Drug detection and testing Flashcards
why? (5)
- treatment
- safety
- anti-doping
- law enforcement
- research
biological samples (5)
- blood
- breath
- urine
- saliva
- hair
what to measure? (3)
- identification (screening)
- measure levels
- known vs unknown
Alc det on the go(4)
- Breathalyzer
- 0.08% BAC (estimated)
- Chemical colour test with sulphuric acid, silver nitrate and potassium dichromate
- Colour change – electric current in meter
(prone to error)
alc det - follow up tests (3)
- Intoxilyzer – infrared
spectroscopy - IR beam in wavelengths for chemical bonds in
ethanol - IR absorption –electrical signal
(but a lot of more alc metabolised by now - so look for metabolites)
Solid tests – lateral flow tests - easy to use (5)
Immunoassays : antibodies already present
- Cocaine
- Ketamine
- THC
- Methamphetamine
- Benzodiazepines
one chemical/ test
solid test benefits (7)
- Simple
- Rapid
- Visual interpretation
- On-site detection
- Kit completes with swab for sample collection, buffer solutions, bottle for mixing compound and
test cartridge - Some have Home office approval – police, customs
- Sensitivity ? Detection times ? Specificity?
Urine test strips - how do you use it?
- Allow the test to absorb the urine for about 10-15 seconds.
- Remove the test from the urine and replace the test cap.
- Lay the test on a clean flat surface while the test lines develop.
- You can read negative results as soon as they appear but positive results must be read at least 5 minutes after removing from urine
urine uses e.g.’s (7)
Example tests: may have more than one
* Cocaine
* Benzodiazepines
* Methamphetamines
* Amphetamines
* Cannabis
* Opioids
* Methadrone
yes and no answer
What does a positive/ negative result mean?
+ = present
- = not present
What to consider when looking at results? (4)
- what is being tested? (many chemicals i.e. THC)
- what is the detection limit? (need a lot of drug to show result?)
- When was the drug taken (and how much)? - metabolism, how much and when it was taken
- How to confirm the initial tests? (ir)
Home testing kits
ecstasy pill testing - is very easy to do (just need to identify the right colour) - just need to keep an eye out for colours but also individual diff’s - colours (dark or light)
e.g.
* MDMA
* Methamphetamine
* Morphine
Multiple chemicals in tablets - some don’t show up in home testing (4)
- PMA in pill doesn’t show up in home testing
- PMA: 4 methoxyamphetamine
= deaths from this for many and many didn’t show up in tests - Mandelin reagent: ammonium vanadate in
concentrated sulphuric acid - Mecke reagent: selenous acid in in concentrated
sulphuric acid - “qualitative” test
ACMD report on powdered cocaine - onitoring e.g. (2015) (3)
- Increased availability of cheap, low purity powdered cocaine
- Cocaine (including crack) was involved in, but not necessarily the cause of, 234 of 3,521deaths in England,
Scotland and Wales in 2013 - More than 50 cutting agents have been identified, including some that can cause serious medical harm
more accurate testing: GC benefits (5)
- Laboratory test
- Reliable
- Sensitive
- Screening of substances
- Quantitative
