Bombé, an undetermined substance that caused an outbreak of illicit drug use in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Clin Toxicol (Phila)
; 61(12): 1055-1058, 2023 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38047882
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Illegal drugs are becoming a public health problem in African cities. In 2021, Bombé, a new drug of unknown composition, caused an outbreak of neuro-psychiatric symptoms in Kinshasa. Bombé was rumored to be based on ground catalytic exhausts stolen from cars.METHODS:
The chemical composition of six samples of Bombé obtained from different neighborhoods in Kinshasa was determined by triple quad liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry with confirmation by quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.RESULTS:
Analysis of the Bombé samples revealed that it contained heroin (2-12% of the total area under the curve of the samples) and opioid derivatives, plus paracetamol (33-72%), caffeine (17-26%), and also benzodiazepines (5/6 samples) and cyproheptadine (2/6 samples). The concentrations of neurotoxic metals were unremarkable. The median (range) concentrations of manganese and lead were 9.4 µg/g (range 3-334 µg/g) and 0.36 µg/g (range 0.1-3.12 µg/g ), respectively. All polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were below the level of detection (<0.10 µg/g).CONCLUSION:
Thanks to international collaboration, Bombé was documented to be a heroin-based drug and its alleged origin from catalytic exhausts was not substantiated. The local human expertise and technical capacity for undertaking toxicological analyses should be increased in Africa.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Hidrocarbonetos Policíclicos Aromáticos
/
Drogas Ilícitas
/
Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Clin Toxicol (Phila)
Assunto da revista:
TOXICOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article