Determination of amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDA and MDMA in human hair by GC‐EI‐MS after derivatization with perfluorooctanoyl chloride
Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation October 21, 2008 Sys Stybe Johansen, Jakob Jornil 25 citations
A quantitative gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method was developed to measure amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDA, and MDMA (ecstasy) in human hair. The procedure uses liquid-liquid extraction of hydrolyzed hair with deuterated internal standards and derivatization with perfluorooctanoyl chloride. Validation showed a linear range of 0.25 to 25 ng/mg, intra-day precision of 3–6% RSD, inter-day precision of 3–17% RSD, and trueness between 96% and 106%. Detection limits ranged from 0.07 to 0.14 ng/mg and quantification limits from 0.24 to 0.46 ng/mg. Applied to 40 authentic hair samples, concentrations ranged up to 3.2 ng/mg for amphetamine, 0.4 ng/mg for MDA, and 5.9 ng/mg for MDMA; methamphetamine was detected once at trace level. The method is simple, robust, and sensitive enough for measuring these drugs in abusers' hair.