Is there a risk that the results of a hair test can be affected by environmental contamination?
Psychemedics utilizes several independent approaches which, in various combinations, rule out the possibility of a positive result from external contamination. The first method involves extensive chemical washing of the hair specimen prior to screening, followed by analysis of the content of the wash. This wash analysis is a critical step to ensure that any contamination is effectively accounted for. Additionally, Psychemedics measures the presence of metabolites. If drugs were in the air or on a person s hands and thereby got on a persons hair from outside, the drug would be present as the drug substance itself, and not as certain metabolites or with metabolite/parent drug ratios which are known to be produced by ingestion.Psychemedics ability to distinguish and measure metabolites with its highly sensitive GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS equipment is one criteria used to eliminate the possibility of false positives from external contamination. In addition, any positive internal contamination (e
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- Is there a risk that the results of a hair test can be affected by environmental contamination?
