Identification of the synthetic cannabinoid-type new psychoactive substance, CH-PIACA, in seized material.

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) remain the largest class of new psychoactive substances (NPS), and while the number of NPS that are reported to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) for the first time each year declines, the number of newly reported SCs still exceeds other NPS classes. This decline can be seen as a result of legislative changes by different jurisdictions which have sometimes transitioned to a more generalized approach when controlling substances by defining common structural scaffolds rather than explicit structures. While the consequences of such legislative changes have been expected over the years, the introduction of so-called "class-wide" bans puts further pressure on clandestine laboratories to synthesize compounds which are out of the scope of the legislation, and thus, these compounds are initially harder to detect and/or identify in the absence of analytical data.

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).

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).

Glycine-modified growth hormone secretagogues identified in seized doping material.

A number of unknown pharmaceutical preparations seized by Danish customs authorities were submitted for liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analysis. Comparison with reference standards unequivocally identified the content of the powders as analogs of the growth hormone secretagogues GHRP-2 (Pralmorelin), GHRP-6, Ipamorelin, and modified growth hormone releasing factor (modified GRF 1-29), which can be used as performance-enhancing substances in sports. In all cases, the detected modification involved the addition of an extra glycine amino acid at the N-terminus, and analytical methods targeting growth hormone secretagogues should hence be updated accordingly.

In vitro metabolism studies on mephedrone and analysis of forensic cases.

The stimulant designer drug mephedrone is a derivative of cathinone - a monoamine alkaloid found in khat - and its effect resembles that of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Abuse of mephedrone has been documented since 2007; it was originally a 'legal high' drug, but it has now been banned in most Western countries. Using cDNA-expressed CYP enzymes and human liver microsomal preparations, we found that cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) was the main responsible enzyme for the in vitro Phase I metabolism of mephedrone, with some minor contribution from other NAPDH-dependent enzymes.

Identification of ten new designer drugs by GC-MS, UPLC-QTOF-MS, and NMR as part of a police investigation of a Danish internet company.

The ability of forensic laboratories to detect and identify unknown compounds is highly important since new, non-controlled designer drugs are appearing on the market with increasing frequency. In this study, the combined use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) was used for screening of new unknowns. In one large seizure from a Danish Internet company, ten different drugs were identified.

Natural attenuation processes in landfill leachate plumes at three Danish sites.

This article provides an overview of comprehensive core and fringe field studies at three Danish landfill sites. The goal of the research activities is to provide a holistic description of core and fringe attenuation processes for xenobiotic organic compounds in landfill leachate plumes. The approach used is cross-disciplinary, encompassing integration of field-scale observations at different scales, field injection experiments, laboratory experiments, and reactive solute transport modeling.

Oxygen-enhanced biodegradation of phenoxy acids in ground water at contaminated sites.

The effects of adding oxygen to anaerobic aquifer materials on biodegradation of phenoxy acid herbicides were studied by laboratory experiments with aquifer material from two contaminated sites (a former agricultural machinery service and an old landfill). At both sites, the primary pollutants were phenoxy acids and related chlorophenols. It was found that addition of oxygen enhanced degradation of the six original phenoxy acids and six original chlorophenols.

Can degradation products be used as documentation for natural attenuation of phenoxy acids in groundwater?

In situ indicators of degradation are important tools in the demonstration of natural attenuation. A literature survey on the production history of phenoxy acids and degradation pathways has shown that metabolites of phenoxy acid herbicides also are impurities in the herbicide products, making the bare presence of these compounds useless as in situ indicators. These impurities can make up more than 30% of the herbicides.

Natural attenuation of xenobiotic organic compounds in a landfill leachate plume (Vejen, Denmark).

Demonstration of natural attenuation of xenobiotic organic compounds (XOCs) in landfill leachate plumes is a difficult task and still an emerging discipline within groundwater remediation. One of the early studies was made at the Vejen Landfill in Denmark in the late 1980s, which suggested that natural attenuation of XOCs took place under strongly anaerobic conditions within the first 150 m of the leachate plume. This paper reports on a revisit to the same plume 10 years later.

In situ biodegradation determined by carbon isotope fractionation of aromatic hydrocarbons in an anaerobic landfill leachate plume (Vejen, Denmark).

Concentrations and isotopic compositions (13C/12C) of aromatic hydrocarbons were determined in eight samples obtained from the strongly anoxic part of the leachate plume downgradient from the Vejen Landfill (Denmark), where methanogenic, sulfate-reducing and iron-reducing conditions were observed. Despite the heterogeneous distribution of the compounds in the plume, the isotope fractionation proved that ethylbenzene and m/p-xylene were subject to significant biodegradation within the strongly anoxic plume. The isotope fractionation factors (alphaC) for the degradation of the m/p-xylene (1.

Determination of phenols in landfill leachate-contaminated groundwaters by solid-phase extraction.

A solid-phase extraction method for phenols in landfill leachates was developed and optimized in order to solve the expected and observed problems associated with an anaerobic matrix containing high concentrations of salts and organic matter. Isolute ENV+ cartridges exhibited the best retention of phenols of the four sorbents examined, and was the only cartridge which a 1 L leachate sample could pass through. With the other cartridges, clogging made this impossible.