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Rapid and facile detection of four date rape drugs in different beverages utilizing proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR‐MS)
Author(s) -
Jürschik Simone,
Agarwal Bishu,
Kassebacher Thomas,
Sulzer Philipp,
Mayhew Christopher A.,
Märk Tilmann D.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9888
pISSN - 1076-5174
DOI - 10.1002/jms.2993
Subject(s) - chemistry , mass spectrometry , chromatography
In this work, we illustrate the application of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR‐MS) in the field of food and drink safety. We present proof‐of‐principle measurements of four different drinks (water, tea, red wine and white wine) each spiked separately with four different date rape drugs (chloral hydrate, tricholorethanol, γ‐butyrolactone and butanediol). At first, the ideal PTR‐MS operating conditions (reduced electric field strength and monitoring the most abundant [fragment] ion) for detection of the drugs were determined utilizing a time‐of‐flight‐based PTR‐MS instrument. We then dissolved small quantities of the drugs (below the activation threshold for effects on humans) into the various types of drinks and detected them using a quadrupole‐based PTR‐MS instrument via two different sampling methods: (1) dynamic headspace sampling and (2) direct liquid injection. Both methods have their advantages and drawbacks. Only with dynamic headspace sampling can rape drug contaminations be detected within a timeframe of seconds, and therefore, this method is the most promising use of PTR‐MS as a fast, sensitive and selective monitor for the detection of food and drink contamination. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.