The use of Oleoresin Capsicum (OC)-based sprays has been reported as non-lethal self-defense tools in Europe since the 1950 s. Stinging pepper sprays may be very useful tool for self-defense in case of aggression, but they can turn into instruments of panic production with fatal outcomes, as demonstrated by what happened in the deadly Turin soccer stampede in 2017 or in Corinaldo (Ancona, Italy) nightclub in 2018.

The aim of the present work was the development and validation of an analytical method for the determination of the two most common capsaicinoids contained in OC-sprays at crime scenes. A simple and effective method for the extraction of capsaicinoids from commercial swabs, has been developed. Sample clean-up was carried out by μ-SPE, in order to reduce matrix effect. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was carried out by means of UHPLC-HRMS/MS.

The validated method was applied to the investigations related to the Corinaldo nightclub case, where a OC-spray was suspected of having created panic among the crowd, causing six dead and dozens hurt. A total number of 118 samples were collected from disco surfaces, including floors and balustrades, using swabs. The samples were treated and analysed with a validated method in order to identify and quantify the presence of capsaicinoids. Thanks to the large number of samples, it was possible to draw a concentration map of the analytes of interest within the disco, making possible to identify the room area from which the spray delivery started.

据报道，自 20 世纪 50 年代以来，欧洲使用辣椒油树脂 (OC) 喷雾剂作为非致命自卫工具。在发生攻击时，带刺的胡椒喷雾可能是非常有用的自卫工具，但它们可能会变成制造恐慌的工具，带来致命的后果，2017 年都灵足球赛或科里纳尔多（意大利安科纳）发生的致命踩踏事件就证明了这一点。 ）2018年的夜总会。

本工作的目的是开发和验证一种分析方法，用于测定犯罪现场 OC 喷雾剂中所含的两种最常见的辣椒素。已经开发出一种从商业拭子中提取辣椒素的简单有效的方法。采用μ-SPE进行样品净化，以减少基质效应。通过UHPLC-HRMS/MS进行定性和定量分析。

经过验证的方法被应用于与科里纳尔多夜总会事件相关的调查中，该案中疑似OC喷雾引起了人群恐慌，导致六人死亡、数十人受伤。使用拭子从迪斯科表面（包括地板和栏杆）总共采集了 118 个样本。使用经过验证的方法对样品进行处理和分析，以识别和量化辣椒素的存在。由于样本数量巨大，我们可以绘制迪斯科舞厅内感兴趣的分析物的浓度图，从而可以识别喷雾开始的房间区域。