title: Consequences of Decontamination Procedures in Forensic Hair Analysis Using Metal-Assisted Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Analysis.
abstract: Today, hair testing is considered to be the standard method for the detection of chronic drug abuse. Nevertheless, the differentiation between systemic exposure and external contamination remains a major challenge in the forensic interpretation of hair analysis. Nowadays, it is still impossible to directly show the difference between external contamination and use-related incorporation. Although the effects of washing procedures on the distribution of (incorporated) drugs in hair remain unknown, these decontamination procedures prior to hair analysis are considered to be indispensable in order to exclude external contamination. However, insights into the effect of decontamination protocols on levels and distribution of drugs incorporated in hair are essential to draw the correct forensic conclusions from hair analysis; we studied the consequences of these procedures on the spatial distribution of cocaine in hair using imaging mass spectrometry. Additionally, using metal-assisted secondary ion mass spectrometry, we are the first to directly show the difference between cocaine-contaminated and user hair without any prior washing procedure.
authors.affiliation: FOM Institute AMOLF , Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|KU Leuven Toxycology & Pharmacology , Onderwijs en Navorsing 2, Herestraat 49, P.O. 922, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cuypers
authors.affiliation: FOM Institute AMOLF , Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|M4I, The Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging institute, University of Maastricht , Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bryn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flinders
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Forensic Institute , Laan van Ypenburg 6, 2497 GB The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carolien M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Boone
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Forensic Institute , Laan van Ypenburg 6, 2497 GB The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ingrid J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Bosman
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Forensic Institute , Laan van Ypenburg 6, 2497 GB The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Klaas J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lusthof
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Forensic Institute , Laan van Ypenburg 6, 2497 GB The Hague, The Netherlands.|Van't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), University of Amsterdam , P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arian C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Van Asten
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven Toxycology & Pharmacology , Onderwijs en Navorsing 2, Herestraat 49, P.O. 922, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tytgat
authors.affiliation: FOM Institute AMOLF , Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|M4I, The Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging institute, University of Maastricht , Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ron M A
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Heeren
mesh_terms: D044707:Forensic Sciences; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D018629:Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion / Q000379:methods*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals