Analysis of Drugs in Unconventional Samples.

Forensic scientists have long detected the presence of drugs in biological materials using body fluids such as urine, blood, and/or tissues. In recent years, remarkable advances in sensitive analytical techniques have prompted the analysis of drugs in unconventional biological samples such as hair, nail, saliva, and sweat. These samples are easily collected, although drug levels are often lower than the corresponding urine, blood, or tissue levels. This article reviews studies on the detection of drugs of abuse in hair, nail, saliva, and sweat. Preparation or pretreatment of samples, analytical procedures, and the interpretation of analytical results are discussed concomitantly..