TY - JOUR
T1 - An assessment of the stability of MDMA, methamphetamine and THC in oral fluid
AU - Turfus, Sophie C.
AU - Chu, Mark
AU - Gerostamoulos, Dimitri
AU - Drummer, Olaf H.
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - The stability of drugs proscribed under the Victorian Road Safety Act 1986 (MDMA, MA and THC) was determined in authentic drug-positive oral fluid following short-term storage at room temperature, 4°C, fluctuating temperatures and long-term storage at -20 °C. Following pH adjustment with ammonium carbonate solution, drugs were extracted using chloroform:isopropanol (9:1) and analysed by LC-MS/MS operating in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The results were analysed using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed ranks and interpreted in the context of AS4760:2006 cut-offs. For MA and MDMA only minor changes occurred following all storage conditions, but THC concentrations were reduced by 70-87% (n=10) following storage at fluctuating temperatures (room temperature to 60°C) for 2 weeks. Of the 10 samples that were positive for THC prior to storage, only one remained positive after 2 weeks. This has significant implications for the interpretation of THC concentrations in cases where the possibility exists that samples were stored at higher temperatures.
AB - The stability of drugs proscribed under the Victorian Road Safety Act 1986 (MDMA, MA and THC) was determined in authentic drug-positive oral fluid following short-term storage at room temperature, 4°C, fluctuating temperatures and long-term storage at -20 °C. Following pH adjustment with ammonium carbonate solution, drugs were extracted using chloroform:isopropanol (9:1) and analysed by LC-MS/MS operating in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The results were analysed using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed ranks and interpreted in the context of AS4760:2006 cut-offs. For MA and MDMA only minor changes occurred following all storage conditions, but THC concentrations were reduced by 70-87% (n=10) following storage at fluctuating temperatures (room temperature to 60°C) for 2 weeks. Of the 10 samples that were positive for THC prior to storage, only one remained positive after 2 weeks. This has significant implications for the interpretation of THC concentrations in cases where the possibility exists that samples were stored at higher temperatures.
KW - 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA)
KW - delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
KW - LC-MS/MS
KW - methamphetamine (MA)
KW - oral fluid
KW - stability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84907473557&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00450618.2014.893552
U2 - 10.1080/00450618.2013.879204
DO - 10.1080/00450618.2013.879204
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84907473557
VL - 46
SP - 397
EP - 410
JO - Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences
JF - Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences
SN - 0045-0618
IS - 4
ER -