• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.101-106
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• 2017

Purpose: This study examined the patterns of drugs, poisons, and chemicals detected in autopsy samples performed in the Seoul Institute and other regional forensic offices of the National Forensic Service (NFS) between 2014 and 2016. Methods: The investigation carried out using the laboratory information management system. Forensic toxicological identification and quantitation were performed in autopsy samples, including heart blood, peripheral blood, liver, kidney, vitreous humor and etc. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used to analyze the drugs and poisons. Results: Forensic autopsies were performed on 9,674 cases in this period. Based on the autopsy reports, 699 cases (7.2%) were considered as unnatural deaths caused by fatal intoxication. The number of male deaths was higher than that of female deaths, with the age of 50-59 being the most common age group. Conclusion: Drugs comprised the largest number of deaths due to poison, followed by alcohol, agrochemicals, drug with alcohol, carbon monoxide, and cyanide, in that order. Zolpidem was the most frequently used drug in all drug-related intoxication cases.

• 분석과학
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• 제34권3호
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• pp.115-121
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• 2021

에탄올 대사체인 에틸글루쿠로나이드(ethyl glucuronide, EtG)와 에틸설페이트(ethyl sulfate, EtS)는 에탄올 섭취의 직접적인 지표물질로서 여러 생체 시료에서 법과학적으로 다양하게 연구되고 있다. 부검 변사자에게서 검출된 에탄올이 사망 전 음주에 의한 것인지 사후 부패에 의해 생성된 에탄올인지 판단하기 위해서는 에탄올 대사체를 분석할 필요가 있다. 일반적으로 혈액에서 에탄올과 함께 EtG, EtS를 검출하고 있지만 부패 상황에 따라 혈액을 확보하는 것이 어려우므로 조직 생체시료를 이용해 에탄올 대사체를 검출함으로써 이를 대체해야 한다. 본 연구에서는 조직 중에서 비장을 선택하여 LC-MS/MS를 이용해 EtG, EtS를 검출하였으며 시험법이 적합한 방법인지를 증명하기 위해 밸리데이션을 수행하여 법과학적 감정에 사용할 수 있는 분석법을 완성하고 실제 부검 사례에 적용하였다.

• 공업화학
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.490-494
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• 2017

최근 차량 증가와 더불어 이에 따른 사고 또한 증가하고 있는 추세로써 대부분의 사고차량에서 도색작업이 반드시 요구되고 있다. 통상적인 차량 도색시 다량의 유기용제가 사용되어 환경문제가 대두되고 있으며 이에 대처하기 위해 최근 수용성 도료가 국내에서도 개발되고 그 사용이 증가하고 있다. 그러나 수용성 도료의 경우 도장 작업비용이 고가이기에 정비공장에서 보험금 과다청구의 수단으로 악용하는 사례 또한 적지 않다. 본 연구에서는 수용성 도료를 사용하였는지 여부를 규명하기 위해 수용성 도료에 사용되는 비이온성 계면활성제 성분인 Surfynol 104 성분을 지표물질로 하여 퀴리포인트를 이용한 열분해-기체크로마토그래피/질량분석법(Py-GC/MS)으로 분석하였다. 분석결과 도색작업이 완료된 실제 차량 페인트에서 동위원소 치환된 fluoranthene-d10을 내부표준물질로 하여 표준물첨가법(standard addition method)으로 약 0.38%의 계면활성제 성분이 검출되었다.

• 분석과학
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.170-179
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• 2023

