Mass Screening and Confirmation of Seven Sympathomimetic Amine Drugs by EMIT-Gas Chromatography

A rapid, sensitive, and specific procedure is described for the mass screening and confirmation of the following sympathomimetic amines in urine: amphetamine, methamphetamine, β-phenethylamine, ephedrine, mephentermine, phenmetrazine, and phentermine. The method is sensitive to 1.0 µg/ml levels of amphetamine and methamphetamine; 2.5 µg/ml levels of β-phenethylamine, mephentermine, phenmetrazine, and phentermine; and 7.0 µg/ml levels of ephedrine. The raw urine specimens are screened directly by EMIT (Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique) and those screened positive are confirmed by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) using flame-ionization detection. All of the amines are analyzed as free bases on a 10% Apiezon L-10% KOH column and confirmed as trifluoroacetamide (TFA) derivatives on 3% OV-17 and/or 3% OV-225 columns. This multiple approach eliminates false positives from interfering substances present in the urine.