Hair analysis when external contamination is in question: A review of practical approach for the interpretation of results

Forensic Science International : Synergy
Lolita TsanaclisJohn Wicks

Abstract

Despite having been extensively discussed over the last decade, the differentiation between systemic exposure and external contamination still continues to be one of the limitations of hair testing for drugs. For this reason, we consider it worthwhile to re-state some basic principles in this short review. Various studies investigating a diversity of wash protocols, most using artificially contaminated hair with cocaine, have been valuable in evaluating wash efficacy and in understanding the incorporation of drugs in hair. However, assessments of wash efficacy made with real hair samples, as opposed to artificially contaminated samples, provide a different perspective, and demonstrate how rarely external contamination affects the interpretation of results. Data from a large number of hair samples from crack cocaine users, confirmed the usefulness of our protocol to remove most of the externally deposited cocaine. The data showed that hair levels of cocaine and benzoylecgonine in crack cocaine users were overall high with ratio of benzoylecgonine to cocaine in all samples above 0.1. The wash residue concentrations of cocaine ranged from not detected to 21ng/mg with a median of 0.5ng/mg. Cocaine was detected in the wash residue i...Continue Reading

Citations

Mar 31, 2019·Journal of Analytical Toxicology·Clementine ScholzMarkus R Baumgartner
Aug 14, 2019·Drug Testing and Analysis·Dylan MantinieksDimitri Gerostamoulos
Mar 4, 2020·Journal of Applied Toxicology : JAT·Christopher DaviesJoanne Morrissey
Feb 6, 2020·Journal of Analytical Toxicology·Xin WangPing Xiang
Jul 2, 2020·Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences·Bhushan M Kapur, Katarina Aleksa
Oct 2, 2020·Journal of Analytical Toxicology·Robert ErneThomas Kraemer
Jan 2, 2021·Forensic Science International : Synergy·Wing-Sum ChanBobbie Kwok-Keung Cheung
Jul 6, 2020·Forensic Science International : Synergy·Isabelle ClaudetSouleiman El Balkhi
Aug 8, 2021·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Sundus M SallabiIltaf Shah

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