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Examples of toxic compounds left in final products for end users.

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Burgi-Dunit-Again:
Toxicity data on the chloro-mda compound would be great, but I don't think much is available as yet sadly :(

People are also using a crude mixture of aldehydes/ketones (stemming from oxidation of a conspicuously ecstasy-like aldehyde) in reductive amination to yield MDMA as well as "n-methyl piperonylamine" and "n-methyl-helionamine." A quick search for the former didn't bring up any leads, but I'm sure some sort of toxicology study for this compound exists. It is well established as a byproduct of MDMA synthesis from a variety of routes.. For the n-methyl helionamine there is unlikely to be any data available.


As to something I actually can weigh in on: when synthesizing DMT from tryptamine by reductive methylation with formaldehyde, if special precautions are not taken one will form a substantial amount of pictet-spengler cyclization product 2-methyl tetrahydrobetacarboline. Given the structural similarity between this compound and MPTP, its ability to selectively destroy dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra is of utmost concern.

Interestingly, the compound has been isolated from brain and nerve tissue, so it is produced endogenously to some degree.

As with MPTP -> MPP+, the 2-me-thbc needs to be first oxidized in vivo to form the potentially toxic species. While the beta carboline is a poor substrate for MAO (this is good), it CAN be oxidized to the "toxic" compound by heme peroxidases. See Herraiz, Tomás, Hugo Guillén, and Juan Galisteo. "N-Methyltetrahydro-?-carboline analogs of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) neurotoxin are oxidized to neurotoxic ?-carbolinium cations by heme peroxidases." Biochemical and biophysical research communications 356.1 (2007): 118-123.

Studies using direct intracerebral perfusion of the 2-me-thbc into rat brains suggest that it does NOT destroy dopaminergic neurons in the manner that MPTP or MPP+ does, however perfusion of the pre-oxidized beta-carboline (2-mbc+) is neurotoxic, though to a lesser degree than MPP+. The thought is that the beta-carboline is not efficiently oxidized by MAO, and so toxic levels of 2-mbc+ are never reached (phew). See: Rollema, Hans, Raymond G. Booth, and Neal Castagnoli. "In vivo dopaminergic neurotoxicity of the 2-?-methylcarbolinium ion, a potential endogenous MPP+ analog." European journal of pharmacology 153.1 (1988): 131-134.

More good news: when monkeys were loaded up with 2-me-thbc on a daily basis, they did not get parkinson's disease! Collins, Michael A., and Edward J. Neafsey. "?-carboline analogues of N-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 5, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP): Endogenous factors underlying idiopathic Parkinsonism?." Neuroscience letters 55.2 (1985): 179-184.

So the moral of the story? The impurity from sloppy DMT synthesis will probably not give you parkinson's disease. But it's still a good idea to keep the temperature low in your methylation and avoid taking any risks ;)


Now some bad news for methcathinone fans: Trace amounts of permanganate left in the product after oxidation of [pseudo]ephedrine will cause irreversible damage to the basal ganglia, resulting in permanent parkinsons-like symptoms including changes in gait and speech. See Stepens, Ain?rs, et al. "A Parkinsonian syndrome in methcathinone users and the role of manganese." New England Journal of Medicine 358.10 (2008): 1009-1017.

It should be noted that the participants in the study were heavy intravenous users.. But even still, Beeee safe folks. No buzz is worth permanent neurological damage.

lullu:
There are a variety of forensic journal paper showing a vast number of byproducts by lots of common routes used by users on this board, it seems to me a lot of people here
would profit from better literature reviews, you have a responsibility if you are going to market or share your product.

At least running TLC's should be the norm here for all of us!

Talking of which, did you notice byproducts after recrystallization of the DMT Burgi? I guess correct recrystallization and running the reaction can yield a very clean product (see miamiechin, he ran a HPLC on hyperlabs) and I think another person had fairly good mp on his product too, but yes this concerned me too in the past.

Talking of DMT, here is another good example (see attachment) of what you would not suspect.
For all people who love DCM for whatever reason have a look at this ;)

Harm reduction should not only mean to be concerned about purity but also about health of the chemist and pollution. I've yet to see a thread talking about waste reduction / disposal or health concerns regarding solvents used in workup.

Burgi-Dunit-Again:
I was able to get GC-MS data on a well-recrystallized sample that showed no beta-carboline presence. Before crystallization it was below 1%, but still disconcerting, as the methylation was performed with very careful technique.

A sample containing nearly 40% beta-carboline could not be cleaned by crystallization or even distillation. The two compounds have very similar solubility properties and boiling/melting points..

As long as you recrystallize and mind the temperature you should be fine. Endogenous compounds concern me much less than some of these chlorinated amphetamines.. or even the trace amounts of bizarre beta-carbolines formed during the decarboxylation of tryptophan.

thewire:
6 Chloro MDMA
http://www.bluelight.org/vb/archive/index.php/t-390422.html

6-hydroxydopamine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidopamine

Pathways of MDMA metabolism
http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/55/3/463/F3.expansion.html

Quite likely  that the x-derivatives of both MDA and MDMA are  neurotoxic.

The Identification of 2-Chloro-4,5-
methylenedioxymethylamphetamine in an Illicit
Drug Seizure

http://bitnest.ca/Rhodium/pdf/forensic/6-chloro-mdma.pdf

YaYa:
Traces of heavy metal in vitamins = traces of heavy metal in drugs
Drugs full of impurities = retarded cash hungry chemists as cleaning many products is the easy part, if not easiest part of most drug synthesis from what I understand
Being chemist and not lab testing your product (especially some novelty shit) in a proper lab analysis before letting it go on market = pissing in food to costumers in your restaurant, and making sure piss is not sterile at all

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