A novel procedure for stabilization of azide in biological samples and method for its determination (HS-GC-FID/FID)

Sodium azide is an old poison with toxicity comparable to potassium cyanide. It would seem to be completely forgotten however, between 2000 and 2020, the number of intentional ingestions and murders committed with sodium azide significantly increased. Furthermore, due to its extreme instability, sodium azide is difficult to detect, which poses an additional risk when used to commit a crime. In this study, the epidemiology of sodium azide exposures between 1920 and 2020 was investigated. For the determination the azide concentration in biological samples, a simple, precise and selective headspace gas chromatography method (HS-GC-FID/FID) was developed and fully validated. The limit of quantification was 0.65 µg/mL; and the limit of detection was 0.35 µg/mL; precision and accuracy did not exceed 20%. The stability study was conducted for various biological fluids (urine, bile, blood, gastric content) for 91 days in the refrigerator (4 °C) and the method for stabilization of azide was presented. The addition of a mixture of borax and sodium fluoride (w/w 3:1) to the test tubes can stabilize this poison. The described unique technique of collecting the biological samples poses a great potential for azide detection in clinical and toxicology laboratories even long time after human exposure to this substance.