{"title":"Chemical decontamination of methamphetamine and ephedrine using household hypochlorite bleach","authors":"Alexandra Mayer, Gordon Miskelly","doi":"10.1016/j.forc.2023.100538","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Hypochlorite bleach is an easily accessible, commonly used cleaning product. Methamphetamine and ephedrine hydrochloride react rapidly with 3.5 g/L (1:8 dilution of a commercial household bleach) and 21 g/L (2:1 dilution) solutions of sodium hypochlorite bleach in water, with each reaction being complete within 5 min of mixing. The major methamphetamine reaction product was identified as <em>N</em>-chloromethamphetamine which was reliably quantified by dechlorination using a sulfite quench prior to sample extraction and analysis by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The initial product from ephedrine was benzaldehyde, and this then formed benzoic acid as a second-generation product in the 3.5 g/L sodium hypochlorite bleach solution.</p><p><em>N</em>-Chloromethamphetamine was observed to persist in solution for several hours with minor formation of benzaldehyde and N-chloro-1-phenylpropan-2-imine, a proposed second-generation product from <em>N</em>-chloromethamphetamine, also detected. Assessment of further N-chloramine reaction products will aid in our ability to estimate exposure risks to those attempting drug remediation using hypochlorite bleach. These observed products can also be used as potential forensic markers of the use of a property for illicit activity if bleach has been used in an attempt to decontaminate the location.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":324,"journal":{"name":"Forensic Chemistry","volume":"36 ","pages":"Article 100538"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468170923000747/pdfft?md5=8735d8b71d8d7eac8fd0b79dcea75dc1&pid=1-s2.0-S2468170923000747-main.pdf","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Forensic Chemistry","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468170923000747","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
Hypochlorite bleach is an easily accessible, commonly used cleaning product. Methamphetamine and ephedrine hydrochloride react rapidly with 3.5 g/L (1:8 dilution of a commercial household bleach) and 21 g/L (2:1 dilution) solutions of sodium hypochlorite bleach in water, with each reaction being complete within 5 min of mixing. The major methamphetamine reaction product was identified as N-chloromethamphetamine which was reliably quantified by dechlorination using a sulfite quench prior to sample extraction and analysis by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The initial product from ephedrine was benzaldehyde, and this then formed benzoic acid as a second-generation product in the 3.5 g/L sodium hypochlorite bleach solution.
N-Chloromethamphetamine was observed to persist in solution for several hours with minor formation of benzaldehyde and N-chloro-1-phenylpropan-2-imine, a proposed second-generation product from N-chloromethamphetamine, also detected. Assessment of further N-chloramine reaction products will aid in our ability to estimate exposure risks to those attempting drug remediation using hypochlorite bleach. These observed products can also be used as potential forensic markers of the use of a property for illicit activity if bleach has been used in an attempt to decontaminate the location.
期刊介绍:
Forensic Chemistry publishes high quality manuscripts focusing on the theory, research and application of any chemical science to forensic analysis. The scope of the journal includes fundamental advancements that result in a better understanding of the evidentiary significance derived from the physical and chemical analysis of materials. The scope of Forensic Chemistry will also include the application and or development of any molecular and atomic spectrochemical technique, electrochemical techniques, sensors, surface characterization techniques, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, chemometrics and statistics, and separation sciences (e.g. chromatography) that provide insight into the forensic analysis of materials. Evidential topics of interest to the journal include, but are not limited to, fingerprint analysis, drug analysis, ignitable liquid residue analysis, explosives detection and analysis, the characterization and comparison of trace evidence (glass, fibers, paints and polymers, tapes, soils and other materials), ink and paper analysis, gunshot residue analysis, synthetic pathways for drugs, toxicology and the analysis and chemistry associated with the components of fingermarks. The journal is particularly interested in receiving manuscripts that report advances in the forensic interpretation of chemical evidence. Technology Readiness Level: When submitting an article to Forensic Chemistry, all authors will be asked to self-assign a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) to their article. The purpose of the TRL system is to help readers understand the level of maturity of an idea or method, to help track the evolution of readiness of a given technique or method, and to help filter published articles by the expected ease of implementation in an operation setting within a crime lab.