Citation

Castro A, Lendoiro E, Quintela O, Concheiro M, López-Rivadulla M, Cruz A. Forensic Toxicol. 2012; 30(2): 193-198.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s11419-012-0141-x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The apparent victim in an alleged scopolamine-facilitated sexual assault case requested a toxicological hair analysis. Hair decontamination wash solvents were evaporated and stored until analysis. Hair was incubated with 2 ml of 0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH 8.4), and liquid-liquid extracted. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric analysis of hair extracts revealed the presence of scopolamine at concentrations lower than the limit of quantification. However, scopolamine was also present in the last of the wash solvents, with wash/hair ratios >4, suggesting external contamination of the hair rather than drug use. These findings emphasize the importance of analyzing wash solvents for the correct interpretation of results in toxicological hair analysis.

Language: en