Skip to main content
Home

Dedicated to discovery

  • Company
    • About us
    • Careers
    • Events
  • Support
    • Laboratory Planning
  • Contact
  • DE
  • ES
  • FR
  • IT
  • PT
  • EN-US
Home
  • Products
    • PURELAB®
      • PURELAB® Dispenser
      • PURELAB® Flex
      • PURELAB® Quest
      • PURELAB® Pharma Compliance
      • PURELAB® Chorus 1 Complete
      • PURELAB® Chorus 1
      • PURELAB® Chorus 2
      • PURELAB® Chorus 3
      • Purelab Chorus 2+ (RO/DI/UV) / (RO/EDI/UV)
    • CENTRA®
      • CENTRA® R60/120
      • CENTRA® R200
      • CENTRA® RDS
    • MEDICA®
      • MEDICA® 150
      • MEDICA® 7/15
      • MEDICA® BIOX 2024
      • MEDICA® Pro-R & Pro-RE
      • MEDICA® R200
      • MEDICA® EDI 15/30
      • MEDICA® Pro-LPS
      • MEDICA® Pro EDI 60/120
      • MEDICA® BIOX
      • Hubgrade
    • BIOPURE®
      • BIOPURE® 300/600
    • PURENERGY® 30
    • ELGA Full Product Range
  • Applications
    • Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
    • Cell and Tissue Culture
    • Clinical Biochemistry
    • Electrochemistry
    • Gas Chromatography
    • General lab water requirement
    • High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
    • Immunochemistry
    • Liquid Chromatography
      • High Performance Liquid Chromatography
    • Mass Spectrometry
    • Microbiology
    • Molecular Biology
    • Spectrophotometry
  • Technologies
    • Activated Carbon
    • Electrodeionization (EDI)
    • Filtration
    • Ion Exchange
    • PureSure
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Ultraviolet
  • Impurities In Water
    • Dissolved Gases
    • Inorganic Compounds
    • Microorganisms & Bacteria
    • Organic Compounds
    • Particulates
  • Knowledge
    • BROSCHÜREN
    • Blog
    • Case Studies
    • Ultrapure water
    • Guides and White Papers
  • Where to buy
  • Contact us
Home
  • Contact us
  • Products
    • PURELAB®
      • PURELAB® Dispenser
      • PURELAB® Flex
      • PURELAB® Quest
      • PURELAB® Pharma Compliance
      • PURELAB® Chorus 1 Complete
      • PURELAB® Chorus 1
      • PURELAB® Chorus 2
      • PURELAB® Chorus 3
      • Purelab Chorus 2+ (RO/DI/UV) / (RO/EDI/UV)
    • CENTRA®
      • CENTRA® R60/120
      • CENTRA® R200
      • CENTRA® RDS
    • MEDICA®
      • MEDICA® 150
      • MEDICA® 7/15
      • MEDICA® BIOX 2024
      • MEDICA® Pro-R & Pro-RE
      • MEDICA® R200
      • MEDICA® EDI 15/30
      • MEDICA® Pro-LPS
      • MEDICA® Pro EDI 60/120
      • MEDICA® BIOX
      • Hubgrade
    • BIOPURE®
      • BIOPURE® 300/600
    • PURENERGY® 30
    • ELGA Full Product Range
  • Applications
    • Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
    • Cell and Tissue Culture
    • Clinical Biochemistry
    • Electrochemistry
    • Gas Chromatography
    • General lab water requirement
    • High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
    • Immunochemistry
    • Liquid Chromatography
      • High Performance Liquid Chromatography
    • Mass Spectrometry
    • Microbiology
    • Molecular Biology
    • Spectrophotometry
  • Technologies
    • Activated Carbon
    • Electrodeionization (EDI)
    • Filtration
    • Ion Exchange
    • PureSure
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Ultraviolet
  • Impurities In Water
    • Dissolved Gases
    • Inorganic Compounds
    • Microorganisms & Bacteria
    • Organic Compounds
    • Particulates
  • Knowledge
    • BROSCHÜREN
    • Blog
    • Case Studies
    • Ultrapure water
    • Guides and White Papers
  • Where to buy
  • Contact us
  • Company
    • About us
    • Careers
    • Events
  • Support
    • Laboratory Planning
  • Contact
  • DE
  • ES
  • FR
  • IT
  • PT
  • EN-US
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Global Legal Compliance
  • Patents
  • Trademarks
  • Impressum

