS. These NPS wererecently reported to the National Early Warning Systems (EWS) ofSpain andItaly and the EWS of the European Monitoring Center for Drugsand Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). ii) The collection of urine samples of individuals suspected of drug consumption, pooled urine samples from festivals and urban wastewater samples. iii) The screening of NPS using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution massspectrometry with a hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass analyzer. Although the database is under constant development,including NPS reported to be present in wastewaters around Europe, new compounds appearing in the market, as well as metabolites reported in the literature, the workflow applied allowed the detection of several unchanged NPS in urine and pooled urine samples. In several cases, NPSwere also detected in wastewater samples, which indicatesthat consumptionof some of these compounds is elevated. The absence of reference standards for several NPS found, as well as for some NPS metabolites, made it unfeasible the full confirmation of some compounds in the urine/wastewater samples analyzed. However, accurate-mass full-spectrum data provided by HRMS allowed their tentative identification with high degree of reliability. The subsequent acquisition of reference standards, when available, will allow the unequivocal confirmation of their identity.
- Monitoring psychoactive substance use at six European festivals through wastewater and pooled urine analysisPublication . Bijlsma, L.; Celma, A.; Castiglioni, S.; Salgueiro-González, N.; Bou-Iserte, L.; Baz-Lomba, J.A.; Reid, M.J.; Dias, M.J.; Lopes, A.; Matias, J.; Pastor-Alcañiz, L.; Radonić, J.; Turk Sekulic, M.; Shine, T.; van Nuijs, A.L.N.; Hernandez, F.; Zuccato, E.The consumption of psychoactive substances is considered a growing problem in many communities. Moreover, new psychoactive substances (NPS) designed as (legal) substitutes to traditional illicit drugs are relatively easily available to the public through e-commerce and retail shops, but there is little knowledge regarding the extent and actual use of these substances. This study aims to gain new and complementary information on NPS and traditional illicit drug use at six music festivals across Europe by investigating wastewater and pooled urine. Samples were collected, between 2015 and 2018, at six music festivals across Europe with approximately 465.000 attendees. Wastewater samples were also collected during a period not coinciding with festivals. A wide-scope screening for 197 NPS, six illicit drugs and known metabolites was applied using different chromatography-mass spectrometric strategies. Several illicit drugs and in total 21 different NPS, mainly synthetic cathinones, phenethylamines and tryptamines, were identified in the samples. Ketamine and the traditional illicit drugs, such as amphetamine-type stimulants, cannabis and cocaine were most abundant and/or frequently detected in the samples collected, suggesting a higher use compared to NPS. The analyses of urine and wastewater is quick and a high number of attendees may be monitored anonymously by analysing only a few samples which allows identifying the local profiles of use of different drugs within a wide panel of psychoactive substances. This approach contributes to the development of an efficient surveillance system which can provide timely insight in the trends of NPS and illicit drugs use.
- GHB – amostragem e armazenamento de amostras biológicas de interesse com fins forensesPublication . Castro, André Lobo; Dias, Mário; Reis, Flávio; Teixeira, HelenaO Ácido gama-hidroxibutírico (GHB) é um composto endógeno com um historial de utilização clínica desde os anos 1960’s. No entanto, devido aos seus efeitos secundários, foi classificado como uma substância controlada. É uma substância associada ao consumo ilícito para fins recreativos, para aumento forçado de massa muscular por parte de praticantes de culturismo e ainda ao abuso sexual facilitado por substâncias. A interpretação medico-legal de um resultado positivo para GHB está dependente do seu contexto endógeno e do comportamento post-mortem do composto. Neste pressuposto, serão discutidos os valores endógenos de GHB, quer in-vivo, quer post-mortem, e serão sugeridos alguns cuidados no que diz respeito à amostragem e armazenamento das diferentes amostras biológicas passíveis de ser utilizadas em contexto clínico e forense.
