WELCOME BACK

Overview of 2nd Semester

Toxicology: Poisons and Alcohol

Rules and Reminders

Cell phones should NOT be out in red zones. I shouldnt have
to warn you to put them away, you are ALWAYS subject to a
referral if your phone is out and the zone is red.
Bathroom breaks and passes are getting to be excessive, if this
continues I will be limiting the amount of passes you get for the
semester
During labs this semester, if rules are not followed you will be
subjected to a loss of points or in severe cases a teacher
detention
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Semester Overview

Toxicology
Trace Evidence
Test 1/30/15
Soil and Glass
Blood
Test 2/27/15
DNA Analysis
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Semester Overview

Forensic Entomology
Test 3/27/15
Human Remains
Firearms, Toolmarks, Impressions
Test 4/24/15
Document and Handwriting Analysis
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Semester Overview

If we have extra time in the schedule, we will

cover Serial Killers and Forensic Psychology
The field trip to Miami University will (hopefully)
be on Saturday March 14
I can ONLY take 24 students out of my 143 Forensic
Students
If you are interested, you need to let me know ASAP
I will take students based on grades and behavior
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BEFORE WE START

What is the difference between a medicine and

a toxin?
Can a medicine also be a toxin?

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Objectives
You will understand:
The danger of using alcohol.
A quantitative approach to toxicology.

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Objectives, continued
You will be able to:
Discuss the connection of blood alcohol levels to the
law, incapacity, and test results.
Understand the vocabulary of poisons.
Design and conduct scientific investigations.
Use technology and mathematics to improve
investigations and communications.
Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific
investigations.
Communicate and defend a scientific argument.

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Toxicology
Toxicologythe study of the adverse effects of chemicals or physical
agents on living organisms

Types:
Environmentalair, water, soil
Consumerfoods, cosmetics, drugs
Medical, clinical, forensic

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Forensic Toxicology
Postmortemmedical examiner
or coroner
Criminalmotor vehicle
accidents (MVA)

Workplacedrug testing
Sportshuman and animal
Environmentindustrial,
catastrophic, terrorism

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Toxicology
Toxic substances may:
Be a cause of death
Contribute to death
Cause impairment
Explain behavior

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Historical Perspective of Poisoners

Olympiasa famous Greek poisoner
Locustapersonal poisoner of Emperor Nero
Lucretia Borgiafather was Pope Alexander VI
Madame Giulia Toffanacommitted over 600 successful poisonings,
including two popes
Hieronyma Sparaformed a society to teach women how to murder
their husbands
Madame de Brinvilliers and Catherine DeshayesFrench poisoners
AND many others through modern times.
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The Severity of the Problem

If all those buried in our cemeteries who were poisoned could
raise their hands, we would probably be shocked by the
numbers.
John Harris Trestrail, Criminal Poisoning

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People of Historical Significance

Mathieu Orfilaknown as the
father of forensic toxicology,
published in 1814 Trait des
poisons which described the first
systematic approach to the study
of the chemistry and
physiological nature of poisons

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Aspects of Toxicity
Dosage
The chemical or physical form of the substance
The mode of entry into the body
Body weight and physiological conditions of the victim, including age
and sex
The time period of exposure
The presence of other chemicals in the body or in the dose

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Lethal Dose
LD50 refers to the dose of a substance that kills half the test
population, usually within four hours
Expressed in milligrams of substance per kilogram of body weight

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Toxicity Classification
LD50 (rat,oral)

Correlation to Ingestion
by 150-lb Adult Human

Toxicity

<1 mg/kg

a taste to a drop

extreme

150 mg/kg

to a teaspoon

high

50500 mg/kg

to an ounce

moderate

5005,000 mg/kg

to a pint

slight

515 g/kg

to a quart

practically nontoxic

Over 15 g/kg

more than 1 quart

relatively harmless

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Federal Regulatory Agencies

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

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Symptoms of Various Types of Poisoning

Type of Poison

Symptom/Evidence

Caustic poison (lye)

Characteristic burns around the lips and

mouth of victim
Red or pink patches on the chest and
thigh, unusually bright red lividity
Black vomit
Greenish-brown vomit
Yellow vomit
Coffee-brown vomit, onion or garlic odor
Burnt almond odor
Extreme diarrhea
Nausea and vomiting, unconsciousness
possibly blindness

Carbon monoxide
Sulfuric acid
Hydrochloric acid
Nitric acid
Phosphorus
Cyanide
Arsenic, mercury
Methyl (wood) or isopropyl
(rubbing) alcohol
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Critical Information
Form
Common color
Characteristic odor
Solubility
Taste
Common sources
Lethal dose
Mechanism
Possible methods of
administration
Time interval of onset of
symptoms

