TLDR Drugs in drowned bodies' hair remain stable in natural water, aiding forensic analysis.
The study investigated the stability of drugs in water-soaked hair to assess the feasibility of measuring drug distribution in the hair of drowned bodies using micro-segmental analysis. Hair samples from drug users were soaked in various solutions for up to 2 months. It was found that drug content decreased by up to 5% in solutions without divalent ions but remained stable in solutions with ions like Ca2+ and Mg2+. Since natural waters contain these ions, drugs in hair were not significantly washed out, supporting the use of this method in forensic toxicology to assess drug intake history in drowned individuals.
8 citations
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March 2021 in “Drug testing and analysis” Researchers improved a method to more accurately estimate when and how long a drug was taken using hair analysis.
20 citations
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August 2017 in “Drug testing and analysis” Drugs localize differently in hair strands based on their properties.
13 citations
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June 2011 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” Human hair absorbs calcium and magnesium from tap water, affecting its structure and styling properties.
30 citations
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January 2009 in “The scientific world journal/TheScientificWorldjournal” Hair is hard to dissolve because of its complex proteins, but certain solvents that break specific bonds and hydrate can do it.
8 citations
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October 2022 in “International Journal of Legal Medicine” Drugs in drowned bodies' hair remain stable in natural water, aiding forensic analysis.
1 citations
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July 2021 in “Forensic science international” Both a lock of hair and a single hair strand can show chronic drug use, but at least six single hairs are needed for accurate results.
2 citations
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January 2017 in “Journal of Biotechnology Research Center” Hair dyes affect DNA analysis results, with the prepFiler kit working best for hair with follicles.
1 citations
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August 1985 in “Proceedings annual meeting Electron Microscopy Society of America” SEM/EDX can analyze hair elements but struggles with trace elements, limiting its forensic use.
