Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Possibility of drug-distribution measurement in the hair of drowned bodies: evaluation of drug stability in water-soaked hair using micro-segmental analysis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Legal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In postmortem examinations, the drug analysis of hair is effective for revealing drug-use history. Additionally, a method to estimate the day of death using hair was previously developed by analyzing a single hair strand segmented at 0.4-mm intervals (micro-segmental hair analysis). However, for drowned bodies, drugs in the hair may be washed out due to soaking in water for extended periods. To evaluate the possibility of measuring drug distribution in the hair of drowned bodies, drug stability in hair samples soaked in various aqueous solutions was examined. First, reference hair strands of drug users containing specific drugs consistently along the hair shaft were prepared. The participants ingested 4 hay-fever medicines (fexofenadine, epinastine, cetirizine, and loratadine) every day for approximately 4 months before hair collection. Each reference strand was divided into regions, and each region was soaked in different solutions containing various solutes for extended periods up to approximately 2 months. In solutions without divalent ions (Ca2+ and Mg2+), the drug content in the hair decreased up to approximately 5 % with increasing salt concentration and soaking time. However, the decreased drug content was negligible in solutions containing divalent ions, implying that the divalent ions prevented drugs contained in hair from washing out. As natural river and sea waters contain divalent ions, the drugs in hair were hardly washed out even when the hair was soaked for 2 months. Thus, it was concluded that drug-distribution measurements using micro-segmental analysis can also be applied to the hairs of drowned bodies.

Highlights

  • Drug stabilities in hair soaked in various aqueous solutions were examined.

  • Drug concentrations in hair decreased depending on solutes and soaking time.

  • Divalent ions, such as Ca2+ and Mg2+, prevent drugs from being washed out.

  • River and sea waters hardly affected the drug contents in hair.

  • Micro-segmental analysis is effective even for hair of drowned bodies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

FX:

Fexofenadine

EN:

Epinastine

CT:

Cetirizine

CP :

Chlorpheniramine

DLR:

Desloratadine

EDTA:

Ethylenediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid

References

  1. Laplace K, Baccino E, Peyron PA (2021) Estimation of the time since death based on body cooling: a comparative study of four temperature-based methods. Int J Legal Med 135:2479–2487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-021-02635-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bovenschen M, Schwender H, Ritz-Timme S, Beseoglu K, Hartung B (2020) Estimation of time since death after a post-mortem change in ambient temperature: evaluation of a back-calculation approach. Forensic Sci Int 319:110656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110656

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Montanari E, Giorgetti R, Busardò FP, Giorgetti A, Tagliabracci A, Alessandrini F (2021) Suitability of miRNA assessment in postmortem interval estimation. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 25:1774–1787. https://doi.org/10.26355/eurrev_202102_25069

  4. Iancu L, Dean DE, Purcarea C (2018) Temperature influence on prevailing necrophagous diptera and bacterial taxa with forensic implications for postmortem interval estimation: a review. J Med Entomol 55:1369–1379. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjy136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Matuszewski S (2021) Post-mortem interval estimation based on insect evidence: current challenges. Insects 12:314. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12040314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Scrivano S, Sanavio M, Tozzo P, Caenazzo L (2019) Analysis of RNA in the estimation of post-mortem interval: a review of current evidence. Int J Legal Med 133:1629–1640. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-019-02125-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Metcalf JL (2019) Estimating the postmortem interval using microbes: knowledge gaps and a path to technology adoption. Forensic Sci Int Genet 38:211–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2018.11.004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Sangwan A, Singh SP, Singh P, Gupta OP, Manas A, Gupta S (2021) Role of molecular techniques in PMI estimation: an update. J Forensic Leg Med 83:102251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2021.102251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. De-Giorgio F, Grassi S, d’Aloja E, Pascali VL (2021) Post-mortem ocular changes and time since death: scoping review and future perspective. Leg Med (Tokyo) 50:101862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2021.101862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kuwayama K, Nariai M, Miyaguchi H, Iwata YT, Kanamori T, Tsujikawa K, Yamamuro T, Segawa H, Abe H, Iwase H, Inoue H (2019) Estimation of day of death using micro-segmental hair analysis based on drug use history: a case of lidocaine use as a marker. Int J Legal Med 133:117–122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-018-1939-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kuwayama K, Miyaguchi H, Iwata YT, Kanamori T, Tsujikawa K, Yamamuro T, Segawa H, Inoue H (2016) Three-step drug extraction from a single sub-millimeter segment of hair and nail to determine the exact day of drug intake. Anal Chim Acta 948:40–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2016.10.029