Starvation, diabetes, alcoholism and hypothermia cause ketoacidosis in the human body; therefore, the cause of death can be determined by analyzing ketone bodies in the blood of the deceased. In the case of decomposition of the cadaver, however, since collecting intact blood is impossible, ketone body analysis is performed using the spleen. However, the index for diagnosing ketoacidosis is based on blood concentration, and its correlation with ketone bodies present in the spleen remains unknown. In particular, since decomposition proceeds rapidly during summer, when temperature and humidity are high, understanding the correlation between ketone bodies in the blood and spleen is important to estimate the state at the time of death from a decaying body. Therefore, in the present study, the correlation between ketone bodies in the blood and spleen of the deceased was explored. Ketone bodies (beta-hydroxybutyric acid [BHB] and acetone) in the blood and spleen were analyzed and compared from autopsies (>100 mg·L^-1 BHB, blood basis) conducted at the Daejeon Forensic Research Institute from June to December 2021. Moreover, the concentration of ketone bodies in the spleen juice and tissues was compared assuming the scenario of extreme decomposition. Ketone retention concentration in the blood and spleen was positively correlated, and the ratio of BHB concentration in the spleen to BHB concentration in the blood ranged from 0.52 to 1.08 (mean = 0.85 ± 0.12), although the ratio may vary depending on the degree of decomposition of the corpse.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권12호
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• pp.4243-4246
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• 2012

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제34권8호
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• pp.2413-2418
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• 2013

Forensic and legal medicine require reliable data to indicate excessive alcohol consumption. Ethanol is oxidatively metabolized to acetate by alcohol dehydrogenase and non-oxidatively metabolized to ethyl glucuronide (EtG), ethyl sulfate (EtS), phosphatidylethanol, or fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE). Oxidative metabolism is too rapid to provide biomarkers for the detection of ethanol ingestion. However, the non-oxidative metabolite EtG is a useful biomarker because it is stable, non-volatile, water soluble, highly sensitive, and is detected in body fluid, hair, and tissues. EtG analysis methods such as mass spectroscopy, chromatography, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques are currently in use. We suggest that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy could be used to monitor ethanol intake. As with current conventional methods, NMR spectroscopy doesn't require complicated pretreatments or sample separation. This method has the advantages of short acquisition time, simple sample preparation, reproducibility, and accuracy. In addition, all proton-containing compounds can be detected. In this study, we performed $^1H$ NMR analyses of urine to monitor the ethanol and EtG. Urinary samples were collected over time from 5 male volunteers. We confirmed that ethanol and EtG signals could be detected with NMR spectroscopy. Ethanol signals increased immediately upon alcohol intake, but decreased sharply over time. In contrast, EtG signal increased and reached a maximum about 9 h later, after which the EtG signal decreased gradually and remained detectable after 20-25 h. Based on these results, we suggest that $^1H$ NMR spectroscopy may be used to identify ethanol non-oxidative metabolites without the need for sample pretreatment.

• 공업화학
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.356-361
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• 2018

혈액과 같이 다성분으로 이루어진 복잡한 matrix로 구성된 시료에서 휘발성 유기화합물(VOC)이나 반휘발성 유기화합물(SVOC)의 분석은 분리공정을 거쳐 분석되는 것이 일반적이다. 흡착은 어떤 성분이 다른 상의 표면에 축적되는 물리적 현상이다. 전처리 과정에서 번거로움을 극복하기 위해 흡착이 적용되며 이를 위해 다공성 탄소인 carboxen (CAR)이 도포된 solid phase microextraction (SPME) 장치가 흔히 사용된다. 본 연구에서는 플라스틱 제조시 가소제 등으로 사용되는 4-octylphenol의 carboxen에 대한 흡착특성을 살펴보았다. 이를 위해 dichloromethane ($CH_2Cl_2$, DCM), ethylacetate ($CH_3COOC_2H_5$, EA) 및 diethylether ($C_2H_5OC_2H_5$, $Et_2O$)에 대한 추출효율과 bistrimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide (BSTFA), methylchloroformate (MCF) 및 pentafluorobenzylbromide (PFBBr)에 대한 유도체화 반응의 특성을 조사하였다. 열역학적 특성 파악을 위한 추출용제로는 DCM이 양호한 효과를 보였으며 BSTFA를 이용한 silylation의 분석특성이 우수하여 이를 적용하였다. 열역학적 및 동력학적 흡착실험 결과 흡착과정은 흡열특성을 보였고 Langmuir식보다는 Freundlich 등온식에 더 근접하였으며 동력학적으로는 pseudo-$2^{nd}$ order kinetic model에 따르는 것을 보였다.

