ELSEVIER Journal of Chromatography B, 689 (1997) 261-271 JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY B Review Hair analysis, a novel tool in forensic and biomedical sciences: new chromatographic and electrophoretic/electrokinetic analytical strategies F. Tagliaro a'*, F.P. Smith b, Z. De Battisti a, G. Manetto, M. Marigo "Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Verona, Policlinico Borgo Roma, 37134 Verona, Italy bDepartment of Justice Sciences, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA Abstract Hair analysis for abused drugs is recognized as a powerful tool to investigate exposure of subjects to these substances. In fact, drugs permeate the hair matrix at the root level and above. Evidence of their presence remains incorporated into the hair stalk for the entire life of this structure. Most abusive drugs (e.g. opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabinoids etc.) and several therapeutic drugs (e.g. antibiotics, theophylline, 13z-agonists, etc.) have been demonstrated to be detectable in the hair of chronic users. Hence, hair analysis has been proposed to investigate drug abuses for epidemiological, clinical, administrative and forensic purposes, such as in questions of drug-related fatalities and revocation of driving licences, alleged drug addiction or drug abstinence in criminal or civil cases and for the follow-up of detoxication treatments. However, analytical and interpretative problems still remain and these limit the acceptance of this methodology, especially when the results from hair analysis represent a single piece of evidence and can not be supported by concurrent data. The present paper presents an updated review (with 102 references) of the modem techniques for hair analysis, including screening methods (e.g. immunoassays) and more sophisticated methodologies adopted for result confirmation and/or for research purposes, with special emphasis on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. Keywords: Reviews; Hair analysis; Opiates; Cocaine; Amphetamines; Cannabinoids; Antibiotics; Theophylline; 132-Agonists Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................ 262 2. Target drugs in hair ................................................................................................................................................................. 263 3. Analytical methods .................................................................................................................................................................. 264 3.1. Immunological methods .................................................................................................................................................. 265 3.2. Chromatographic methods ............................................................................................................................................... 265 3.3. Electrophoretic/electrokinetic methods ............................................................................................................................. 267 3.4. Other methods ................................................................................................................................................................ 268 4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................. 268 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................................................... 268 References .................................................................................................................................................................................. 268 Corresponding author. 0378-4347/97/$17.00 Copyright © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved PII S037 8-4347(96)003 20-9