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kuwayama K, Miyaguchi H, Kanamori T, Tsujikawa K, Yamamuro T, Segawa H, Okada Y, Iwata YT (2022) Micro-segmental hair analysis: detailed procedures and applications in forensic toxicology. Forensic Toxicol 40:215–233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-022-00619-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kintz P, Salomone A, Vincenti M (2015) Hair analysis in clinical and forensic toxicology. Academic Press, Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2014-0-00832-5

    Book  Google Scholar 

  14. Pecoraro V, Astore IPL (1990) Measurements of hair growth under physiological conditions. In: Orfanos CE, Happle R (eds) Hair and hair diseases. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74612-3_10

  15. Kuwayama K, Miyaguchi H, Iwata YT, Kanamori T, Tsujikawa K, Yamamuro T, Segawa H, Inoue H (2018) Different localizations of drugs simultaneously administered in a strand of hair by micro-segmental analysis. Drug Test Anal 10:750–760. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.2259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Kuwayama K, Nariai M, Miyaguchi H, Iwata YT, Kanamori T, Tsujikawa K, Yamamuro T, Segawa H, Abe H, Iwase H, Inoue H (2018) Accurate estimation of drug intake day by microsegmental analysis of a strand of hair using internal temporal markers. J Appl Lab Med 3:37–47. https://doi.org/10.1373/jalm.2017.025346

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kuwayama K, Nariai M, Miyaguchi H, Iwata YT, Kanamori T, Tsujikawa K, Yamamuro T, Segawa H, Abe H, Iwase H, Inoue H (2018) Micro-segmental hair analysis for proving drug-facilitated crimes: evidence that a victim ingested a sleeping aid, diphenhydramine, on a specific day. Forensic Sci Int 288:23–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.04.027

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kuwayama K, Miyaguchi H, Iwata YT, Kanamori T, Tsujikawa K, Yamamuro T, Segawa H, Inoue H (2019) Strong evidence of drug-facilitated crimes by hair analysis using LC–MS/MS after micro-segmentation. Forensic Toxicol 37:480–487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-019-00472-3

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kuwayama K, Miyaguchi H, Kanamori T, Tsujikawa K, Yamamuro T, Segawa H, Okada Y, Iwata YT (2021) Development of an improved method to estimate the days of continuous drug ingestion, based on the micro-segmental hair analysis. Drug Test Anal 13:1295–1304. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.3025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kuwayama K, Miyaguchi H, Kanamori T, Tsujikawa K, Yamamuro T, Segawa H, Okada Y, Iwata YT (2022) Distribution profiles of diphenhydramine and lidocaine in scalp, axillary, and pubic hairs measured by micro-segmental hair analysis: good indicator for discrimination between administration and external contamination of the drugs. Forensic Toxicol 40:64–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-021-00590-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Høiseth G, Arnestad M, Karinen R, Morini L, Rogde S, Sempio C, Vindenes V, Øiestad ÅML (2018) Is hair analysis useful in postmortem cases? J Anal Toxicol 42:49–54. https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkx077

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Rygaard K, Nielsen MKK, Linnet K, Banner J, Johansen SS (2022) Concentrations of citalopram and escitalopram in postmortem hair segments. Forensic Sci Int 336:111349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111349

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Freni F, Bianco S, Vignali C, Groppi A, Moretti M, Osculati AMM, Morini L (2019) A multi-analyte LC-MS/MS method for screening and quantification of 16 synthetic cathinones in hair: application to postmortem cases. Forensic Sci Int 298:115–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.02.036

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Benhalima I, Castex E, Dumont G, Gish A, Hakim F, Allorge D, Gaulier JM (2022) Hair analysis interpretation in post-mortem situations: key considerations and proposals to overcome main hurdles. Leg Med (Tokyo) 56:102032. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2022.102032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Niebel A, Westendorf L, Krumbiegel F, Hartwig S, Parr MK, Tsokos M (2022) Prevalence and concentrations of new designer stimulants, synthetic opioids, benzodiazepines, and hallucinogens in postmortem hair samples: a 13-year retrospective study. Drug Test Anal 14:110–121. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.3150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Drugs. Com. https://www.drugs.com. Accessed 15 July 2022

