SMU Medical Journal

Kanak Lata Verma ¹, Rohan Verma ², Madhulika Sharma ¹, R. K. Sarin ¹, A. K. Jaiswal ³

Affiliations
1 Forensic Science Laboratory, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, IN
2 LabWater Division, Merck Millipore, Bangalore, IN
3 Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029, IN

Abstract

In the recent times, a lot of molecules have seemed in the world of drugs of abuse. This always seems like an issue when it comes to the sensitive methods for identifying the sub picogram concentrations by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. In This Review, we will be covering the importance of the ultra pure water as one of the most important factors in the several analytical methodologies including Mass Spectrometry. In the current scenario of forensic sciences, we have the limitation to make up for the quick methods and return the reports in time. The reasons can be various from the enough training officials to rugged developed method before samples comes to the lab for testing and how the ultra pure water makes it reproducible and reliable. Weh have seen enough of the technologies came up in last decade in terms of mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography where one can analyse 400 compounds in a run which spans around 10-20minute. But are we sure that our forensic labs are well equipped and well trained to do so. It is equally important to have the right kind of reagent used in sample preparation, mobile phases and solution preparation for standards has to be prepared with the right kind of methodologies. In the current paper a critical overview on the importance of ultrapure water at each step in a analytical method starts from the dissolving the standards, dilutions, tuning of the molecules for mass spectrometer, and so on and also the limitations of not having so in the diverse analytical approaches is provided, with a particular attention to liquid phase separation techniques coupled to high accuracy, high resolution mass spectrometer.

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