Development of a new “Fast GC-MS” System for Multi-drug Analyses

Danny Rich, Jen Green, Sarah Denham, Linda French, Glenn Taylor, Declan P Naughton

a  Hampshire County Council - Scientific Services, Hyde Park Road, Southsea, PO5 4L
b  School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, Kingston Upon Thames, London KT1 2EE

Address for correspondence: Professor Declan Naughton, School of Life Sciences, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, UK Email: D.Naughton@kingston.ac.uk, Telephone: +44 208 417 7097

Summary

This report details the incorporation of a recently installed “fast GC-MS” system to upgrade the existing GC-MS facility and complement the LC-MS provision for forensic analysis at Hampshire Scientific Service. Hampshire Scientific Services provides an analytical service for Coroners by screening toxicology exhibits for drugs and medicines and quantifying by LC-MS-MS where necessary. The software and hardware components were developed using a library built with standards. Optimisation steps included extension of the Agilent Deconvolution Reporting Software (DRS) which combines Chemstation, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Automated Mass Spectral and Identification Software (AMDIS) to generate a bespoke compound mass spectral library. Secondly, a Nitrogen Phosphorous Detector (NPD) produces peak height data for standards and reference materials. The development took place according to United Kingdom Accreditation Service’s standards and specific guidelines produced by the laboratory. The method is capable of analysing 20 drugs of interest with a 7 minute run time.  The new system is four times quicker than the prior GC-MS system and therefore is much more cost-effective and complements current provision.

Keywords

Fast GC-MS, toxicology screening, drugs

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