ADULTERATION OF A URINE SPECIMEN

Adulteration occurs when there is tampering of a urine specimen in an attempt to alter the test results. Using adulterants can cause a false negative result in the drug test. This occurs by interfering with the screening test and/or destruction of the drugs present in the urine. Diluting the specimen may also be an attempt to produce false negative drug test results.

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One of the ways to test for adulterants or dilution of a specimen is to determine if some of the urinary characteristics such as pH (pH), specific gravity (S.G.), creatinine (CRE), oxidants/PCC (OX/PCC), nitrites (NIT), or glutaraldehyde (GLUT) are at a normal level.

OXIDANTS/PCC (Pyridinium chlorochromate) (OX/PCC) will test for oxidizing agents such as bleach and hydrogen peroxide in the urine. Pyridinium chlorochromate (brand name UrineLuck) is an adulterant commonly used. Normal human urine should NOT contain oxidants or PCC.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY (S.G.) will test for dilution of the urine specimen. The normal range is from 1.003 to 1.030. Any values outside of this range could be the result of the specimen dilution or adulteration.

pH (pH) tests for acidic or alkaline adulterants in the urine specimen. Normal pH levels should be between 4.0 and 9.0. Results outside of this range could indicate that the sample may have been altered.

NITRITE (NIT) will test for commercial adulterants such as Klear and Whizzies. These products work by oxidizing the major cannabinoid metabolite THC-COOH. Normal urine specimens should contain no trace of nitrite. Positive results for nitrite usually indicate the presence of an adulterant.

GLUTARALDEHYDE (GLUT) is a test for the presence of an aldehyde. Adulterants like UrinAid and Clear Choice contain glutaraldehyde which could cause a false negative result by disrupting the enzyme used in some immunoassay tests. Glutaraldehyde is not normally found in a urine specimen. Detection of glutaraldehyde in a specimen is generally an indicator of adulteration.

CREATININE (CRE) is a waste product of creatine. This is an amino-acid contained in muscle tissue and is found in the urine. When a person tries to drink an excessive amount of water and diuretics such as herbal teas to “flush” their system, it produces an abnormal level of creatinine in the specimen. Specific gravity and creatinine are two ways to check the specimen for dilution and flushing. Low creatinine and specific gravity levels may indicate a diluted urine specimen. The absence of creatinine (less than 5 mg/dl) is indicative of a urine specimen which is not normal for humans.

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LIMITATIONS TO ADULTERATION TEST RESULTS

OXIDANTS/PCC: Normal human urine should not contain oxidants or PCC. The presence of high levels of antioxidants in the urine, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), may result in a false negative result for the oxidants/PCC pad.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY: High levels of protein in the urine specimen may cause abnormally high specific gravity values.

NITRITE: This is a normal component of human urine. Nitrite found in urine may indicate a urinary tract infection or bacterial infection. Nitrite levels of less than 20 mg/dL may result in false positive glutaraldehyde results.

GLUTARALDEHYDE: This substance is not normally found in urine. Certain metabolic abnormalities such as ketoacidosis (fasting, uncontrolled diabetes or high protein diets) could interfere with test results.

CREATININE: Normal urine creatinine levels are from 20 to 350 mg/dL. Very rarely, certain kidney diseases could show dilute urine.

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