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Symptoms resulting from an acute

exposure
Symptoms resulting from chronic
exposure
Disease states mimicked by poisoning
Notes relating to the victim
Specimens from victim
Analytical detection methods
Known toxic levels
Notes pertinent to analysis of poison
List of cases in which poison was used

John
Trestrail
from
Kendall/Hunt
Publishing
Company

Criminal Poisoning

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To Prove a Case
Prove a crime was committed
Motive
Intent
Access to poison
Access to victim
Death was homicidal
Death was caused by poison

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Forensic Autopsy
Look for:
Irritated tissues
Characteristic odors
Mees linessingle transverse white bands on nails
Order toxicological screens
Postmortem concentrations should be done at the scene for
comparison.

No realistic calculation of dose can be made from a single

measurement.

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Human Specimens for Analysis

Blood

Liver tissue

Urine

Brain tissue

Vitreous humor of eyes

Kidney tissue

Bile

Hair/nails

Gastric contents

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AlcoholEthyl Alcohol (C2H5OH)

Most abused drug in America
About 40 percent of all traffic deaths are alcohol-related
Toxicaffecting the central nervous system, especially the brain
Colorless liquid, generally diluted in water
Acts as a depressant
Alcohol appears in blood within minutes of consumption; 3090 minutes
for full absorption
Detoxificationabout 90 percent in the liver
About 5 percent is excreted unchanged in breath, perspiration, and
urine

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Rate of Absorption
Depends on:
Amount of alcohol consumed
The alcohol content of
the beverage
Time taken to consume it
Quantity and type of food
present in the stomach
Physiology of the consumer

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BAC: Blood Alcohol Content

Expressed as percent weight per
volume of blood
Legal limit in all states is 0.08
percent
Parameters influencing BAC:
Body weight
Alcohol content
Number of beverages consumed

Time since consumption

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BAC Calculation
Burn-off rate of 0.015 percent per hour, but can vary:
Male
BAC = 0.071 (oz) (% alcohol)
body weight
Female
BAC = 0.085 (oz) (% alcohol)
body weight

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Henrys Law
When a volatile chemical is dissolved in a liquid and is brought to
equilibrium with air, there is a fixed ratio between the concentration of
the volatile compound in the air and its concentration in the liquid; this
ratio is constant for a given temperature. THEREFORE, the
concentration of alcohol in breath is proportional to that in the blood.
This ratio of alcohol in the blood to alcohol in the alveolar air is
approximately 2,100 to 1. In other words, 1 ml of blood will contain
nearly the same amount of alcohol as 2,100 ml of breath.

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Field Tests
Preliminary testsused to determine the degree of suspects physical
impairment and whether or not another test is justified

Psychophysical teststhree basic tests:

Horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN): follow a pen or small
flashlight, tracking left to right with ones eyes. In general, wavering
at 45 degrees indicates 0.10 BAC.
Nine-step walk and turn (WAT): comprehend and execute two or
more simple instructions at one time
One-leg stand (OLS): maintain balance; comprehend and execute
two or more simple instructions at one time

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The Breathalyzer
More practical in the field
Collects and measures alcohol content
of alveolar breath
Breath sample mixes with 3 ml of 0.025 percent K2Cr2O7 in sulfuric acid
and water:
2K2Cr2O7 +3C2H5OH + 8H2SO4 2Cr2(SO4)3 + 2K2SO4 + 3CH3COOH + 11H2O

Potassium dichromate is yellow; as concentration decreases, its light

absorption diminishes, so the breathalyzer indirectly measures alcohol
concentration by measuring light absorption of potassium dichromate
before and after the reaction with alcohol.

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Generalizations
During absorption, the concentration of alcohol in arterial blood is higher
than in venous blood.
Breath tests reflect alcohol concentration in the pulmonary artery.
The breathalyzer also can react with acetone (as found in diabetics),
acetaldehyde, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, and paraldehyde, but these
are toxic and their presence means the person is in serious medical
condition.
Breathalyzers now use an infrared light-absorption device with a digital
readout. Prints out a card for a permanent record.

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People in the News

John Trestrail is a practicing toxicologist who has consulted on many
criminal poisoning cases. He is the founder of the Center for the
Study of Criminal Poisoning in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which has
established an international database to receive and analyze
reports of homicidal poisonings from around the world. He is also
the director of DeVos Childrens Hospital Regional Poison Center.
In addition, he wrote the book Criminal Poisoning, used as a
reference by law enforcement personnel, forensic scientists, and
lawyers.

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More Information
Read more about forensic toxicology at truTVs Crime Library:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/toxicol
ogy/2.html

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