Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Am Pulverturm 3, 55131 Mainz, Germany
* Institut für Rechtsmedizin und Verkehrsmedizin, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Voßstr.2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany

Hair samples from persons (n = 14) with a known history of drug abuse were collected at autopsy. Each of the hair samples was divided into 4 strands and the proximal 4 cm segments were analysed prior to and after Ultra Clean™ treatment. The shampoo was applied to two of the strands of each hair sample according to the instructions given by the manufacturer. The test series were run in duplicate. Hair analysis was performed by methanol extraction under ultrasonication, purification by solid phase extraction and GC/MS in SIM mode according to routine procedures for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cocaine, amphetamine, methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), methylenendioxymeth-amphetamine (MDMA), methylene-dioxyethylamphethamine (MDE), heroin, 6-monoacetylmorphine (MAM), morphine, codeine, dihydrocodeine and methadone.

All drugs originally present in the hair fibers were still detected after a single application of Ultra Clean™. In general the results varied within the ranges of the particular coefficients of variation, mostly showing a slight decrease as well as an increase in a few cases.

The findings clearly demonstrated that drug substances had not been sufficiently removed from human hair by a single Ultra Clean™ treatment to drop their concentrations below the limit of detection of the analytical method applied.