![]() Iii) pH, which is a measure of the acidity of the sample, is likewise constrained and should always be between 4.0–10.0. Unfortunately for the cheaters, it raises urine SG above 1.035 when it is in concentrations sufficiently high to produce a false-negative result in a screening test and is easily detected. Adding sodium chloride (kitchen salt) to samples is a common, time-honoured adulteration method which interferes with drug screening tests, but not with the confirmatory tests. Measuring the SG of a sample will often detect attempts to adulterate, dilute or substitute the urine. Ii) Specific gravity (SG), which is the ratio of the density of the urine sample to the density of pure water, should be between 1.005–1.020 (with an absolute rejection criterion for any SG greater than 1.035). Although substitute urines like SweetPee and Whizzinator, come with prosthetic penises to facilitate substitution, even the most vigorous and skilled urine substitutor would find it difficult to effect a convincing substitution (in terms of maintaining the correct temperature of the sample sufficient to satisfy the AS/NZS4308 strictures) in the absence of sufficient prior warning. The Australian Standard AS/NZS 4308 states that urine sample temperature should be 33-38° C within 4 minutes of collecting the sample. I) Urine spot temperature measurement at the time of collection. ĭrug test cheats often try adulterating their specimens with household chemicals or attempt to substitute their specimens with synthetic urine products to mislead drug tests, but the vast majority of such cases can detected by specimen integrity testing.Īs Dasgupta (2015) points out, and Pidd et al (2014) reiterated, there are five common indices which will detect the overwhelming majority of synthetic, adulterated or substituted urines. states have already outlawed synthetic urine and Australia may eventually follow suit, at present the Australian laws are not clear on whether selling fake urine is illegal or not, and the possession of synthetic urine has not yet been addressed by our lawmakers (Kruger 2010, Passmore 2012). The situation is further complicated by the confused legal situation : although many U.S. ![]() Synthetic urines are easily purchased and cheap – with prices currently ranging from AU$ 30 to 95. The problem of urine substitution is widespread and is definitely growing: in the journal Australian Mining, Validakis (2012) noted the recurrent rise of the practice among miners in the Pilbarra and, more worryingly, in 2014 Lorin Eleni Gill in Pacific Business News noted a sudden, recent and sustained jump in synthetic urine use from 0.4% of all collected specimens in early 2014 to 0.9% after the third quarter of the same year in Hawai, which has been mirrored by a similar rise in Australia (see also Perallon 2014). This decline in use slowly reversed over the next four years as the synthetic urine manufacturers improved their products. In 2010 testing for these absent constituents led to a marked decline in the use and popularity of synthetic urine as cheaters began to get caught. The popularity of synthetic urines rose with the widespread institution of workplace drug testing in the US and has led to a virtual population explosion among syntheticurines: common brands of products available in Australia include QuickFix, Agent X, and TestClear as well as others too numerous to mention.Īlthough the composition of synthetic urine is similar to human urine, it necessarily lacks many of the constituents of real urine. Synthetic urine does have a legitimate use, primarily for laboratory calibration of screening equipment needed for urine examination, but also for the assessment of urine leakage of urine collection devices and diapers. Synthetic urine is a derivative fluid, designed to be similar to human urine, which is commonly used by drug users to cheat urinary drug tests – either with mandatory pre-employment checks or with routine workplace drug testing. One part of this responsibility involves the detection and management of the risks associated with the misuse of drugs and alcohol by employees and contractors in the workplace.ĭetection of drug abuse by employees may be complicated by active efforts to thwart the testing. ![]() Workplace Health and Safety Legislation have placed the responsibility on employers to provide a healthy and safe working environment and to identify and manage hazards in the workplace. ![]() Synthetic Urine - What is it, how widespread is it and how to deal with it.
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