Drug Detection using Hair Analysis

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Drug Detection using Hair Analysis

• Dr Caroline Lewis
• Liam Feasey

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Objectives

• Explain the principles of hair testing
• Highlight the benefits and limitations of hair
  analysis over urine analysis
• Describe the external influences on hair analysis
• Provide an overview of drug groups and their
  metabolites
• Explain the flow of the sample
• Describe case studies of how hair testing has
  been used

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Incorporation of Drugs into Hair

• Each hair follicle has its own blood supply
• After the drug enters the body, it is absorbed
  into the blood stream
• As hair grows drugs are incorporated into the
  hair
• Drugs will remain in the hair almost permanently

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Incorporation of Drugs into Hair
Drugs
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Incorporation of Drugs into Hair One-off
Incidence
Drugs
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Incorporation of Drugs into Hair Regular Use
Drugs
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Growth Rates History of Drug Use

• Hair grows at approx. 1 cm per month
• 3cm section 3 months
• Consecutive sections provide a retrospective
  history of drug use
• Drug use history can be attained as long as the
  hair allows
• - i.e. 12cms of hair 1 year

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Hair Analysis

• Unique long window of detection
• Can differentiate between intermittent or low
  level use from regular use
• Drugs remain locked in hair
• Less prone to fraud or substitution
• Simple quick sample collection
• Not appropriate for recent use detection, time
  line in months not days.
• Available as send to lab only

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Urine Analysis

• Good for detecting drug use over 1 4 days
• Urine on-site kits and results possible
• On-site positive will require confirmation by a
  laboratory
• Unpleasant to collect and can be time consuming
• Requires refrigeration for storage
• Brief abstention can avoid most detection

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Comparison of Drug Use History
Hair Urine Oral Fluids Blood
1 week to 1 year
1- 4 days
Up to 24hrs
Up to 24hrs
Days 0.1 1 10
100 1000
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Drug Groups (1 of 3)

• Stimulants
• Amphetamine (speed, whizz, uppers)
• - dexedrine
• Methamphetamines (crystal meths, doves, yabba)
• - MDMA (ecstasy), MDA, MDEA, methamphetamine
• Cocaine (coke, crack, snow, C, charlie)
• - cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, AEME

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Drug Groups (2 of 3)

• Sedatives
• Benzodiazepines (tranx, moggies, jellies)
• - diazepam, oxazepam, temazepam,
  chlordiazepoxide, lorazepam desmethyldiazepam
• Barbiturates (barbs, sleepers, blue bullets)
• - amobarbital, butabarbital, hexobarbital,
  pentobarbital, phenobarbital, secobarbital
• Cannabis (grass, weed, dope, marijuana, skunk)
• - delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),
  cannabidiol, cannabinol, 11-hydroxy-delta 9-THC,
  
• 11 nor-delta9-THC-9-carboxylic acid.
• Ketamine (special K, K, super K)

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Drug Groups (3 of 3)

• Opiates
• Morphine, codeine, diacetylmorphine (heroin),
  6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM)
• Methadone
• - including EDDP
• Buprenorphine (Subutex)
• - including norbuprenorphine
• Tramadol
• Hallucinogenics
• LSD
• Cannabis
• Anti-psychotics
• Clozapine, Trazodone, Haloperidol

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Chain of Custody

• Hair sample kit is part of the chain of custody
• Important that all relevant fields are completed
• - i.e. hair colour/treatment, medication, proof
  of ID, donors and collectors signature
• The sample is tracked at every stage from the
  collection through to the issue of results
• The robustness of the chain of custody procedure
  is legally defensible in court

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Sample Flow Chart
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Case Study 1 Methadone Poisoning

• An infant died due to methadone poisoning.
• Was this manslaughter or accidental death?
• Mother was a heroin addict on methadone treatment
  claimed infant took dose from her kitchen table.

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Results
All drug levels are in ng/mg of hair.
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Interpretation and Conclusions

• Low levels of methadone detected in each section.
• Methadone was not detected in the six wash
  solutions.
• Results indicate that methadone entered the
  infants body on more than one occasion.
• Not possible to determine how much and how many
  times methadone entered the infants body.
• Unable to determine the route of administration.
• Mother convicted of manslaughter.

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Case Study 2 Possession or Possession with
Intent to Supply?

• An individual has been arrested with six packages
  containing crack cocaine and twenty tablets
  containing MDMA.
• Drug dealer or drug user?

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Hair Preparation and Analysis

• The sample was cut into 3 sections each measuring
  1 cm in length.
• The approximate time period covered is 3 months.
• The hair sections were tested for
  methamphetamines and cocaine.
• The hair sections were each washed before
  analysis and these wash samples analysed.

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Results
All drug levels are in ng/mg of hair.
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Interpretation and Conclusions

• The results are consistent with the use of
  crack cocaine.
• The presence of MDMA has not been detected in the
  hair sections.
• Cocaine and MDMA has not been detected in the
  wash solutions.
• The crack cocaine could be for personal use.
• The donor has not used MDMA during the
  approximate three month time period.

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Hair Analysis Benefits

• Consecutive hair sections provide a historical
  picture of any drug use, exposure or abstinence.
• Levels of drugs detected in hair sections can
  help to determine whether the individual is a
  heavy, regular or infrequent user.
• Can distinguish between active use and
  contamination hair samples are washed before
  testing, and can be analysed for parent drugs and
  metabolites cut-offs are used.

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Hair Analysis Limitations

• Not currently possible to determine drug purity,
  dose used and frequency of use.
• Unable to determine the route of administration.
• Cannot pinpoint use such as what time of day and
  which day of the week.

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External influences and other factors

• Can body hair be used if no head hair is
  available?
• - yes, body hair has a different growth cycle,
  time period more approximate.
• What are the effects of bleach and hair dyes?
• - chemical treatment of the hair may leach out
  drugs.
• How can we assure the quality of the results?
• - UKAS accredited to ISO17025, quality controls
  run with each batch of samples analysed.

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External influences and other factors

• Can someone become positive due to passive
  smoking/external contamination?
• - reduce the likelihood by detecting the
  metabolites, washing the sample prior to analysis
  and applying cut-off levels.
• Can dread-locked hair be analysed?
• - yes, but the time period will be approximate
  due to the
• process of dressing or preparing the hair.

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Who are we?

• Providing drug testing services since 1993
• Perform over 50,000 hair tests every year
• Analyse 15 drugs groups and 44 analytes the
  widest range of accredited drug groups in Europe
• Accredited by UKAS to ISO 17025 standards for
  drug testing in hair and oral fluids
• Most experienced team of toxicologists and expert
  witnesses in the UK
• Laboratory located in Cardiff tighter chain of
  custody and greater access to expertise and
  advice than overseas laboratories
• Member of the Concateno Group specialising in
  drug testing

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Thank you for listening

• Dr. Caroline Lewis
• carolinelewis_at_trichotech.com
• Liam Feasey
• liam.feasey_at_trichotech.com
• www.trichotech.com