Direct Analysis in Real Time Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry for Illicit Drug Identification and Quantification

Drug mixture composition and compound identifications provide public health, first responder, and law enforcement communities with critical and actionable data, guiding emergency response and interdiction, informing the public, and targeting overdose prevention. The advent of novel synthetic opioids, nitazenes, and benzodiazepines, along with the spread of strong veterinary tranquilizer adulterants (e.g., xylazine and medetomidine), have created an ever-changing drug landscape. The Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality (TRANQ) Research Act of 2023 directs research, method development, measurement science, and standards to address these hurdles. In conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Rapid Drug Analysis and Research (RaDAR) program, aimed at monitoring the chemical makeup of the drug landscape, we are investigating analytical instrumentation to enable drug screening to move from the laboratory to an agile point-of-need setting. We explored compound identification with a direct analysis in real time triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (DART-TQ-MS) and the NIST/NIJ DART-MS Data Interpretation Tool with Forensics Database. Full scan analysis of single-component standards demonstrated limits of detection generally in the tens to hundreds of picograms with a few in the single nanogram range (i.e., compounds with extremes in volatility). Single-component, mixtures, and real-world street drug samples were investigated with potential identifications made matching against the high-resolution mass spectral library, using both full scan and product ion scan spectra. The development of a compact TQ-MS system enables the future potential for rapid on-site analysis, supporting public health, law enforcement, and forensic applications. This innovation paves the way for mobile, point-of-need drug testing and identification, enhancing our ability to respond to emerging drug threats.