Improved Forensic Hair Evidence for Drugs of Abuse by Mass Spectrometry
June 2016
hair analysis mass spectrometry decontamination protocol methanol SDS cannabis contamination THC DART-HRMS amphetamine cocaine MDMA orbitrap MS veterinary control hair testing mass spec decontamination sodium dodecyl sulfate cannabis tetrahydrocannabinol direct analysis in real time high-resolution mass spectrometry ecstasy orbitrap mass spectrometry animal drug testing
TLDR Forensic hair analysis for drugs is now more reliable and accurate.
The research presented in this thesis significantly improved forensic hair analysis for drugs of abuse using mass spectrometry. Key advancements included the development of a decontamination protocol using methanol and SDS to remove external cannabis contamination without affecting incorporated THC, and the creation of a novel DART-HRMS method for analyzing intact hair locks, which provided a retrospective timeline accuracy of ±2 weeks. The method was validated for detecting multiple drugs, including amphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and THC, and demonstrated high selectivity and sensitivity, particularly with orbitrap MS instruments. Additionally, the techniques were successfully applied to veterinary control, enabling retrospective determination of drug administration in animals. Overall, these innovations enhanced the reliability and applicability of forensic hair evidence.
