Articles Published by NIJ

The Miami-Dade medical examiner’s office has developed a quick method to screen fluids for hundreds of drugs simultaneously, improving workflow.

Sara Walton, Laerissa Reveil, Tyson Baird, and Bailey Jones won prestigious awards at the Society of Forensic Toxicologists 2022 meeting.

Analyzing illicit drugs such as methamphetamine is difficult because the drugs break down when heated in gas chromatographs. Investigators determined that a new method can avoid the heat issue and improve results.

Electronic cigarettes, first introduced in the U.S. market in 2006, have evolved from nicotine delivery systems to sophisticated, customizable devices that can deliver a range of illicit drugs.

NIJ-funded researchers adapted a method used to detect human exposure to environmental and occupational chemicals to significantly extend the limited time period when tests can identify evidence of certain illicit drugs in the body.

Researchers conducted a systematic study of microcrystalline tests for emerging illicit drugs and then examined the infrared spectra of the microcrystals to create a database to mitigate subjectivity of the tests.

Identifying a new drug that is very similar in structure to other drugs is important for investigators. Researchers in this project determined that these drugs may be better separated using ultra high-performance supercritical fluid chromatography.

Synthetic cathinones, a class of mood-altering stimulants popular among recreational drug users, can be unstable when stored in blood or urine samples, and may be problematic when used as evidence in court.

The standard method for collecting and storing blood samples from newborns might be useful for forensic toxicology.

Researchers look at transition metal cluster compounds for the fluorescent identification and trace detection of substances of abuse.