http://www.lycaeum.org
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> 1] How long can LSD be detected in the body?
This varies by the test being used, the detection limit placed on the test, the point of collection and type of the sample fluid, the amount of LSD that was taken, and the individual in question.
Assuming the testers are using an RIA screening test with the cutoff set at 0.1 ng/ml and assuming that the user has recently emptied their bladder, then the detection limit for one hit (100 ug) is normally around 30 hours. Each doubling of the initial amount will add about 5 hours. Thus taking 8 hits will leave a user vulnerable for approximately 2 days. (NOTE: This is based on the data in [7])
> 2] What exact form of test can be used to detect LSD in the body?
There are a number of tests which can be used to detect LSD in the body.
Abuscreen, a product of Roche Diagnostic Systems, is a series of RadioImmunoAssay (RIA) tests, one of which is used to detect LSD and its metabolites in whole blood, serum (blood), urine and stomach contents [1]. RIA can in theory be used to detect quantities as small as 0.020 nanograms (ng) per milliliter (ml) of sample [2]. Laboratory tests have shown that RIA results are accurate down to at least 0.1 ng/ml [3]. The manufacturer recommends limiting the cutoff to 0.5 ng/ml.
EMIT, a product of Syva Corporation, is another series of tests, one of which can be used to detect LSD and its metabolites in serum and urine. EMIT stands for Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique.
Both EMIT and Abuscreen are "positive/negative" response tests (much like pregnancy tests) which require periodic equipment calibration and consume chemicals for each test performed. A basic battery of tests costs approx. $15-$25 per person [4]. The basic tests (recommended by NIDA) include marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP). Normally, unless an (employer) specifically requests the test, an LSD assay is not run.
Both Roche and Syva recommend confirmation of positive results by using a different test. The usual method of confirming positive results is some form of chromatography. These include High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC)[3], and different forms of Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)[5][6][7][8][9]. HPTLC and GC/MS can be used to give quantitative results as opposed to the Boolean results from EMIT or Abuscreen. Laboratory tests have shown that GC/MS test for LSD in urine[6] and blood[7] can be accurate down to 0.1 ng/ml. The cost for confirmation of a positive screening test is approximately $50-60.
Positive results to either EMIT and RIA are held to be "probable cause" by U.S. courts. GC/MS results are held to be "proof" by U.S. courts.
> I am asking for an actual text message containing a short, precise
> description of each test,
Immunoassays chemicals are created by injecting animals (rabbits, sheep, donkey, etc) with the drug to be tested for and an albumin which force the animal to produce antibodies. The antibodies are then removed from the animal, purified and bottled. In RIA tests, the antibodies are then added to the fluid sample with a radioactively labeled chemical. Any of the drug (or similar chemicals) found in a sample that is being tested will react with this glop and by measuring the radioactivity, the amount of drugs can be determined [2][10].
> 3] How can such a test be beaten?
While there is some literature on adulterating urine samples to produce false negative results [11], there has been little written that applies specifically to the LSD screening tests.
The immunsoassay tests vary in their specificity. Some display a relatively low cross-reactivity[13], others a high cross-reactivity[14]. The exact metabolites of LSD in humans have not been fully determined yet, though animal studies have been done. The only verified human metabolite I could find in the literature was N-demethyl-LSD[6] but I did not check all the references.
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