TY - JOUR

T1 - Driving under the influence of nitrous oxide

T2 - A retrospective study of HS-GC-MS analysis in whole blood

AU - Lindholm, Angelica Ørregaard

AU - Nielsen, Marie Katrine Klose

AU - Kristensen, Mette

AU - Rasmussen, Brian Schou

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Since 2020, our lab has received blood samples from traffic cases involving suspicion of driving under the influence of nitrous oxide (N2O). While N2O analysis by gas chromatography (GC) has been around for decades, quantitative results in blood from drivers have been only scarcely reported. We present a three-year (2020–2022) retrospective study of N2O from traffic cases in Eastern Denmark with suspected involvement of N2O intake. Whole blood samples from traffic cases were analysed for N2O using headspace-GC-MS. Freshly made calibration curves and additions of xenon gas as an internal standard were used for calculation of N2O concentrations. Positive samples have been defined as having concentrations greater than 0.1 mL N2O/L blood. Over a three-year period, we have tested 62 traffic case blood samples for the presence of N2O. Despite the technical challenges associated with the analysis of N2O, we have found N2O in 52 of the samples. Calculated concentrations were in the range 0.1–48 mL N2O/L blood, which are similar to the few cases previously found in the literature.

AB - Since 2020, our lab has received blood samples from traffic cases involving suspicion of driving under the influence of nitrous oxide (N2O). While N2O analysis by gas chromatography (GC) has been around for decades, quantitative results in blood from drivers have been only scarcely reported. We present a three-year (2020–2022) retrospective study of N2O from traffic cases in Eastern Denmark with suspected involvement of N2O intake. Whole blood samples from traffic cases were analysed for N2O using headspace-GC-MS. Freshly made calibration curves and additions of xenon gas as an internal standard were used for calculation of N2O concentrations. Positive samples have been defined as having concentrations greater than 0.1 mL N2O/L blood. Over a three-year period, we have tested 62 traffic case blood samples for the presence of N2O. Despite the technical challenges associated with the analysis of N2O, we have found N2O in 52 of the samples. Calculated concentrations were in the range 0.1–48 mL N2O/L blood, which are similar to the few cases previously found in the literature.

U2 - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111904

DO - 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111904

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38064776

VL - 354

JO - Forensic Science International

JF - Forensic Science International

SN - 0379-0738

M1 - 111904

ER -