A Greener Route to Anti-Doping Analysis - Report - MDSpire

A Greener Route to Anti-Doping Analysis

Bar adsorptive microextraction provides lower-solvent confirmation of cocaine and three metabolites in urine using GC-MS

  • July 15, 2026

  • 3 min

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Clinical Report: A Greener Route to Anti-Doping Analysis

Overview

A validated bar adsorptive microextraction (BAµE) workflow offers a lower-solvent alternative for confirming cocaine and its metabolites in urine. This method meets World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) criteria, demonstrating no false positives or negatives.

Background

Cocaine is a commonly detected substance in anti-doping tests, but its low concentration in urine complicates confirmatory analysis. Effective sample preparation is crucial to concentrate target analytes and minimize interference from endogenous compounds.

Data Highlights

ParameterValue
Limit of identification for cocaine1.0 ng/mL
Extraction volume of acetonitrile150 µL
Stability of final extractsUp to 144 hours

Key Findings

  • The BAµE method showed no false positives in blank urine samples.
  • No false negatives were observed in spiked samples.
  • Validation was conducted against WADA criteria, confirming compliance.
  • The method improved selectivity and sensitivity compared to traditional solid-phase extraction/GC-MS methods.
  • The workflow is suitable for confirmatory testing rather than high-throughput screening.

Clinical Implications

The BAµE method complies with WADA standards for confirmatory testing of cocaine and its metabolites.

Conclusion

The BAµE workflow provides a lower-solvent alternative for anti-doping analysis.

Related Resources & Content

  1. Bar adsorptive microextraction for the qualitative detection of cocaine and its metabolites in urine for anti-doping control, Scientific Reports, 2026 -- Title
  2. Prohibited List | World Anti Doping Agency -- Title
  3. WADA Technical Document – TD2022MRPL -- Title
  4. WADA Technical Document – TD2023IDCR -- Title
  5. the analytical scientist — Holding the Line: Sitting Down With Mario Thevis
  6. Archives of Toxicology — Advancements in High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Analyzing New Psychoactive Substances
  7. the medicine maker — Trends and Challenges in Nitrosamine Testing Part Four The Regulatory Landscape
  8. the medicine maker — Trends and Challenges in Nitrosamine Testing: Part Three – Building a Method
  9. Substances of Abuse 101 | USADA
  10. Prohibited List | World Anti Doping Agency
  11. WADA Technical Document – TD2022MRPL
  12. Manual Reporting of Prohibited Substance(s) and/or Metabolite(s) of Prohibited Substance(s) Associated with an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) in the Lab Results [1] – ADAMS Help Center
  13. wadaWADA Technical Document – TD2023IDCR
  14. WADA Technical Document – TD2024EPO
  15. Bar adsorptive microextraction for the qualitative detection of cocaine and its metabolites in urine for anti-doping control | Scientific Reports
  16. Recent developments in sorbent-based microextraction techniques for the processing of complex matrices - PubMed
  17. Green Analytical Chemistry—Recent Innovations

    18. Original Source(s)

    A Greener Route to Anti-Doping Analysis

    • July 15, 2026

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