Abstract: A portable device for detecting an explosive substance present in air, the device including: (a) a mechanism for drawing an air sample into the device; (b) a solid trapping material having a surface for trapping explosive particles in the air sample; (c) a collector for containing a solvent, the collector associated with the surface, the solvent for producing dissolved explosive material by: (i) removing and dissolving the portion of particles from the surface, and (ii) directly dissolving a remainder of the particles of the explosive material, (d) an electrode unit, associated with the collector, for producing a signal corresponding to a presence of the dissolved explosive material, and (e) circuitry for determining the presence of the dissolved explosive material based on the signal produced by the electrode unit.