What is the federal cutoff level for benzoylecgonine in urine testing?

Benzoylecgonine is a primary metabolite of cocaine and is commonly tested in urine to detect cocaine use. The federal cutoff level for benzoylecgonine in urine drug testing is set at 150 ng/mL. This cutoff level is established to ensure that the test results are reliable and indicative of actual drug use, while also minimizing false positives that could arise from non-drug related factors.

By establishing a cutoff at 150 ng/mL, federal guidelines also help to ensure that the results correspond to a specific threshold that reflects likely recent cocaine use, rather than incidental exposure or other factors that might contribute to detectable levels of the metabolite. Testing levels below this threshold would typically indicate no significant use of cocaine. This level of standardization is crucial for maintaining the integrity of drug testing protocols in various contexts, including workplace testing or legal situations.