Sweat as an Alternative Matrix for Amphetamines and MethylenEdioxy Derivatives Analysis

Analysis of drugs and metabolites in biological alternative matrices such as sweat is getting importance in forensic toxicology for workplace drug testing, criminal justice, drug abuse treatment and sport doping control programs. The consumption of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), or “ecstasy”, a commonly abused synthetic psychoactive substance as well as other sympathomimetic amines including amphetamine and methamphetamine is widespread and increasingly popular among young people in the United States and Europe, becoming a very serious public health problem. This paper reviews the use of sweat samples for amphetamines and methylenedioxy derivatives analysis, methodologies and studies involved subjects and controlled administration of MDMA. According to guidelines for drug monitoring using sweat as alternative specimens proposed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2004, requirements for a positive sweat test include amphetamines screen test with ≥ 25 ng/patch, and a confirmation cutoff of 25 ng/patch for amphetamines and methylenedioxy derivatives. A review of the indexed literature found respectively limits of detection and quantification ranging from 0.72 ng/patch to 5 ng/patch and from 1.4 ng/patch to 5 ng/patch for all analytes.