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Stability study of LSD under various storage conditions
1Drug Monitoring Research and Development Department, Roche Diagnostics, Somerville, New Jersey 08876, USA.
Journal of Analytical Toxicology
|October 27, 1998
Summary
Proper storage is crucial for accurate LSD testing in urine. LSD is stable at 25°C for 4 weeks but degrades at higher temperatures and under light exposure. Metal ions can also accelerate LSD decomposition.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Accurate detection of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in biological samples is essential for clinical and forensic toxicology.
- Understanding the stability of LSD in urine is critical for interpreting analytical results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the stability of LSD in pooled urine samples under various storage conditions.
- To evaluate the impact of temperature, light, pH, and container type on LSD concentration over time.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative analysis of LSD using Abuscreen Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection.
- Controlled experiments varying temperature (25°C, 37°C, 45°C), light exposure, pH, and storage containers.
Main Results:
- LSD remained stable at 25°C for up to 4 weeks.
- Significant degradation occurred at 37°C (30% loss) and 45°C (40% loss) over 4 weeks.
- Light exposure, especially in transparent containers, caused LSD degradation.
- Alkaline pH promoted epimerization to iso-LSD (10-15%), while acidic conditions showed minimal conversion (<5%).
- Metal ions catalyzed LSD decomposition, preventable with EDTA.
Conclusions:
- LSD stability in urine is significantly affected by temperature, light, and pH.
- Proper storage, including protection from light and heat, and consideration of pH and potential metal ion contamination, is vital for reliable LSD testing.
- EDTA can mitigate LSD decomposition catalyzed by metal ions.