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Prospect for the Detection of the Jihadists Drug Catagon in Waste Water

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Molecular Technologies for Detection of Chemical and Biological Agents

Abstract

Fenethylline, commonly known by the trademark name “captagon”, “biocapton” or “fitton”, is one of the most popular illegal drugs used by young communities in the Middle East. It is a theophylline derivate of amphetamine having stimulant effects similar to those of other amphetamine-type derivates. Fenethylline was used as medicament for hyperactivity disorders in children, narcolepsy and depression, but it is also used as a drug of abuse. Unlike other drugs of abuse, the clandestine synthesis of fenethylline is simple, using inexpensive laboratory instrumentation and raw materials legal to obtain. An innovative technique to detect and quantify captagon in waste water is showed, in order to help the police and the other army forces to find terrorists in a smaller district of city.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Science of life Department, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy

    Emanuela Vitale

Authors
  1. Emanuela Vitale
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Correspondence to Emanuela Vitale .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Science Branch, Special Projects, Chemistry Department, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

    Joseph H. Banoub

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Mass Spectrometry Research Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

    Richard M. Caprioli

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Vitale, E. (2017). Prospect for the Detection of the Jihadists Drug Catagon in Waste Water. In: Banoub, J., Caprioli, R. (eds) Molecular Technologies for Detection of Chemical and Biological Agents. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series A: Chemistry and Biology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1113-3_18

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