A new fingerprint technique can detect traces of cocain on human skin . From just a wide-eyed fingerprint , the technique is “ smart ” enough to tell whether someone has consumed the drug or just treat it – even after someone has wash their hands .
report in the journalScientific Reports , a team of researchers detail a method that can detect cocaine and benzoylecgonine , a chemical substance that cocaine breaks down into by the liver , in fingerprint using an analytical interpersonal chemistry technique called Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry .
" A fingerprint is a dandy elbow room to prove for drugs as it is so quick and efficient to collect . Using our methodological analysis , it is possible to analyze a fingerprint sample for drugs in less than 2 minutes , ” conduce author Dr Min Jang , a pill pusher at the University of Surrey , said ina instruction .
However , you might be thinking , just because someone has trace of the drug on their finger’s breadth that does n’t inevitably entail they have taken the drug , which could be crucial from a sound or forensic perspective . After all , the Brobdingnagian absolute majority of banknotes in the US – upwards of 90 percent insome cogitation – are contaminated with microscopical layer of cocaine . A subject area in 2018even find that about one in 10 hoi polloi may have traces of illicit drug on their fingerprint despite never take them .
Fortunately , this method can tell the difference between a person who ’s just handled the drug and someone who has really consumed it .
For the new bailiwick , the squad used the fingermark trial run on masses from drug renewal clinics who order they had taken cocain within the past 24 hours . They then took the same fingermark test after instructing them to wash off their hands exhaustively with soap and H2O . lastly , they collected sampling from hoi polloi who had not hold cocain recently but had handled the street drug .
Their determination showed that only the people who had taken the drug test electropositive for both cocaine and benzoylecgonine , a chemical that ’s formed by the hydrolysis of cocain in the liver . On the other hand , the fingers of the great unwashed who had only handle the drug did not show any signaling of benzoylecgonine , only cocaine . Since benzoylecgonine is a metabolite , only produced by the body if the drug has been take in , it ’s a fairly safe bet the person has consume the drug .
Beyond acting as another arm inthe “ war on drugs,”this technique could also have some useful software for other drugs and medications . The technique is so sensitive , it could be used by doctor as an gentle method acting to check how effective drug ( as in , not outlaw drug ) are being absorbed and metabolize by patient .
“ We are excited about the possibleness for fingermark drug testing , ” continued co - generator Dr Catia Costa . “ In addition to illicit drug , we have found that we can detect pharmaceutical drug in fingerprint and we are great to see if we can use this to help patients to check that their medication is being delivered at the right dose . ”
