Date of Award

Summer 8-6-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department/Program

Forensic Science

Language

English

First Advisor or Mentor

Richard Stripp

Second Reader

Damon Borg

Third Advisor

Teeshavi Acosta

Abstract

This study serves to determine the prevalence of novel fentanyl analogs that are present within a drug testing population in New York State. Samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to qualitatively determine the presence of various possible fentanyl analogs. The sample preparation of this assay consisted of a simple dilute and shoot. This method of sample preparation can be quicker, eliminating sample preparation times as well as being less financially strenuous to clinical laboratories as it eliminates the need for various solvents and solid/liquid phase cartridges. The assay was aimed to see if analytes can be adequately identified without significant interferences such as ion suppression, enhancement or coeluting compounds. Method validation and authentic patient samples were tested to ensure the integrity of the assay. The assay was confirmed to reliably detect 21 of the 23 analytes of interest with concentrations as low as 0.25ng/mL with the last two analytes being able to consistently detect the target drug at concentrations as low as 1.0ng/mL. Overall, the assay was successful in differentiating between common fentanyl analogs within a population.

Of the 228 samples, acetyl fentanyl was detected in 70 samples, acryl fentanyl was detected in 7 (3.07%) samples, fentanyl was detected in 189 samples, methoxy acetyl fentanyl was detected in 102 samples, para-fluoro fentanyl was detected in 109 samples and tetra-furanyl fentanyl was detected in 1 sample. Polypharmacy was noted in many of the samples, where more than one drug of interest was detected in the same sample.

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