Virginia Division of Forensic Science
Controlled Substances
Examiners in the Controlled Substances section test materials for the presence of controlled substances or marijuana. Illegal drugs may be presented in powders, solid material, liquids, or LSD blotter paper, as well as in plants and mushrooms. The section also examines pharmaceutical preparations (tablets, capsules, and injectables).
Controlled substances are routinely screened using color tests and thin layer chromatography (TLC) with identification by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Additional techniques such as infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC/FID) may also be used.
Resources
- Manuals
- Meth Labs - Best Practice Protocol
- Publications & Presentations
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Regulations for the Approval of Field Test Kits for Detection of Drugs (.pdf, 24 KB)
- Last Updated: 03/07/2006 08:25:30 AM