Just as important as detecting drugs is the detection of precursors, i.e. chemicals necessary for their manufacture, as they are essential to prevent trafficking and drug manufacture in clandestine laboratories.
In a scientific article recently published by the University of Antwerp and the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC) in Electrochimica Acta, the feasibility of electrochemistry techniques for the detection of 10 precursors of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) is analysed. The analysis concept was validated for the qualitative identification of ATS precursors in seizures from a forensic institute. Overall, the electrochemical approach demonstrates to be a useful and affordable analytical tool.
Full article can be found here.