**************************** Article Separation ******************************* From: easy![b--sh--r] at [usenet.ins.cwru.edu]: With that out of the way, I will try to answer (some of) your questions. > 1] How long can LSD be detected in the body? This varies by the test being used, the detection limit placed on the test, the point of collection and type of the sample fluid, the amount of LSD that was taken, and the individual in question. Assuming the testers are using an RIA screening test with the cutoff set at 0.1 ng/ml and assuming that the user has recently emptied their bladder, then the detection limit for one hit (100 ug) is normally around 30 hours. Each doubling of the initial amount will add about 5 hours. Thus taking 8 hits will leave a user vulnerable for approximately 2 days. (NOTE: This is based on the data in [7]) > 2] What exact form of test can be used to detect LSD in the body? There are a number of tests which can be used to detect LSD in the body. Abuscreen, a product of Roche Diagnostic Systems, is a series of RadioImmunoAssay (RIA) tests, one of which is used to detect LSD and its metabolites in whole blood, serum (blood), urine and stomach contents [1]. RIA can in theory be used to detect quantities as small as 0.020 nanograms (ng) per milliliter (ml) of sample [2]. Laboratory tests have shown that RIA results are accurate down to at least 0.1 ng/ml [3]. The manufacturer recommends limiting the cutoff to 0.5 ng/ml. EMIT, a product of Syva Corporation, is another series of tests, one of which can be used to detect LSD and its metabolites in serum and urine. EMIT stands for Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique. Both EMIT and Abuscreen are "positive/negative" response tests (much like pregnancy tests) which require periodic equipment calibration and consume chemicals for each test performed. A basic battery of tests costs approx. $15-$25 per person [4]. The basic tests (recommended by NIDA) include marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP). Normally, unless an (employer) specifically requests the test, an LSD assay is not run. Both Roche and Syva recommend confirmation of positive results by using a different test. The usual method of confirming positive results is some form of chromatography. These include High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC)[3], and different forms of Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)[5][6][7][8][9]. HPTLC and GC/MS can be used to give quantitative results as opposed to the Boolean results from EMIT or Abuscreen. Laboratory tests have shown that GC/MS test for LSD in urine[6] and blood[7] can be accurate down to 0.1 ng/ml. The cost for confirmation of a positive screening test is approximately $50-60. Positive results to either EMIT and RIA are held to be "probable cause" by U.S. courts. GC/MS results are held to be "proof" by U.S. courts. > I am asking for an actual text message containing a short, precise > description of each test, Immunoassays chemicals are created by injecting animals (rabbits, sheep, donkey, etc) with the drug to be tested for and an albumin which force the animal to produce antibodies. The antibodies are then removed from the animal, purified and bottled. In RIA tests, the antibodies are then added to the fluid sample with a radioactively labeled chemical. Any of the drug (or similar chemicals) found in a sample that is being tested will react with this glop and by measuring the radioactivity, the amount of drugs can be determined [2][10]. > 3] How can such a test be beaten? While there is some literature on adulterating urine samples to produce false negative results [11], there has been little written that applies specifically to the LSD screening tests. I would suggest you read the article posted by Paul Hager paying particular attention to the warning about water intoxication [12]: In <[1991 May 7 141615 16477] at [news.cs.indiana.edu]> [h--ge--p] at [iuvax.cs.indiana.edu] wrote + Recommended: "Dealing With Urine Tests on Short Notice" + by Dale Gieringer, California NORML + + Most folks recommend that people hydrate themselves -- the idea + being that by drinking water and taking a diuretic that will + promote water loss, the urine will be very dilute and THC metabolite + content from "tomatoe" consumption will drop below the 100 ng/ml + threshold that defines a "positive". + + Mr. Gieringer recommends that, the day before the test, the + person drink lots of water. I would amend this to, drink your + normal "8 glasses" plus a few more. Don't get carried away with + drinking water -- there is such a thing as "water intoxication" + which