A Procedure for the Detection of Stealth™ Adulterant in Urine Samples

Sandra Valtier; John T Cody

doi:10.29074/ascls.15.2.111

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Sandra Valtier, MS⇑
1. is Research Medical Technologist, Clinical Research Squadron, Lackland AFB TX
John T Cody, PhD
1. is Director of Biomedical Science Division, Interservice Physician Assistant Program at Academy of Health Sciences, Fort Sam Houston TX

Address for correspondence: Sandra Valtier MS, 59^th MDW/MSRL, 59^th Clinical Research Squadron, 1255 Wilford Hall Loop, Lackland AFB TX 78236-5319. (210) 292-6172, (210) 292-6053 (fax). sandra.valtier{at}59mdw.whmc.af.mil

Extract

Stealth™ is an adulterant that is advertised as not only preventing a positive drug test in urine, but also to be undetectable by currently available adulteration testing. It has previously been described as a peroxidase and peroxide that is added to urine for the sole purpose of preventing a positive drug test. The product was found to have a significant impact on the ability to detect several drugs of abuse, however, detecting the presence of the adulterant in urine had not yet been reported. A simple procedure to detect the presence of this adulterant in urine was developed. This simple color test procedure using commercially available reagents commonly used in clinical laboratories is based on the use of a chromogen to detect the peroxidase reaction in urine samples. If Stealth is present in the urine, the test sample will show an immediate color change from clear to dark brown. This qualitative test can also be adapted for use with a spectrophotometer or autoanalyzer.

Adulterants have always posed a problem in drug testing laboratories. In the past, many of these adulterants were easily detected in urine either by appearance, smell, pH or specific gravity measurements.^1-4 In more recent years, the substances ingested or added to urine to prevent a positive drug test have become more difficult to identify and detect. Some of the more commonly used products include the fixative glutaraldehyde (UrinAid and Clear Choice), strong inorganic acid (Amber-13 and THC-Free), and strong oxidants such as nitrite (Klear, Whizzies, and Randy's…

ABBREVIATIONS: GC/MS = gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; LSD = lysergic acid diethylamide; PCP = phencyclidine; THC-COOH = 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol-9-carboxylic acid; TMB = 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine.