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Related Experiment Videos

Methylecgonidine coats the crack particle

R W Wood1, J Shojaie, C P Fang

  • 1Department of Environmental Medicine, NYU Medical Center, Tuxedo 10987, USA.

Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|January 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Smoking crack cocaine produces methylecgonidine (MEG), a pyrolysis product. Particle size and MEG concentration vary with heating methods, impacting respiratory deposition and potential health effects.

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Area of Science:

  • Forensic Chemistry
  • Toxicology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Crack cocaine is a smokable form of cocaine base.
  • Heating crack cocaine can lead to pyrolysis, forming methylecgonidine (MEG).
  • Aerosolized particles form upon cooling of volatilized crack cocaine.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the formation and characteristics of methylecgonidine (MEG) during crack cocaine smoking.
  • To analyze the influence of different heating methods on particle size and MEG concentration.
  • To consider the implications of varying aerosol properties on respiratory deposition and health outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Heating cocaine base in model crack pipes and off a heated wire coil.
  • Characterizing particle size distribution and MEG concentration in the resulting aerosols.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Measuring MEG vapor pressure and its disappearance rate from a chamber.

    • Main Results:

    • Heating cocaine base in model pipes produced ~1-micron particles with MEG concentrations up to 5%.
    • Vaporizing cocaine on a wire coil yielded larger, dispersed particles (2-5 microns) with <1% MEG.
    • MEG exhibits higher vapor pressure than cocaine base, facilitating its condensation onto aerosol droplets.

    Conclusions:

    • Different crack smoking techniques produce aerosols with distinct particle sizes and MEG content.
    • Particle diameter significantly influences deposition sites within the respiratory tract.
    • Understanding these variations is crucial for assessing the health risks associated with crack cocaine inhalation.