Identification of the general unknown. Application of mass selective detectors in forensic toxicology.

One of the basic aims of forensic toxicology is the identification of previously unknown drugs and poisons. This is frequently achieved using the combination of gas chromatography and benchtop quadrupole or ion trap mass spectrometers. The influence of matrix loading on the mass spectral quality was tested, and it was found that a realistic amount of matrix changed the pattern of the spectra obtained by the ion trap mass spectrometer. Disturbed mass spectra led to unsuitable suggestions from the library search and thus rendered the identification of the "general unknown" more difficult. On the other hand, higher selectivity and lower detection limits favored the ion trap technology for target analysis because of the capability of MS-MS.