What is specimen adulteration?
Adulteration is the tampering of a urine specimen with the intention of altering the test results. Users of illicit drugs have attempted to defeat drug tests by adding adulterants to the sample after collection as a way to invalidate the testing procedure. Adding household chemicals such as detergents, bleach, and soaps or diluting samples by drinking large quantities of liquid are some of the creative ploys that abusers use to mask positive samples. One of the best ways to test for adulteration is to look for certain characteristics such as pH, oxidization, specific gravity, color and temperature. Many techniques have been devised for this purpose, including:
- Eating or drinking substances that the donor believes will chemically alter drug test results.
- Adding substances (salt, vinegar, bleach, detergent, Drano, Visine, etc.) directly to the urine sample to chemically alter test results.
- Diluting the urine sample. This can be done by drinking large amounts of liquid or taking a diuretic to increase urination. Drug users may also add water directly to the specimen to lower the concentration of the drug so that it becomes undetectable by the test.
- Substituting the donor’s specimen with someone else’s drug-free urine.
-
Color – A clear color may indicate that the sample has been watered down. Unadulterated, normal urine should be pale to dark yellow or amber in color. The sample is not be considered positive by color alone, but should be suspect for closer examination.
-
Temperature – The temperature of a urine specimen should be between 91 and 98 degrees when checked within 4 minutes of collection. Urine submitted at body temperature will exceed 90.50 degrees Fahrenheit. A specimen that fails below that range us suspect.
