Rapid Analytical Method for Quantification of Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) in Hair by UPLC-MS/MS.

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), an endogenous compound related to the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), is used as a therapeutic and recreational drug and as a "weapon" in drug-facilitated crimes. The very short window of detection of GHB in conventional matrices (blood and urine) makes necessary the use of alternative matrices like hair. Hair has a long window of detection and the possibility to perform segmental analysis, which makes it very useful for proving GHB intake.

Current status of keratinized matrices in Toxicology: Comparison of hair and nails.

Nails are a keratinized matrix that has been proposed as an alternative to hair to evaluate long-term and retrospective consumption of drugs of abuse and pharmaceuticals. This matrix has been gaining interest in recent years, with new studies focusing on the analysis of fingernails and/or toenails for different substances. However, nails and hair present differences in structure, growth, and incorporation pathways that may affect drug incorporation and analysis and complicate the interpretation of the results.

Assessment of the occurrence and interaction between pesticides and plastic litter from vineyard plots.

In this research, aged plastic fragments collected from vineyards were characterized in terms of composition, residues of pesticides, and their potential to exchange these compounds with the aquatic media. To this end, we employed the qualitative and quantitative information provided by complementary analytical techniques, including chromatography, organic and inorganic mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and electronic microscopy. Debris of weathered plastics were identified as polypropylene and polyethylene, containing different types of additives, from organic UV stabilizers to inorganic fillers, such as calcium salts.

Study of metal and organic contaminants transported by microplastics in the Lebanese coastal environment using ICP MS, GC-MS, and LC-MS.

An untargeted study of multiclass contaminants associated with microplastics (MPs) in the East Mediterranean was carried out. Samples were collected in 2020-2021 from the shoreline at 14 different locations, along the Lebanese coast. Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) FTIR spectroscopy showed the predominant presence of polyethylene and polypropylene among plastic debris.