U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Funding & Awards
 Development of Heated Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for Chemical Profiling of Marjuana
Award Information
Awardee
              Sam Houston State University
Award #
              2014-R2-CX-K005
Funding Category
              Competitive
Location
                    Huntsville, TX
Awardee County
              Walker
Congressional District
              8
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2014
Total funding (to date)
              $166,347
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY 14 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2014, $166,347)
As submitted by the proposer: Chemical forensics is a nascent field that collects and attributes chemical information of physical evidence to their sources. Ideally, from a chemical forensic analysis, one can identify chemical signatures of physical evidence and use them to classify or trace the source of it. We propose to use heated headspace solid phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HHS-SPME-GC/MS) as an analytical platform for the collection of chemical signatures of physical evidence. To prove this concept, we will collaborate with the Southwest Regional Science Center (SWRSC) with the Department of Homeland Security on chemical profilingof marijuana samples using HHS-SPME-GC/MS. Marijuana is one of the most common controlled substances not only in the United States, but also worldwide. It is of forensic interests to trace the origin of marijuana for the purpose of criminal investigation. Many studies have demonstrated the use of chemical profile analysis for the classification of marijuana samples. The chemical profile has been reported as a fingerprint for the source of marijuana. Unfortunately, there is no standardized chemical profiling method for marijuana to create a shared knowledge database. Also, many crime laboratories are not equipped with stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer analysis (IRMS) to perform IRMS analysis. Therefore, we propose to develop an alternative instrumentation using a solvent free extraction method to extract signature chemicals from marijuana sample. After extraction, the detection of the chemical signatures will be performed with a GC/MS, which is a basic and common analytical instrument in most crime laboratories. The HHS-SPME-GC/MS methodology can be easily adopted, because the acquisition cost of hardware are minimal. With this development, we envision the marijuana caseload can be reduced, due to automated HHS-SPME technique. Also, a standard chemical profile method for marijuana samples can be established with this sensitive, robust and rugged HHS-SPME-GC/MS methodology, by which a global marijuana chemical database can be shared between crime laboratories. We expect this new analytical platform will greatly improve the classification of marijuana samples seized from different origins. Our long term goal is to apply the HHS-SPME-GC/MS analytical platform to profile and establish databases for a variety of trace evidence, such as fiber, designer drug, synthetic weed, fire debris, polymers, duct tapes, gun powders, explosive residues, just to name a few. Manuscripts describing the optimization of the HHS-SPME-GC/MS will be submitted to peer reviewed journals. A final technical report will be submitted to NIJ for publication in order to disseminate the development of automated HHS-SPME-GC/MS for forensic applications.
ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Toward the Identification of Marijuana Varieties by Headspace Chemical Forensics
                  Development of Heated Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for Chemical Profiling of Marijuana
                  Detection of Phytocannabinoids From Buccal Swabs by Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction - Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

  
Date Created: September 4, 2014
    
          Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              Current Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Forthcoming Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Expired Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
    
      
            
            
            
      Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
    
      
            
            
            
      Fellowship & Student Programs
    
      
            
            
            
      Travel Scholarships
    
      
            
            
            
      NIJ Challenge ProgramSimilar Awards
        
                      Quantifying the strength of support in fingerprint casework comparisons
                  Evaluation of the Luxon Ion Source for Rapid Screening in Forensic Laboratories
                  Understanding the Implementation and Impact of Credible Messenger Mentoring on Youth Across Settings
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov