ABSTRACT
Field kits were designed to collect, preserve and examine evidence which is unseen to the naked eye because it is either latent or microscopic. Other basic characteristics of these field kits are that the tests are not necessarily carried out by scientists, and that testing can be conducted outside the laboratory, without laboratory instruments, at the crime scene, in the suspect’s home or elsewhere. Explosive vapor detectors are relatively complicated and expensive; dogs require an elaborate and expensive logistical system of training, and they are not always reliable; and, other chemical kits are time-consuming, relatively complicated, and require technical training. Forensic science laboratory techniques are often developed with no regard for the problems that may arise in the field and no attempt being made to devise better methods for field use. Detection is based on a very sensitive, visible chemical reaction with traces of the explosive compounds that may be left on the hands.
