LCMS Finds Cocaine on Euros

This Analyst article on LCMS for the determination of drug contamination on Irish euro banknotes by Jonathan Bones, Mirek Macka and Brett Paull at the Dublin City University National Center for Sensor Research has been getting quite a bit of press. Trace cocaine was found on all 45 bank notes tested. This is perhaps not surprising, given the ease with which the powder is spread by ATMs and counting machines. Nonetheless, the authors report a significant sensitivity improvement in the LCMS method compared to previous GCMS studies.