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Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Elemental Analysis of Ecstasy Tablets

French, Holly E., Went, Michael J., Gibson, Stuart J. (2013) Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Elemental Analysis of Ecstasy Tablets. Forensic Science International, 231 (1-3). pp. 88-91. ISSN 0379-0738. (doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.04.021) (KAR id:33914)

Abstract

Abstract: Six metals (Cu, Mg, Ba, Ni, Cr, Pb) were determined in two separate batches of seized ecstasy

tablets by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS) following digestion with nitric

acid and hydrogen peroxide. Large intra-batch variations were found as expected for tablets produced

in clandestine laboratories. For example, nickel in batch 1 was present in the range 0.47-13.1 ppm and

in batch 2 in the range 0.35-9.06 ppm. Although batch 1 had significantly higher MDMA content than

batch 2, barium was the only element which discriminated between the two ecstasy seizures (batch 1:

0.19-0.66 ppm, batch 2: 3.77-5.47 ppm).

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.04.021
Uncontrolled keywords: MDMA, Ecstasy, Atomic absorption, Drug profiling
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Stuart Gibson
Date Deposited: 16 May 2013 12:08 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:11 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/33914 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

French, Holly E..

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Went, Michael J..

Creator's ORCID:
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Gibson, Stuart J..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7981-241X
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