Detection of substance use in clinical forensic cases: urine analysis of victims and perpetrators.

This study investigates the prevalence of substance use among victims and perpetrators involved in clinical forensic cases. Urine samples from 455 individuals aged 18 and above, collected in 2019, were analyzed using two LC-MS-based analytical methods and an HS-GC-FID method for the most frequently reported substances of abuse and medication. Data from case documents, encompassing gender, age, and the individual's role, were recorded in a database.

Applying machine learning to international drug monitoring: classifying cannabis resin collected in Europe using cannabinoid concentrations.

In Europe, concentrations of ∆-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis resin (also known as hash) have risen markedly in the past decade, potentially increasing risks of mental health disorders. Current approaches to international drug monitoring cannot distinguish between different types of cannabis resin which may have contrasting health effects due to THC and cannabidiol (CBD) content. Here, we compared concentrations of THC and CBD in different types of cannabis resin collected in Europe (either Moroccan-type, or Dutch-type).

Do you get what you see? The illicit doping market in Denmark-An analysis of performance and image enhancing drugs seized by the police over a 1-year period.

This study examines doping products seized by the police in three regional police districts in Denmark from December 2019 to December 2020. The products, often referred to as performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs), are described in relation to the country of origin, manufacturing company, and the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) stated on the packaging versus the one identified by subsequent chemical analysis. The study also includes a description of the degree of professionalism by which the products appear according to EU requirements.

Purity of street-level cocaine across Denmark from 2006 to 2019: Analysis of seized cocaine.

Cocaine-related emergency department admissions are increasing, and cocaine seizures are at an all-time high in Europe. Our aim was to investigate the trends in purity and adulterants over time in cocaine available to cocaine users at street level in Denmark. We used a representative sample of cocaine seized at street level and analyzed by the national departments of forensic medicine between 2006 and 2019 (n = 1460).

Development of a method using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for profiling of oil-based androgenic anabolic steroid products.

A GC-MS based analytical method was developed for the profiling of oil-based AAS products using 15 organic constituents as target compounds. A total of 219 compounds were identified in 109 seized AAS products, among them 15 target compounds were selected. The selection was based on each compound's occurrence, reproducibility, and variance between products.

Changes in the composition of cannabis from 2000-2017 in Denmark: Analysis of confiscated samples of cannabis resin.

Globally, recent studies report increases in Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration in seized samples of cannabis for human consumption. This is important, because use of cannabis with a high concentration of THC has been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess recent changes in the composition of seized cannabis resin in Denmark by (a) examining THC concentration in samples from Danish forensic laboratories from 2000 to 2017 ( = 430) and (b) examining cannabidiol (CBD) concentration and the THC:CBD concentration ratio in samples from the forensic laboratory in Western Denmark from 2008 to 2017 ( = 147).

Stability of amphetamine impurity profiles during 12 months of storage.

Impurity profiling is a well described forensic tool that may be applied to gain information about the illegal drug market. However, it requires experience to assess the correlation between chemical profiles thereby separating linked from unlinked samples. One of the challenges in this context is that the chemical profiles may change over time, thus complicating an assessment if samples are stored under different conditions.

Variation in chemical profiles within large seizures of cocaine bricks.

Cocaine is usually trafficked from South America throughout the world in packages of approximately one kilogram shaped as bricks and imprinted with a logo. Seizures consisting of multiple cocaine bricks gives the opportunity to examine the variation in the chemical profile within cocaine bricks assumed to originate from the same manufacturer and maybe even the same production batch. This knowledge may be important to the forensic investigator when chemical profiles from cocaine samples of unknown origin are compared.

Cocaine classification using alkaloid and residual solvent profiling.

Many different groups of chemical compounds can be used in statistical impurity-profile comparison in order to establish links between different seizures of illicit drugs. For cocaine, some of these compounds descent directly from the coca leaf while others are remnants from the manufacturing process; and each of the compound groups exhibit different degrees of stability and discrimination power. Information obtained from the different groups can be handled in numerous ways and selecting the right method using a balanced combination of the compound groups is highly important in order to provide investigators and courtrooms with accurate conclusions.

Stability of cocaine impurity profiles during 12 months of storage.

During the lifetime of a cocaine batch from production end to consumption, several alterations may occur, leading to possible changes in the original impurity profile. Such profile changes may eventually result in erroneous forensic evaluations. In the present study, the stability of both the alkaloid and the residual solvent impurity profiles of cocaine were evaluated over a period of 12 months under different storage conditions (temperature, purity and weight) using GC-MS and HS-GC-MS, respectively.

Sex hormone concentrations and gonad histology in brown trout (Salmo trutta) exposed to 17beta-estradiol and bisphenol A.

The impact of 17beta-estradiol (E2) and bisphenol A (BPA) on steroid hormone levels and gonad development in brown trout (Salmo trutta) was determined. Exposure took place from 0 to 63 days post-fertilisation (dpf) and gonad development was followed till 400 dpf. The onset of xenoestrogen metabolism was examined by measurements of whole body concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) and its conjugation product bisphenol A glucuronic acid (BPAGA).

[Narcotics and illicit drug market. Status and 10-year development].

Introduction: A description of the illicit drug market in Denmark's second largest city is provided based upon the prevalence of narcotics and illicitly sold medicals during the years 2002 and 2003. The changes on the illicit drug market are described by comparing the results to a similar study conducted ten years earlier.

Materials And Methods: The study is comprised of 469 cases of seized material by Aarhus Police during the period January 1st 2002-December 31st 2003.

Vitellogenin induction by 17beta-estradiol and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol in male zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Adult male zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to 17beta-estradiol (E2) or 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in flow-through systems for 8 days. This was done to compare the sensitivity of the estrogen inducible vitellogenin (Vtg) biomarker system of this proposed OECD test guideline species to other relevant test species. Vtg was quantified in whole body homogenate by a species-specific ELISA.