Evaluation of the Reliability Factors on Illicit Drugs On-Site Identification Based on Portable Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy

Researchers have developed a portable Terahertz Time Domain spectrometer (THz-TDS) that can perform on-site analysis without requiring nitrogen purging. The device was tested on 19 different chemicals, including diluents and illicit drugs, to verify its capabilities. A database of these chemicals was also established and their characteristic absorption peaks were verified against literature reports. The study found that the THz-TDS was capable of identifying drugs and had good repeatability in various conditions. The researchers concluded that the THz-TDS has the potential to be a practical and valuable tool for fast drug detection in the future.