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reportNarcotics Detection
9.6.3 Short description
Fentanyl has been reported to be 40 times more potent than heroine and has been used as a narcotic. Ion selective membrane electrodes have been reported as sensors for Fentanyl. Polyvinyl chloride based membranes have been applied with negligible interference from other chemicals to detect fentanyl citrate in injections [150].
A sea portable drug detection system can enable detecting threats such as drugs, explosives, nuclear weapons and chemical weapons behind hidden compartments of maritime vessels has been mentioned in the literature. Detection of gamma ray signature of chemicals in narcotics has been demonstrated for maritime vessels using thermal neutron analysis and fast neutron analysis. This is based on characteristic gamma rays generated by elements such as hydrogen,
nitrogen and chlorine capturing thermal neutrons. The man portable detection system has been demonstrated for Heroin hydrochloride, Cocaine hydrochloride, Heroin, and Cocaine [151].
Commercially available ion mass spectrometry has been reported to have applications in
detection of drugs. Ions are produced through atmospheric pressure ionisation are pulsed
through an electric field to a collector, during which the time of flight is measured. The
advantages offered by this technique are its portability, selectivity, high sensitivity (parts per billion) and low cost. The detector could potentially be used as a stand alone sensor or as an online system [152].
Surface enhanced Raman scattering offers very high sensitivity to detection of drugs and
narcotics molecules. Physiological fluids such as blood, urine and saliva have been used in
analysis of narcotics [153]. Research in identification of cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, 1, 4-benzodiazepines and various metabolites of the drugs has been conducted using SERS with high
performance liquid chromatography [154]. SERS has been combined with electrophoresis and flow injection analysis to quantitatively analyse cyanide levels [155,156].
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Tags: membranes, thermal neutron analysis, fast neutron analysis, spectrometric methods, SERS, narcotics