Evaluation of Two Spectroscopic Techniques to Estimate the MDMA Dose of Ecstasy-Like Tablets, an On-Site Approach.
Drug testing and analysis July 22, 2025 N Meert, K Segers, F Van Durme et al.
Portable near-infrared (NIR) and Fourier-transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, combined with chemometric modeling, can reliably estimate the MDMA dose in seized tablets. When tested on 98 tablets, NIR achieved an R² of 0.64 (indirect contact, intact tablets) and 0.87 (direct contact, homogenized tablets) with RMSEP values of 8.0 and 5.9, respectively; FT-IR achieved an R² of 0.84 with an RMSEP of 5.4, compared to reference gas chromatography results. Both techniques are suitable for rapid on-site application, but dose estimation alone does not address all health risks—low-dosed substances, combinations with other drugs, and alcohol also matter, so laboratory analysis remains essential for comprehensive safety assessment.