Modification of QuEChERS method for determination of morphine and codeine in urine

Abstract

One way of proving persons taking heroin is the detection of trace amounts of morphine and codeine in the defendant’s urine. The test may be complicated, by being time consuming and requiring a large amount of samples. The samples must be enriched enough for the test. A QuEChERS (Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged and Safe) method is literally introduced for use in the test process. It has been successfully modified for the urine tested samples by using an alumina-N sorbent as the dispersive solid-phase extraction to reduce matrix interferences and to achieve the enrichment. The treated sample was detected by a High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and Gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GCMS). The proposed procedure required 5 mL and 1 mL of a urine sample, respectively. It was found that the limit of morphine and codeine detection by HPTLC were 100 ng/mL and 300 ng/mL, respectively, and by GCMS were 39.1 ng/mL and 40.6 ng/mL, respectively. This method is quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe, and applicable in a routine work. Especially for the HPTLC method, with the QuEChERS, is cheaper than other methods. This proposed method solves the problem of a limited amount of samples. The remaining sample can be used for further confirmation procedures as required by Thai legislation.