can result in brain swelling and other nasties so don't + chug-a-lug a gallon of water just before the test. After + hydrating, and a little before the test, drink some more water + and use a diuretic (coffee is a weak diuretic). Urinate to + flush the bladder -- the first urination of the day is the + one most charged with metabolites. The pamphlet quotes from + a _High Times_ article, "How to Beat a Drug Test": + + Take an 80 mg dose of the prescription diuretic Lasix + (furosemide); take a hefty drink of water; piss two + or three times; then take the test. + + Some caution is to be exercised in taking diuretics. Consult + your physician. + + Mr. Gieringer also suggests that the clear, watery urine that + results from the above procedure is sometimes suspicious. He + recommends taking 50-100 mg of vitamin B2 which will color + urine yellow for a couple of hours. Vitamin C does not produce + this effect -- contrary to rumor. + + For more information, I'd suggest contacting California NORML + directly at (415) 563-5858. They are located in San Francisco. + It is also possible that Mr. Gieringer will respond directly + via his canorml account. > I am asking for ...[a description]... of each thing that LSD leaves behind > that can be detected, and of each method used to beat each test. The immunsoassay tests vary in their specificity. Some display a relatively low cross-reactivity[13], others a high cross-reactivity[14]. The exact metabolites of LSD in humans have not been fully determined yet, though animal studies have been done. The only verified human metabolite I could find in the literature was N-demethyl-LSD[6] but I did not check all the references. FOOTNOTES: [1] Altunkaya, D; Smith R.N. "Evaluation of a commercial radioimmunoassay kit for the detection of lysergide (LSD) in serum, whole blood, urine, and stomach contents" Forensic Science International. v47n2, September 1990, p113-21. [2] Taunton-Rigby, A.; Sher, S.E.; Kelley, P.R. "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide: Radioimmunoassay" Science. v181, July 13 1973, p165-6. [3] McCarron, M.M.; Walberg, C.B.; Baselt, R.C. "Confirmation of LSD intoxication by analysis of serum and urine." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v14n3, May-June 1990, p165-7. [4] Berg, E. "Drug-testing methods: what you should know." Safety & Health. v142n6, Dec 1990, p52-6. [5] Lim, H.K.; Andrenyak, D.; Francom, P.; Bridges, R.R.; Foltz, R.L. "Determination of LSD in urine by capillary column gas chromatography and electon impact mass spectrometry." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v12n1, Jan-Feb 1988, p1-8. [6] Lim, H.K.; Andrenyak, D.; Francom, P. "Quantification of LSD and N-demethyl-LSD in urine by gas chromatography/ resonance electron capture ionization mass spectrometry." Analytical Chemistry. v60, July 15 1988, p1420-25. [7] Papac, D.I.; Foltz, R.L. "Measurement of lysergic acid dietylamide (LSD) in human plasma by gas chromatography/negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v14n3, May-June 1990, p189-90. [8] Paul, B.D.; Mitchell J.M.; Burbage, R.; Moy, M; Sroka, R. "Gas chromatographic-electron-impact mass fragmentometric determination of lysergic acid diethylamide in urine." Journal of Chromatography. v529n1, July 13, 1990, p103-12. [9] Blum, L.M.; Carenzo, E.F.; Rieders, F. "Determination of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in urine by instrumental high-performance thin-layer chromatography." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v14n5, Sep-Oct 1990, p285-7. [10] Ratcliffe, W.A.; Fletcher, S.M.; Moffat, A.C.; et. al. "Radioimmunoassay of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) in serum and urine by using antisera of different specificities." Clinical Chemistry. v23n2, Feb 1977, p169-74. [11] Cody, J.T.; Schwarzhoff, R.H. "Impact of adulterants on RIA analysis of urine for drugs of abuse." Journal of Analytical Toxicology. v13n5, Sep-Oct 1989, p277-84. [12] Klonoff, D.C. "Acute water intoxication as a complication of urine drug testing in the workplace." Journal of the American Medical Association. v265n1, Jan 2 1991, p84-6. [13] Christie J.; White, M.W.; Wiles, J.M. "A chromatographic method for the detection of LSD in biological liquids." Journal of Chromatography. v120n2, May 26, 1976, p496-501. [14] Twitchet, P.J.; Fletcher, S.M.; Sullivan, A.T.; Moffat, A.C. "Analysis of LSD in human body fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography, fluorescence spectroscopy and radioimmunoassay." J. Chromatogr. v150n1, March 11 1978, p73-84. ******************************** Article Separation ***************************