Regulation & Governance

Threshold Substances

246. Substances below the following thresholds are not actionable: –

  • 0.3 microgram total arsenic per millilitre in urine
  • 0.015 microgram free and conjugated boldenone per millilitre in urine from male horses (other than geldings)
  • 36 millimoles available carbon dioxide per litre in plasma
  • 0.1 microgram total cobalt per millilitre in urine
  • 0.025 microgram total cobalt (free and protein bound) per millilitre in plasma
  • 15 micrograms dimethyl sulphoxide per millilitre in urine, or
  • 1 microgram dimethyl sulphoxide per millilitre in plasma
  • 0.045 microgram free and glucuroconjugated 5a-estrane-3p,17a-diol per millilitre in urine when at the screening stage, the free and glucuroconjugated 5a-estrane-3p,17a-diol exceeds the free and glucuroconjugated 5,10 estrane-3p,17a-diol in the urine
  • 1 microgram hydrocortisone per millilitre in urine
  • 4 micrograms free and conjugated 3-methoxytyramine per millilitre in urine
  • 750 micrograms salicylic acid per millilitre in urine, or
  • 6.5 micrograms salicylic acid per millilitre in plasma
  • 0.02 microgram free and conjugated testosterone per millilitre in urine from geldings, or
  • 100 picograms free testosterone per millilitre in plasma from geldings, fillies and mares (unless in foal), or
  • 0.055 microgram free and conjugated testosterone per millilitre in urine from fillies and mares (unless in foal)
  • 0.01 microgram free prednisolone per millilitre in urine

N.B: The conjugated substance is the substance that can be liberated from conjugates.

Each threshold, including those for the same substance in urine and plasma, can be applied independently.

Thresholds are regulatory limits and the numerical values expressed above do not carry any implied precision (e.g., 0.3 is the same as 0.300). Whether a threshold has been exceeded or not in a sample is established solely from the concentration determined and the uncertainty of measurement associated with such determination.

247. Application of International Threshold Values to Out of Competition Testing (OOCT): –

(a) International threshold values for testosterone, estranediol, boldenone and methoxy tyramine are applicable to OOCT samples.

(b) International threshold values for Hydrocortisone, Arsenic, DMSO, Cobalt, Salicylic Acid and Carbon Dioxide are applicable to OOCT samples. However, they may not be actionable if a legitimate treatment is appropriately recorded.

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