- Quantificação de D9-THC, 11-OH-THC E THC-COOH por SPE e GC/MS-MS em sangue totalPublication . Castro, André Lobo; Tarelho, Sónia; Quintas, Maria José; Costa, Pedro; Melo, Paula; Franco, João Miguel; Dias, MárioIntrodução: Os canabinóides, obtidos a partir de plantas da espécie Cannabis sativa, continuam a ser as substâncias ilícitas com maior prevalência de consumo a nível mundial. O seu abuso representa um problema importante de saúde pública não só devido aos efeitos nefastos para o organismo do indivíduo consumidor mas, também, devido ao facto de o seu consumo afetar negativamente diversas características psicomotoras relevantes para o desempenho de tarefas como a condução (e.g. capacidade de reação). Geralmente os canabinóides encontram-se presentes no organismo em baixas concentrações, nomeadamente o D9-THC e o 11-OH-THC, pelo que o laboratório de toxicologia forense deve dispor de métodos analíticos dotados de uma capacidade de deteção adequada a esta realidade. Acresce ainda o facto de a legislação em vigor para a avaliação do estado de influenciado por substâncias psicotrópicas, ao nível da fiscalização rodoviária, não definir um valor como critério de positividade, algo que torna ainda mais importante a adoção de métodos de elevada sensibilidade a fim de conferir uma representatividade adequada aos resultados obtidos. O objetivo deste trabalho incluiu a validação analítica de um procedimento para a deteção e quantificação, com fins forenses, de D9-THC, 11-OH-THC e THC-COOH em amostras de sangue total obtidas in vivo e post-mortem, bem como a avaliação da prevalência de casos positivos após a aplicação do respetivo procedimento analítico a casos reais. Material e Métodos: O procedimento analítico inclui a extração em fase sólida (SPE) das substâncias de interesse com recurso a cartuchos HLB OASIS® (Waters), a derivatização com BSTFA:TMCS 99:1 (Supelco) e a utilização de uma técnica instrumental hifenada com recurso a um cromatógrafo de gases GC-450 acoplado a um espectrómetro de massa do tipo triplo quadrupolo MS-300 (Bruker). Resultados: Este trabalho conduziu ao desenvolvimento de um método cromatográfico capaz de permitir a separação total dos três compostos e a deteção por MS-MS através da monitorização de dois iões (m/z 289 e 305) obtidos a partir do ião-percursor m/z 371, para cada composto. O ião m/z 289 é utilizado para efeitos de quantificação. Como padrões internos utilizaram-se os análogos deuterados. A validação analítica incluiu o estudo, entre outros, dos seguintes parâmetros: especificidade e seletividade (0% de falsos resultados positivos ou negativos), limiares analíticos de deteção (LoD) e quantificação (LoQ) e a linearidade na gama de trabalho considerada (LoQ de 1 ng/mL e desempenho linear entre 1-100 ng/mL para todos os compostos avaliados), rendimento do procedimento extrativo, arrastamento entre análises e repetibilidade (inferior a 15%). Discussão: O método desenvolvido evidenciou ser adequado para a deteção e quantificação dos canabinóides selecionados tendo sido obtidos bons resultados ao nível do LoD e LoQ. Estes limiares analíticos são adequados para a deteção e quantificação destas substâncias em contexto forense, nomeadamente no caso das amostras biológicas colhidas âmbito da aplicação do Código da Estrada. Este procedimento analítico foi aplicado à rotina laboratorial representando uma melhoria efetiva na qualidade da resposta do laboratório, evidenciada através do aumento no número de casos positivos nas amostras analisadas relativamente ao procedimento analítico anteriormente em vigor.
- Endogenous GHB concentrations in whole blood postmortem samples as a biomarker for post mortem interval estimation – A set of real cases analysisPublication . Castro, André Lobo; Tarelho, Sónia; Dias, Mário; Reis, Flávio; Teixeira, HelenaGamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is an endogenous compound which has a story of clinical use and illicit abuse since the 1960’s. Its postmortem behaviour, namely regarding degradation and metabolism, has been increasingly studied to be used as a putative biomarker for post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation. Thus, whole blood post-mortem GHB levels were obtained in thirty two real cases with previous information on death and autopsy data. The samples were treated through sample methanolic precipitation followed by GC-MS/MS analysis (LLOQ=0.1 mg/L). No differences were encountered for the other parameters evaluated, including age [under 44 years-old - 7.87 2.06 mg GHB/L (n=7), 45 to 60 years-old - 6.80 3.67 mg GHB/L (n=13) and over 61 years-old - 5.72 2.39 mg GHB/L (n=12), p0.05], gender [men - 7.79 5.04 mg GHB/L (n=23), women - 6.72 2.60 mg GHB/L (n=9), p=0.273], cause of death [accident - 7.96 ± 2.26 mg GHB/L (n=8), suicide - 6.75 ± 3.22 mg GHB/L (n=7) and unknown/natural death - 5.14 ± 2.96 mg GHB/L (n=17), p0.05] and presence or absence of substances [absence - 6.37 2.61 mg GHB/L, presence - 6.96 3.38 mg GHB/L, p=0.405]. On the other hand, the results obtained suggest that the PMI (until 5 days between death and sampling) influences GHB whole blood concentration, noticed namely between 48 and 72 hours (24 - 48 hours (p=0.893), 48 - 72 hours (p<0.05); 72 - 96 hours (p=0.123). This study brings additional data regarding the usefulness of GHB levels in forensic toxicology, which might be further strengthened with larger, but comparable, studies from other laboratories and institutions in the forensic toxicology context.
- Comparison of endogenous GHB concentrations in blood and hair in death cases with emphasis on the post mortem intervalPublication . Castro, André Lobo; Tarelho, Sónia; Dias, Mário; Reis, Flávio; Teixeira, Helena M.Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is an endogenous compound which has a story of clinical use and illicit abuse since the 1960’s. The possibility to use a multi-sample approach of GHB evaluation, including whole blood and hair, to better characterize a forensic toxicology case and evaluate a possible causal association with the death, is an exciting up-to-date issue. In addition, its post-mortem behaviour, namely regarding degradation and metabolism, has been increasingly investigated as a putative biomarker for post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation. Thus, In order to contribute to clarify this specific aspect, whole blood and hair post-mortem GHB levels were evaluated in thirty two real cases with previous information on death and autopsy data. The results obtained suggest that the PMI (until 5 days between death and sampling) influences GHB whole blood concentration, but not GHB levels in hair samples. No differences were encountered for the other parameters evaluated, including age, gender, cause of death and presence or absence of substances. This study brings new insights regarding the usefulness of GHB levels in forensic toxicology, which might be further strengthened with larger, but comparable, studies from other laboratories and institutions in the context of legal medicine.