Cocaine (benzoylmethylecgonin) is one of the most commonly abused illicit drugs in the world. Many cocaine users use a wrapped banknote to sniff this drug. Banknotes become contaminated during the abuse, exchange and storage of cocaine as well as other illicit drugs. The presence of trace levels of illicit drugs is frequently used as a part of the forensic evidence establishing a link between a suspect and these drugs. In this study, a gas chromatography � mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for cocaine analysis was adopted for the Instrumental Analysis course at the UM-D. The method was employed for identification and quantitation of cocaine on banknotes collected from various locations in the Metro Detroit area. Cocaine was detected in 42% of the banknotes tested and the amount of cocaine on each bill was in the range of 53 to 86 micrograms.

Identification and quantitation of cocaine on U.S. banknotes collected from the metro Detroit area by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)

245th National Meeting (2013)

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