Crime scene screening tests

DEFINITION: Color tests that provide rapid information regarding the presence or absence of given classes of drugs or compounds.

SIGNIFICANCE: At crime scenes, forensic scientists need to provide information to law enforcement personnel on any possible illicit drugs or other compounds that may be present. They must also make decisions on the most appropriate samples to be collected. The use of crime scene screening tests, generally in the form of chemical reagents that show distinct color changes as positive presumptive results, can assist in these decision-making processes by providing initial indications of what questioned substances or compounds may or may not be.

Although crime scene screening tests, commonly known as spot tests, can be used to screen for a wide range of compounds, forensic scientists most commonly use these tests at crime scenes related to the use and manufacture of illicit drugs. Spot tests are used to exclude or potentially identify given classes of drugs or compounds as being present in samples. Spot testing may be used to determine whether a large single package seized by police, such as a bulk powder, is homogeneous or to determine whether numerous packages or other items seized at a single scene are all the same. At crime scenes, spot tests can provide forensic scientists with information as to whether particular items should be sampled or whether they should be taken whole to the laboratory for further analysis.

Properties of a Spot Test

The ideal spot test would be specific for a given drug or compound, would be sensitive (so that only a small amount of sample need be subjected to analysis), and would provide an unambiguous result, allowing no misinterpretation. In the interests of efficiency and safety, the test reagents would be cheap and harmless, and the test itself would be quick and easy to carry out.

In reality, most spot tests sacrifice specificity in favor of fulfilling the other desired criteria; they do not individually identify specific drugs or compounds, but rather given classes. For example, Marquis reagent turns a positive purple color with an opiate alkaloid, whether it be morphine, diacetylmorphine, or one of the many other compounds in the same class.

As most spot tests are relatively sensitive, a negative result provides a good indication of the absence of the class of drug or compound that would normally provide a positive result, although false negatives are possible. A positive result may develop with a compound outside the class of compound being screened for; such a result is commonly referred to as a false positive. Other compounds present in the sample may prevent an unambiguous identification of a drug. Sugars are often used as diluting agents in powdered drug samples, and these can turn brown when combined with sulfuric acid (present in Marquis reagent). This brown color may obscure any color change resulting from a drug present in the sample, such as an amphetamine, which would produce a positive orange color.

Spot tests require no sophisticated equipment and can easily be carried out away from the laboratory at crime scenes. A forensic scientist generally carries out a spot test by adding the test reagent to a small amount of the sample material in a small glass tube or on the well of a spotting tile.

Spot tests tend to be destructive, but each test requires only a small amount of the sample material, leaving the bulk of the sample for further testing if required. The reagents are not necessarily harmless; they often contain strong acids or chemicals with undesirable properties. They are required only in small amounts and can be safely transported to scenes in suitable containers as per safety guidance protocols.

Quality Control

The age of spot test reagents and the conditions under which they have been stored may affect the colors produced during use. Forensic scientists need to run positive and negative controls with spot test reagents on a regular basis to ensure that they are working correctly.

Little but appropriate training or expertise is required in the use of spot tests, and such tests may be readily carried out by nonscientific but competent and trained staff, such as police or customs officers, as per corresponding documented guidelines. Because it is unlikely that a positive control will be able to be carried out at every scene where a sample is tested, persons using spot tests should carry out their own positive and negative controls with the test reagents to ensure that they are familiar with the color changes expected. In addition, tests should be carried out on compounds known to produce “false-positive” results. This will prevent misinterpretation of results owing to subjectivity when describing colors.

Bibliography

Camilleri, Andrew M., and David Caldicott. “Underground Pill Testing, Down Under.” Forensic Science International, vol. 151, 2005, pp. 53–58.

Chauhan, Varsha, and Manu Sharma. “Development and Validation of Presumptive Spot Test for the Identification of Z-Drugs Used in Drug-Facilitated Crimes.” Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 2023, doi:10.1007/s12024-023-00739-7. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.

Cole, Michael D. The Analysis of Controlled Substances. John Wiley, 2003.

Horswell, John, editor. The Practice of Crime Scene Investigation. CRC Press, 2004.

Johnson-Davis, Kamisha L., et al. “Modern Drug Testing in Clinical Laboratories: A Narrative Review of Practical Approaches and Emerging Technologies.” Journal of Laboratory and Precision Medicine, vol. 10, 30 Oct. 2025, jlpm.amegroups.org/article/view/10561/html. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.

Moffat, Anthony C., et al., editors. Clarke’s Analysis of Drugs and Poisons. 3rd ed., 2 vols., Pharmaceutical Press, 2004.

National Institute of Justice. “What’s That Drug? Fast Screening of Seized Drugs.” National Institute of Justice, 5 Aug. 2024, nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/whats-drug-fast-screening-seized-drugs. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.

O’Neal, Carol L., et al. “Validation of Twelve Chemical Spot Tests for the Detection of Drugs of Abuse.” Forensic Science International, vol. 109, 2000, pp. 189–201.

Singh, Rajvinder. “Narration and Legacy of Important Chemical Spot Tests in Forensic Investigation.” Critical Reviews in Analytical Chemistry, vol. 52, no. 1, 2022, pp. 35–52, doi:10.1080/10408347.2020.1785837. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.

United Nations. Rapid Testing Methods of Drugs of Abuse. United Nations, 1995.