Chemical and elemental comparison of two formulations of oleoresin capsicum

In-custody deaths following the application of pepper spray weaponry by law enforcement personnel have increased in California over the last few years. Oleoresin capsicum (OC), an oily extract of hot peppers, is the active ingredient in the spray, but little detailed information on product mixtures...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science & justice 1997, Vol.37 (1), p.15-24
Main Authors: Haas, J.S., Whipple, R.E., Grant, P.M., Andresen, B.D., Volpe, A.M., Pelkey, G.E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosols
California
Capsicum - adverse effects
Capsicum - chemistry
Capsicum - standards
Capsicum - supply & distribution
Cause of Death
Chemical compositions
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical
Drug and Narcotic Control
Forensic science
Humans
Less-than-lethal force
Oleoresin capsicum
Pepper (OC) spray
Plant Extracts - adverse effects
Plant Extracts - chemistry
Plant Extracts - standards
Plant Extracts - supply & distribution
Plants, Medicinal
Police
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Summary:In-custody deaths following the application of pepper spray weaponry by law enforcement personnel have increased in California over the last few years. Oleoresin capsicum (OC), an oily extract of hot peppers, is the active ingredient in the spray, but little detailed information on product mixtures is available. Since OC extracts contain a multitude of natural compounds at irregular concentrations, there could be considerable, variation in overall chemical composition among the different formulations of both 'natural' and 'synthetic' OC preparations. This was confirmed by organic and inorganic analyses performed on OC sprays produced by two manufacturers licensed for distribution within the state of California. The results indicated that the differences could lead to considerable inconsistency in weapon effectiveness, and suggested that more comprehensive studies are warranted.
ISSN:1355-0306
1876-4452
DOI:10.1016/S1355-0306(97)72136-1