 

Let's talk about lab water

  • Categories
    • Analytical Chemistry
    • Biotechnology
    • Clinical & Pharma
    • Cool Science
    • Environment & Sustainability
    • Future Science
    • Going Green
    • Life in The Lab
    • Life Science Results
    • Pharma
    • PURELAB Product Design
    • Science of the Future
    • The Solution Behind Great Science
    • Water In The Lab
    • Water Purity
  • Authors
    • ELGA Editorial Team_cloned
    • fbiederbick
    • ELGA Editorial Team
    • rswinka
    • Dr Bethany Campbell
    • Natasha Zarach
    • Dr Paul Whitehead
    • Dr Alison Halliday
    • John Walker
Analytical Chemistry
Cool Science

A Step Closer To Roadside Cannabis Sensing

19 Apr 2020
- by Dr Alison Halliday

Scientific Cannabis

Researchers develop a simple new test that can determine if a person has used a THC–containing product by analysing the sweat content of their fingerprints.

Across the world, marijuana is growing in popularity. A reported 182.5 million people are users – nearly 4% of the global population. In the US, the recreational use of marijuana is legal in 11 states, a further 22 have legalised it for medicinal purposes, with varying degrees of decriminalisation in 15 others.

But despite these steps, there are still no regulations regarding the excessive use of cannabis products – and so there is a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to driving and operating machinery. Lawmakers face the challenge of establishing formal intoxication levels and developing reliable methods to measure them.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive compound of marijuana. However, as this is quickly broken down within the body, researchers instead need to develop ways to detect its metabolites, including THC–COOH. While several analytical techniques have already been developed to detect these compounds in saliva, blood, urine, hair or nails, there still remains a greater need for the ability to conduct roadside testing.

A Simple, Effective Assay for Detecting THC Metabolites

In a new study, published in ACS Sensors, a team of researchers set out to develop a simple new test that can detect THC metabolites in fingerprint sweat.1The researchers designed a competitive immunoassay, which is based on the premise that anti–THC antibodies have a greater affinity for THC metabolites than THC.

In the system, a sweat sample containing THC, THC–COOH or other metabolites, would cause a decrease in the response of the assay that is easily measured using UV spectroscopy.

Fingerprint Sweat Testing

Following optimisation, the team tested the immunoassay on real fingerprints from a sober volunteer, which they spiked with varying concentrations of THC–COOH. They successfully demonstrated that it was possible to detect the metabolite at levels from 5.0 nM to 100 nM – without meaningful interference from other fingerprint sweat components.

The researchers then analysed fingerprints from three active marijuana users, showing that the absorbance of the assay decreased when an individual was actively high compared with the response observed in samples from non–users. 

For all experiments, the researchers used ultrapure water generated from an ELGA PURELAB® flex laboratory water purification system to minimise the risk of adding contaminants that may affect their results.

A Sensitive, Fast and Easy–to–Use Platform

In this study, the researchers developed a sensitive new method for detecting THC metabolites in the sweat content of their fingerprints, which could one day help law enforcement to determine whether someone has used a THC–containing product.

As this approach could be readily combined with a strip-like design, it could provide a simple, on–the–spot test that requires little or no scientific training.
With low detection capabilities and the ability to differentiate between a narrow range of concentrations, it also has the potential to measure the levels of THC and its metabolites in a person’s body – once formal intoxication levels are established.

Why Choose ELGA LabWater?

ELGA’s expert engineers, chemists and scientists are at the forefront of technological innovation. We continue to introduce game-changing features to the laboratory water market.

Reference:

  1. Brunelle, E. et al. Step toward Roadside Sensing: Noninvasive Detection of a THC Metabolite from the Sweat Content of Fingerprints. ACS Sens. 2019: 4(12): 3318–3324.


Dr Alison Halliday
After completing an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry & Genetics at Sheffield University, Alison was awarded a PhD in Human Molecular Genetics at the University of Newcastle. She carried out five years as a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UCL, investigating the genes involved in childhood obesity syndrome. Moving into science communications, she spent ten years at Cancer Research UK engaging the public about the charity’s work. She now specialises in writing about research across the life sciences, medicine and health.

