It is time for a little education on mass spectrometry testing, I hope you all find it useful and for those that don’t perhaps you’ll find it interesting. I will keep it as simple as possible without getting too technical.

There are several different types of testing in the mass spectrometry world and we are gonna focus on two for right now. They are the most common results that we see here on this site. They are the HPLC Column test and the Spectrum test. While each one has its purpose and is useful in its own way, without being applied correctly they can be very misleading. At the heart of these tests is the molecular weight of the compound being tested. The spectrum test identifies all the ions within a sample based on their molecular weight within a predefined range. 0-800m/z is the range that all anabolic steroids fall between with the oil, BA, and BB being outside that scope. The molecular weight of the target compound is compared to a known sample to verify the compound is present. Once that is verified we take the quotient of the target compound (X) and the total of unknown ions that make up all the other molecular weights (Y) to arrive at a purity (X/Y). The density of the target compound relative to the suspension is again compared to a known sample to verify if the correct dosage has been made. While that measurement is accurate, it cannot be exact. That is more of a function of the HPLC column test.

The HPLC column test differs from the spectrum test in that it separates all the ions that pass through it and separates them into different groups where it then tests the purity of that individual group. This process is extremely useful for identifying an unknown substance in a compound, as well as it is very precise for showing a dosage. It does not calculate the amount of target compound compared to the other substances in the sample, therefore, the purity calculation that it performs is only on the target compound. (When I say target compound I am referring to the one that we are most interested in such as test or tren.) This purity percentage is very misleading since people think that it is an overall purity, which is not true. To oversimplify it:

Full Spectrum Testing: 10 people in a room, 2 blondes, 8 brunettes = 80% brunettes
HPLC Column testing: 10 People in a room, 2 blondes, 8 brunettes. 2 blondes are put in a different room and now = 100% brunettes.

Now that all that has been defined I get a lot of PM’s from people and sources that are excited because they just got an amazing find from a standup guy in China that wants to send them 99.9% pure raw material and has tests to prove it. When that raw material is put through the spectrum test they are always disappointed in the results, and rightfully so because they were sold on the idea that they had ultra-pure raw material. The problem is that our friends in China are running the HPLC column test, which we know isolates the target compound and then tests it for purity, and are selling it as a full spectrum test. You can spot a column test easily enough because the purity is always 98-99.9% pure. That isn’t to say that 97% isn’t possible with a spectrum test because we have seen that once or twice, but it is very rare.

So the moral of the story is that if you are in the market for raw material and you are being sold a Ferrari at Hyundai price, you might scrutinize the proof a little. Then take your newly gained knowledge and wield it so that you don’t become a victim.