Hair and Nail Analysis in Forensic Applications

Drug testing can be performed in many biological matrices, such as urine, blood, saliva, sweat, hair and nail. Although urine and blood testing are the most common forms of drug testing, the use of keratinized matrices such as hair and nail is becoming extremely valuable in providing a broader picture of past drug consumption . This is due to the incorporation of drugs consumed by the subject in the hair and nail keratin matrices, offering a much wider detection window than conventional biological matrices. In addition to the non-invasive nature of sample collection, hair and nail specimens are easy to transport and store, which minimizes the risk of sample alteration and degradation overtime. Despite its rise in popularity, drug detection in keratinized matrices remains challenging due to the low concentration of drugs embedded in the keratin matrix. As a result, hair and nail analysis requires sensitive instrumentation and extensive validation. 

This webinar will focus on the method development and validation of LC-MS/MS-based methods required to perform comprehensive and sensitive drug analysis in keratinized matrices. Case examples of the use of these methods will be demonstrated, highlighting the need for high-sensitivity mass spectrometry instrumentation for low-level detection of drugs and metabolites in hair and nail samples. The result presented will highlight the benefits of hair and nail analyses in forensic applications, enabling researchers to obtain significant retrospective information about past exposure and long-term use of drugs in the consumer’s population. 

Key learnings in this webinar will include:

• Attendees will learn about the advantages of hair and nail testing to determine long term drug exposure  
• Attendees will get an understanding of the importance of method development and validation of LC-MS/MS-based methods to perform comprehensive drug analysis in keratinized matrices
• Attendees will discover the benefits of sensitive mass spectrometry instrumentation for the detection of low-level drugs and metabolites in keratinized matrices