Explore more from our blog

18 Mar 2024
PURELAB flex - A simple solution to reducing your lab's carbon footprint
7 Dec 2023
The Power of Water as a Solvent in Green Chemistry
16 Nov 2023
Learning the Secrets of a Unique Ecosystem in the Heart of Siberia
9 Nov 2023
Organic Dry Pea: The Sustainable Protein Powerhouse of the Future
27 Okt. 2023
Kontamination von Lebensmitteln – Der ständige Bedarf an sicheren Analysen
27 Okt. 2023
Von der Wildpflanze zum funktionellen Lebensmittel: Die süße Vogelbeere als Superfood
27 Okt. 2023
Wechselwirkung von Wasser und Futtermittel mit oralen Antibiotika in der konventionellen Schweinehaltung
27 Okt. 2023
Sind „Bio“-Lebensmittel wirklich besser für die Gesundheit?

Blog Categories

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Biotechnology
  • Clinical & Pharma
  • Cool Science
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • Future Science
  • Going Green
  • Life in The Lab
  • Life Science Results
  • Pharma
  • PURELAB Product Design
  • Science of the Future
  • The Solution Behind Great Science
  • Water In The Lab
  • Water Purity

CTA Blog

  • Sales Enquiry
  • Get a Quote
  • Technical Support
  • Find an Approved Partner

Sales Enquiry

At ELGA LabWater, we have exciting offers and news about our products and services that we hope you’d like to hear about. We will use your information to predict what you might be interested in. We will treat your data with respect and you can find the details in our Privacy Policy.

ELGA LabWater works with a network of Approved Partners. In order to answer your questions or enquiries, we may pass your contact details to an Approved Partner, who may contact you directly. 

I'd like to receive updates from ELGA LabWater & ELGA Approved Partners based on my details.

Get a Quote

At ELGA LabWater, we have exciting offers and news about our products and services that we hope you’d like to hear about. We will use your information to predict what you might be interested in. We will treat your data with respect and you can find the details in our Privacy Policy.

ELGA LabWater works with a network of Approved Partners. In order to answer your questions or enquiries, we may pass your contact details to an Approved Partner, who may contact you directly. 

I'd like to receive updates from ELGA LabWater & ELGA Approved Partners based on my details.

Technical Support

At ELGA LabWater, we have exciting offers and news about our products and services that we hope you’d like to hear about. We will use your information to predict what you might be interested in. We will treat your data with respect and you can find the details in our Privacy Policy.

ELGA LabWater works with a network of Approved Partners. In order to answer your questions or enquiries, we may pass your contact details to an Approved Partner, who may contact you directly. 

Call us

Can't find what you are looking for?

Support Number
+44 (0)20 3567 7300
United Kingdom Sales
+44 (0)1628 879 704
United States of America Sales
+1 877-315-3542
France Sales
+33 1 40 83 65 00
China Sales
+86 400-616-8882

 

ELGA LabWater UK Headquarters

Lane End Business Park
Lane End, High Wycombe
HP14 3BY
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0) 203 567 7300
F: +44 (0) 203 567 7205

Case Studies

  • Abbott Diagnostics
  • DASA Medical Diagnostics
  • NeoDIN Medical Institute
  • North Staffordshire NHS Trust
  • Olsberg Vocational College

Resources

  • Learn About Ultrapure Water
  • Guides and White Papers
  • Purification Technologies
  • Applications
  • Impurities In Water
  • Latest Blog
  • Water Purity - Different Types of Pure Water
  • What is Clinical Laboratory Reagent Water (CLSI)?
  • What is Total Organic Carbon (TOC)?

© VWS (UK) Ltd. trading as ELGA LabWater. 2025 - All rights reserved.
ELGA is the global laboratory water brand name of Veolia.

  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Global Legal Compliance
  • Patents
  • Trademarks
  • Impressum
  • Language
    • Deutsch
    • English
    • Español
    • Français
    • Italiano
    • Português
    • 日本語
    • 中文
  • Other Veolia Sites
    • Veolia
    • Veolia Foundation
    • Veolia Water Technologies
Elga Veolia
TOP

© 2017 ELGA Veolia