  27. Natural Pharmacy. https://www.mimaki-family-japan.com/item/detail?item_prefix=TF&item_code=001449&item_branch=001. Accessed 15 July 2022

  28. Scientific Working Group for Forensic Toxicology (2013) Scientific Working Group for Forensic Toxicology (SWGTOX) standard practices for method validation in forensic toxicology. J Anal Toxicol 37:452–474. https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkt054

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Simons FE, Simons KJ (1999) Clinical pharmacology of new histamine H1 receptor antagonists. Clin Pharmacokinet 36:329–352. https://doi.org/10.2165/00003088-199936050-00003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. KYORITSU CHEMICAL-CHECK Lab.,Corp. https://kyoritsu-lab.co.jp/pdf/wad-ca-th.pdf. Accessed 15 July 2022

  31. Advameg, Inc. http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Mi-Oc/Ocean-Chemical-Processes.html. Accessed 15 July 2022

  32. Welch MJ, Sniegoski LT, Tai S (2003) Two new standard reference materials for the determination of drugs of abuse in human hair. Anal Bioanal Chem 376:1205–1211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-003-2061-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Allen DL, Oliver JS (2000) The use of supercritical fluid extraction for the determination of amphetamines in hair. Forensic Sci Int 107:191–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0379-0738(99)00163-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Horvath AL (2009) Solubility of structurally complicated materials: 3. Hair ScientificWorldJournal 9:255–271. https://doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2009.27

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Hori M, Shozugawa K, Sugimori K, Watanabe Y (2021) A survey of monitoring tap water hardness in Japan and its distribution patterns. Sci Rep 11:13546. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92949-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Keowmaneechai E, McClements DJ (2002) Influence of EDTA and citrate on physicochemical properties of whey protein-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions containing CaCl2. J Agric Food Chem 50:7145–7153. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf020489a

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Uzu A, Watanabe T, Ogino H, Hirota H (1988) Study on the sorption of calcium ion to human hair. J Soc Cosmetic Chem Japan 22:88–95. https://doi.org/10.5107/SCCJ.22.88

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Noble RE (1999) Uptake of calcium and magnesium by human scalp hair from waters of different geographic locations. Sci Total Environ 239:189–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0048-9697(99)00325-3

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Evans AO, Marsh JM, Wickett RR (2011) The uptake of water hardness metals by human hair. J Cosmet Sci 62:383–391

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Evans AO, Marsh JM, Wickett RR (2011) The structural implications of water hardness metal uptake by human hair. Int J Cosmet Sci 33:477–482. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2494.2011.00659.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI grant number 19K10700.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Institute of Police Science, 6-3-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-0882, Japan

    Kenji Kuwayama, Hajime Miyaguchi, Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Kenji Tsujikawa, Tadashi Yamamuro, Hiroki Segawa, Yuki Okada & Yuko T. Iwata

Authors
  1. Kenji Kuwayama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hajime Miyaguchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tatsuyuki Kanamori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kenji Tsujikawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tadashi Yamamuro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hiroki Segawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yuki Okada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Yuko T. Iwata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization: Kenji Kuwayama, Hajime Miyaguchi, Tatsuyuki Kanamori, Kenji Tsujikawa, Tadashi Yamamuro, Hiroki Segawa, Yuki Okada, Yuko T. Iwata; methodology: Kenji Kuwayama, Hajime Miyaguchi; formal analysis and investigation: Kenji Kuwayama; writing — original draft preparation: Kenji Kuwayama; writing — review and editing: Kenji Kuwayama, Yuko T. Iwata; supervision: Yuko T. Iwata.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenji Kuwayama.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

All the procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the ethics committee at the National Research Institute of Police Science (No. 2019005, Kashiwa, Japan).

Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 20 KB)

Supplementary Fig. S1

(PNG 420 kb)

High resolution image (TIF 76 kb)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kuwayama, K., Miyaguchi, H., Kanamori, T. et al. Possibility of drug-distribution measurement in the hair of drowned bodies: evaluation of drug stability in water-soaked hair using micro-segmental analysis. Int J Legal Med 137, 89–98 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-022-02900-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-022-02900-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation