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CHEMICAL SPOT TEST KITS FOR PRELIMINARY IDENTIFICATION OF DRUGS OF ABUSE - NILECJ (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE) STANDARD

NCJ Number
47379
Author(s)
ANON
Date Published
1978
Length
18 pages
Annotation
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR CHEMICAL SPOT TEST KITS ARE PRESENTED, AND METHODS OF TESTING THE KITS TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
APPROVED AND ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT STANDARD DEVELOPED BY THE LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS LABORATORY, THIS STANDARD APPLIES TO FIELD TESTING KITS WHICH USE CHEMICAL SPOT TESTS FOR THE PRELIMINARY IDENTIFICATION OF DRUGS OF ABUSE. IT DOES NOT APPLY TO KITS WHICH USE THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY AS THE IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURE, NOR TO KITS WHICH IDENTIFY DRUGS IN BODY FLUIDS. IT IS NOTED THAT THIS STANDARD DOES NOT MANDATE THE SPECIFIC REAGENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN A TEST KIT. THE 11 REAGENTS LISTED IN THE APPENDIX AND THEIR COLOR REACTIONS AS LISTED IN AN INCLUDED TABLE ARE PROVIDED ONLY AS A CONVENIENCE, SINCE THEY ARE AMONG THE REAGENTS CURRENTLY IN MOST COMMON USE. A KIT MAY CONTAIN ANY REAGENT OR GROUP OF REAGENTS THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS STANDARD. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION SHOULD ACCOMPANY THE KIT: (1) A LIST OF THE DRUGS FOR WHICH THE REAGENTS IN THE KIT CAN BE USED TO MAKE A TENTATIVE IDENTIFICATION WITH ACCEPTABLE SPECIFICITY; (2) CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS FOR PERFORMING THE CHEMICAL SPOT TESTS AND FOR INTERPRETING THE RESULTS; (3) DETAILS ON SAFETY PRECAUTIONS; AND (4) GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE LIMITATION, TRAINING, AND CLEANING PROCEDURES INVOLVED IN THE USE OF THE KIT. LABELING REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH REAGENT CONTAINER ARE SPECIFIED, AND IT IS CAUTIONED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO EVIDENCE OF REAGENT LEAKAGE FROM ANY OF THE CONTAINERS. THE KIT SHOULD ALSO CONTAIN ACID RESISTANT CONTAINERS INTO WHICH USED REAGENTS AND CONTAINERS CAN BE DEPOSITED AND SAFELY DISPOSED OF ACCORDING TO PROCEDURES SPECIFIED IN THE KIT. REQUIREMENTS FOR COLOR SAMPLES ARE GIVEN, AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR REAGENT SENSITIVITY IN THE PRODUCTION OF FINAL COLORS ARE PROVIDED. IN DESCRIBING TEST METHODS, GENERAL TEST CONDITIONS ARE INDICATED AND STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURES FOR THE COLOR SAMPLE TEST, FINAL COLOR TEST, SENSITIVITY TEST, DETECTION LIMIT DETERMINATION, AND SPECIFICITY TEST ARE PROVIDED.