Urine specimen testing is one of the most common methods of drug screening utilized today. However, this testing is not entirely foolproof in nature. Tampering with tests can occur with the addition of an adulterant, one that creates varying chemical levels that are not a normal biological concentration. This addition of substances “oxidizes” the drugs in a sample in order to prevent their detection. Let’s take a closer look at what oxidant activity means on a drug test.
Defining Drug Adulteration
Drug screening is used as a clinical tool for many businesses to assess job candidates and employees for compliance with a workplace drug program or policy. Hence, since the validity of drug tests is of the utmost importance, there must be confidence in the ability of laboratories and professionals to correctly interpret the screening results. Individuals can mask non-compliance with drug-free rules using diluted urine that contains specific products.
These kinds of products are called adulterants, and they are used in adulteration to intentionally alter the test’s results. The main method clinicians use to test for adulterants involves determining particular characteristics of urine—such as normal pH levels, specific gravity, and temperature—in order to detect whether there is an abnormal difference or substance. This is how the presence of nitrates or oxidants such as PCC is detected.
Oxidizing Agents: Drug Adulteration Tests
Hydrogen peroxide, halogens, iodine, bleach, and Pyridinium Chlorochromate are all frequently used adulterants that can directly interfere with a test result. What oxidant activity means on a drug test is that specific tampering has occurred to alter the test’s results, as normal urine does not contain these oxidants. These oxidizing agents can be detected with specialized testing—testing solutions that analyze a donor’s sample to determine if they are trying to “cheat a drug test.”
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