Bomb, an undetermined substance that caused an outbreak of illicit drug use in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background: Illegal drugs are becoming a public health problem in African cities. In 2021, Bomb & eacute;, a new drug of unknown composition, caused an outbreak of neuro-psychiatric symptoms in Kinshasa. Bomb & eacute; was rumored to be based on ground catalytic exhausts stolen from cars.Methods: The chemical composition of six samples of Bomb & eacute; 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 Bomb & eacute; 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 mu g/g (range 3-334) and 0.36 mu g/g (range 0.1-3.12), respectively. All polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were below the level of detection (<0.10 g/g).Conclusion: Thanks to international collaboration, Bomb & eacute; 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.