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Detection of cocaine in the airborne particles of the Italian cities Rome and Taranto
Author(s) -
Cecinato Angelo,
Balducci Catia
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of separation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.72
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1615-9314
pISSN - 1615-9306
DOI - 10.1002/jssc.200700039
Subject(s) - environmental chemistry , chemistry , aerosol , pyrene , nicotine , environmental science , organic chemistry , biology , neuroscience
Cocaine was first detected in the air of two Italian cities, Rome and Taranto, where it reached concentrations sometimes exceeding 100 pg/m 3 , by HRGC–MS analysis of carbonaceous aerosol samples. By contrast, the drug was virtually absent in Algiers (Algeria). In Italy, atmospheric concentrations of cocaine were, on average, similar to those of other toxic pollutants like polychlorobiphenyls or nitrated polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and higher than those of polychlorodibenzo‐ p ‐dioxins/polychlorodibenzofurans. The cocaine concentrations seemed to correlate with regional consumption of the drug in Rome and Taranto. By contrast, it correlated neither with nicotine or caffeine, nor with benzo[ a ]pyrene, the sole organic compound associated with aerosols that is quoted according to Italian legislation.