Detection of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) in Urine by Gas ChromatographyÐIon Trap Tandem Mass Spectrometry*

Published: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 23, Number 6, October 1999, pp.474-478

Detection of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) in Urine by Gas ChromatographyÐIon Trap Tandem Mass Spectrometry*
Jason H. Sklerov, Kathryn S. Kalasinsky, and Cheryl A. Ehorn

A confirmatory method for the detection and quantitation of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is presented. The method employs gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS–MS) using an internal ionization ion trap detector for sensitive MS–MS-in-time measurements of LSD extracted from urine. Following a single-step solid-phase extraction of 5 mL of urine, underivatized LSD can be measured with limits of quantitation and detection of 80 and 20 pg/mL, respectively. Temperature-programmed on-column injections of urine extracts were linear over the concentration range 20–2000 pg/mL (r² = 0.999). Intraday and interday coefficients of variation were < 6% and < 13%, respectively. This procedure has been applied to quality-control specimens and LSD-positive samples in this laboratory. Comparisons with alternate GC–MS methods and extraction procedures are discussed.

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