Simultaneous Quantitative Analysis of 47 Illicit Drugs in Hair Using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

The increasing global prevalence of drug-related crimes and misuse has prompted extensive efforts to develop advanced methods for illicit drug analysis, with a focus on apprehending offenders. Hair, as a specimen for such analysis, presents several advantages, including ease of collection, an extended detection period of up to one year, and the ability to observe patterns of drug use over time. This study was conducted to address challenges in existing illicit drug analysis methods using hair, such as inefficient analytical techniques, difficulties in detecting acidic metabolites at low concentrations and the utilization of large amounts of hair. In this study, we developed and validated a method for the simultaneous analysis of 47 illicit drugs, including phenethylamine, synthetic cannabis, opioids, cocaine, and benzodiazepines. A 10 mg hair sample was extracted using methanol, concentrated, and filtered. The pretreated sample was analyzed using a liquid chromatography quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometer and mixed- mode column. The optimized method was validated following FDA biological analysis guidelines, and the accuracy, precision, and reliability of the developed method were thoroughly verified. Subsequently, hair samples from drug abusers (n=24) were analyzed to confirm the effectiveness of method in actual hair samples. Therefore, by enabling the confirmation of drug abuse in offenders, this method holds the potential to significantly contribute to the prevention and management of drug-related harms to both individuals and society. Keywords: Hair analysis, Illicit drug, High resolution, Validation