Human hair tests to document drug environmental contamination: Application in a family law case involving N,N‐dimethyltryptamine

Abstract

For 40 years, hair tests have been presented as the best approach to document long‐term consumption of a drug. This unique property has found numerous applications in clinical, forensic, and occupational toxicology. However, since the beginning of its implementation in biology, external contamination, with an associated risk of false positive result, has been presented as the key in the final interpretation. Evidence of environmental contamination and subsequent health issues can be the task of any toxicologist. Because of recent progress of analytical equipment, it is now possible to quantify drugs in hair with high level of accuracy and specificity at the pg/mg range. Therefore, segmental hair tests can be used to document environmental contamination and are the objective of this publication. In a family law case, N,N‐dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful hallucinogen, has been found in the hair of the partner of a repetitive DMT smoker at 4 to 13 pg/mg in 6 × 1 cm segments, with a regular increase of concentrations from the proximal to the distal hair end. The low measured concentrations and the particular pattern of DMT distribution along the hair shaft seem to be typical of environmental contamination, the older hair (those of the distal part) being for a longer time in contact with the drug. Despite strong decontamination, drugs from the environment can remain bound to the hair matrix and therefore be able to be used to document environmental contamination.

Interpretation of hair and nails findings in an infant death case related to maternal addiction to tramadol

“…Therefore, homogeneous concentrations in this child's hair could have indicated predominantly external contamination primarily from contamination by body fluids during autopsy or from sweat produced at the time of death 24 . But in this case, the linear TR concentration increase from the proximal to the distal end is a common pattern of drug concentrations in hair indicating predominant drug environmental contamination, as observed in several previously reported cases 25–27 . This criterion is based on the principle that the oldest (most distal, most concentrated) hair segments have been in contact with a contaminated environment for a longer period.…”

“…24 But in this case, the linear TR concentration increase from the proximal to the distal end is a common pattern of drug concentrations in hair indicating predominant drug environmental contamination, as observed in several previously reported cases. [25][26][27] This criterion is based on the principle that the oldest (most distal, most concentrated) hair segments have been in contact with a contaminated environment for a longer period. Nevertheless, contribution of sweat/sebum during the agony phase to the hair concentration pattern cannot be ruled out as a morphine concentration increase from proximal to distal has been also described (in two out of the three reported cases) in segmented hair analysis due to recent sweat contamination during the phase of agony in opioid-related intoxication with well-documented opioid abstinence before death.…”

Desenvolvimento de método baseado em Toxicologia Analítica Verde para determinação dos componentes ativos da ayahuasca em cabelo

“…A DMT é originalmente conhecida por ser uma composição da bebida amazônica chamada ayahuasca. Recentemente, a DMT também se popularizou pelo abuso de forma isolada pelas vias fumada, inalada e injetada (intramuscular e endovenosa) (CAKIC; POTKONYAK; MARSHALL, 2010;RAUL, 2021;LIU et al, 2021).…”

“…Referente a quantidade de cabelo, três pesquisadores utilizaram 20mg de cabelo, apenas um utilizou 25mg. A composição da fase móvel de todos continham ACN com ácido fórmico, e as amostras foram analisadas por LC-MS/MS (BOUMBA et al, 2017;RAUL, 2021;LIU et al, 2021;PICHINI et al, 2014). Outro autor, utilizou 200mg de cabelo e analisou as amostras por GC-MS(OGALDE;…”