• 분석과학
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• 제36권2호
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• pp.80-88
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• 2023

Fingerprints play a crucial role in the identification of potential suspects in criminal cases. However, determining the actual time, i.e., the time at which the fingermark was deposited, is challenging. Herein, we investigated the persistence and aging of fingerprints over time by observing the time evolution of latent fingerprints on a polystyrene box stored in a dark room. Fingerprint samples that were stored for up to two years could be detected with maximum accuracy using a black iron-oxide-based emulsion (black emulsion). To estimate the time of fingerprint deposition, fingerprint aging was studied by analyzing the lipid components of the fingerprints after their development. Cholesterol and squalene were selected as indicators of fingerprint aging, and their ratio was estimated to assess aging. In the case of fingerprint samples stored in a dark room for up to one month after deposition, the cholesterol/squalene ratio was approximately 0.01; it increased gradually to ≥ 0.1 over six months. A substantial reduction in the levels of cholesterol and squalene from the initial levels was also noted. Cholesterol and squalene were not detected after one year of storage. Thus, the extent of aging could be determined by analyzing the aging indicators for up to six months. Two cases that could cause error in the estimation of the fingerprint deposition time, namely, heating of the fingerprint sample before development and storage of the developed fingerprints in a dark room, were also investigated.

• 분석과학
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.73-78
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• 2016

시안화수소는 ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) 등의 플라스틱류 화재시에 발생될 수 있는 유독성 기체이기에 시안화수소가 함유된 연기를 흡입하였을 경우 변사자의 혈액에서도 검출될 수 있다. 따라서 열기로 혈액 등의 생체시료의 손상정도가 강하여 일산화탄소-헤모글로빈 농도의 측정이 어려운 경우 사인규명을 위한 지표로 활용될 수 있으리라 사료된다. 본 연구의 사례는 유서와 함께 화재가 발생한 차량내에서 발견된 변사체의 사인규명과 관련이 있다. 화재사의 경우 일산화탄소-헤모글로빈 농도가 결정적인 정보를 제공하지만 열기로 심하게 손상되어 이에 대한 측정이 어려워 시안화이온을 분석하고자 하였다. 시안화이온을 양이온계면활성제와 함께 pentafluorobenzyl bromide로 유도체화 시킨 다음 기체크로마토그래피/질량분석법으로 scan mode와 SIM mode로 분석하였다. 변사체 심혈과 뇌혈에서 시안화이온이 정상 흡연자 14인의 평균값(0.041 µg/mL)보다 높은 0.36 µg/mL 및 1.20 µg/mL 확인되었다.

• 분석과학
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.98-107
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• 2020

Methamphetamine (MA) is currently the most abused illicit drug in Korea. MA is produced by chemical synthesis, and the final target drug that is produced contains small amounts of the precursor chemicals, intermediates, and by-products. To identify and quantify these trace compounds in MA seizures, a practical and feasible approach for conducting chromatographic fingerprinting with a suite of traditional chemometric methods and recently introduced machine learning approaches was examined. This was achieved using gas chromatography (GC) coupled with a flame ionization detector (FID) and mass spectrometry (MS). Following appropriate examination of all the peaks in 71 samples, 166 impurities were selected as the characteristic components. Unsupervised (principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and K-means clustering) and supervised (partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), support vector machines (SVM), and deep neural network (DNN) with Keras) chemometric techniques were employed for classifying the 71 MA seizures. The results of the PCA, HCA, K-means clustering, PLS-DA, OPLS-DA, SVM, and DNN methods for quality evaluation were in good agreement. However, the tested MA seizures possessed distinct features, such as chirality, cutting agents, and boiling points. The study indicated that the established qualitative and semi-quantitative methods will be practical and useful analytical tools for characterizing trace compounds in illicit MA seizures. Moreover, they will provide a statistical basis for identifying the synthesis route, sources of supply, trafficking routes, and connections between seizures, which will support drug law enforcement agencies in their effort to eliminate organized MA crime.