| Specimen validity testing refers to the tests conducted | | | | • Nitrites: Nitrite is a chemical which doesn’t |
| by laboratories to determine if a urine specimen is | | | | present in normal human urine. It is used to change the |
| diluted, adulterated or substituted. Prior to urine drug | | | | specimen composition. The specimen is adulterated, if it |
| testing, specimen validity test is conducted to know | | | | is found in the specimen validity test. |
| whether the specimen is tampered or not. To report a | | | | • Oxidants: Oxidants are used to destroy |
| specimen as tampered, laboratories conduct an initial | | | | major Cannobinoid metabolite in urine specimen. |
| validity test and a confirmatory validity test. Oxidants, | | | | Presence of oxidants in urine specimen indicates the |
| Creatinine, Specific Gravity and PH are few | | | | adulteration of urine specimen. |
| substances detected in specimen validity test. | | | | Criteria for testing adulterants |
| Why to conduct specimen validity test? | | | | The following criteria is established to test adulterants |
| Specimen validity test examines the validity of | | | | in specimen |
| specimen i.e., up to how many hours the urine | | | | <b>• PH:</b> PH test used to identify |
| specimen can be used for any drug testing to get | | | | the presence of acidic or alkaline adulterants in urine. |
| appropriate results and to detect any substance of | | | | Normal PH ranges from 4.0 to 9.0. Level of this |
| abuse, which does not present in normal urine | | | | substance outside the range indicates that sample has |
| specimen. A specimen containing the minimum level of | | | | been adulterated. |
| Creatinine and specific gravity values is identified as | | | | Specific Gravity: This test is used to know whether |
| diluted. | | | | the sample is diluted or not. Normal range of Specific |
| Adulterants tested in specimen validity test | | | | Gravity is from 1.003 to 1.030. Abnormal levels of |
| Adulteration means tampering urine specimen with an | | | | Specific Gravity, indicates that the urine specimen is |
| intention of beating the drug tests. Specimen validity | | | | adulterated or diluted. |
| test determines adulterants presence in the specimen, | | | | Specimen validity testing is the efficient way to |
| which are discussed below. | | | | examine the presence of any inconsistencies in the |
| • Creatinine: This is a waste product of | | | | urine specimen. This test helps you in finding out the |
| Creatine. A person may attempt to dissolve it by | | | | abusers who try to adulterate drug testing. Accurate |
| drinking excess of water. Low Creatinine level | | | | results of any drug test are possible by conducting this |
| indicates that urine specimen is diluted. | | | | test before the actual drug testing. |