What’s the best tool to use? With the availability of GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, and HRMS to perform toxicology, seized drugs analysis or arson investigations forensic scientists may be left in the dark on the clear benefits of the different technologies. Choosing the best one ultimately depends on the application.
Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) are established in forensics for routine targeted testing. However, new challenges such as fast evolving designer fentanyls or synthetic cannabinoids have increased demand for MS solutions that go beyond conventional GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. HRMS solutions such as high resolution accurate mass (HRAM) Orbitrap MS is accurate to 5 decimal places and performs multiple scan events within one run. This enables screening, quantification and confirmation of suspected drugs of abuse (DOA) within the same experiment. High resolution full scan data also provides retrospective analysis for identifying previously unknown DOA.
In this presentation we will discuss the advantages, applications, and case studies for utilizing GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, and HRAM/HRMS.