NIK Polytesting
Definition
A field drug testing approach using the NIK Public Safety sealed ampoule system, where multiple colour tests are run sequentially on the same exhibit so that no single test result is used in isolation. The combined pattern from two or more tests improves selectivity over any individual reagent.
Related terms
- Cobalt Thiocyanate
- Co(SCN)2 in aqueous solution; the active reagent in the Scott test for cocaine. Cocaine forms a lipophilic blue complex with cobalt thiocyanate...
- Duquenois-Levine Test
- A three-reagent presumptive test for cannabinoids: vanillin + acetaldehyde in ethanol (Reagent 1), concentrated hydrochloric acid (Reagent 2), and chloroform partition (Reagent...
- False Positive (Presumptive Test)
- A positive colour response from a compound that is not the targeted controlled substance. Common sources include diphenhydramine (Marquis orange, Scott blue),...
- Mandelin Reagent
- Ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3) in concentrated sulphuric acid. Useful for amphetamines (orange-red), MDMA (dark blue-black) and cocaine (yellow-orange). The Mandelin-Marquis panel is recommended...
- Marquis Reagent
- A presumptive drug test reagent consisting of formaldehyde in concentrated sulphuric acid, first described by Edmund Marquis in 1896. It produces characteristic...
- Mecke Reagent
- Selenious acid (H2SeO3) dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid. More selective than Marquis for the opioid alkaloid skeleton; morphine and heroin give a...
- Scott Test
- A three-step cobalt thiocyanate presumptive test for cocaine and its salts. Step 1: cobalt thiocyanate reagent (blue in aqueous phase). Step 2:...
- Simon's Test
- A presumptive test that uses sodium nitroprusside and sodium carbonate to detect secondary amines (N-methyl group). Methamphetamine and MDMA (secondary amines) give...
- SWGDRUG Category C
- The lowest tier in the Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs classification. Category C methods (including colour tests, microcrystal...
Explained in
- Presumptive Colour Tests: Marquis, Mecke, Duquenois-Levine, Cobalt Thiocyanate and ScottA field drug testing approach using the NIK Public Safety sealed ampoule system, where multiple colour tests are run sequentially on the same exhibit so that n...