Materials that are unlabeled
often have circumstantial clues that suggest an identity or class of
substances that can be confirmed by unrelated tests.
Two, preferably three, field tests confirming the same result
provide a high degree of confidence and allow those charged with managing
an incident to plan accordingly. Materials
that are accidentally mislabeled or mixed in a single container can be
tested to deny the original label information.
The same applies to materials that are intentionally mislabeled by
someone who is less than forthright.
Tests are divided into three chapters.
Chapter 1 Physical Confirmation Tests involve methods that are
mostly physical, such as measurement of temperature, vapor density,
radioactivity, etc. Some tests
may involve a small amount of chemistry, but they are essentially physical
tests and it seems logical to present them as such.
Chapter 2 Chemical Confirmation Tests include over 400 chemical
tests, most of which provide a colorimetric result.
The tests were included based on selectivity and adaptability to
field use. Some tests identify
individual compounds while others identify groups or families of
compounds. Chapter 3
Instrumentation provides an overview of the technologies used to analyze
materials. The overview
presents strengths and weaknesses of the technology so the corresponding
weak or strong result can be used in the overall analysis.
The appendix provides two detailed sections on drug and explosives
tests.
To use the book, consider first any
situational clues and label information, if present.
Formulate an identity of the suspicious substance and then choose
tests to confirm or deny the identity.
These field tests are not meant to
replace laboratory resources. However,
these tests can immediately generate valuable information in the field
which in turn can be used to provide life safety, property conservation
and environmental protection as well as support law enforcement
activities.
Take a chapter tour of Field
Confirmation Testing For Suspicious Substances.
ISBN:
9780849379680
ISBN 10: 0849379687
