Forensic chemistry is the application of chemistry to criminal investigation.

It focuses on the chemical

analysis of substances connected to a crime. Forensic toxicology on the other hand deals with the
medical and legal aspects of the harmful effects of chemicals on human beings. Forensic chemistry and
toxicology is a big help in criminal investigation as it can allow the authorities to do everything from
positively identifying a suspect in a crime to determine exactly when and how a crime occurred.

Forensic toxicologists perform various scientific tests on bodily fluids and tissue samples that are present
in the crime scene. They conduct precipitin test, phenolphthalein test, ABO typing, Kastle Meyer test,
confirmatory test, presumptive test, flourescein test, hair analysis and many more.

A precipitin test is conducted to determine whether a blood is from human or an animal.

Phenolphthalein test is a presumptive test to prove that a stain is caused by blood. A presumptive test is
a qualitative analysis that allows identifying or confirming the presence of a substance in a sample.
There is also a test that allows a person to determine their blood group. It is called the ABO typing.

When talking about the blood group or blood type, we have four different types: A, B, AB, and O. Among
the four types AB- is the rarest and O+ is the most common. In giving and receiving a blood, carefulness
is a must because mismatches can cause death. If the blood type is B positive, it can only be given to
those who have a blood type of B positive and AB positive and can only receive from those who have the
blood type of B+, B-, O+ and O-. If the blood type is AB+ it can only be given to those who have the blood
type of AB+ but can receive from all the blood types. If the blood type is O-, it can be given to all blood
types but can only receive from O-. If the blood type is A-, it can only be given to those who have the
blood type of A-, A+, AB- and AB+ can only receive from A- and O-.

Jumping back to the different kinds of tests, Kastle Meyer test is a presumptive blood test, first describe
in 1903 in which the chemical indicator phenolphthalein is used to detect the possible presence of
hemoglobin. A confirmatory test is required only when the presumptive test report is positive for the
substance. It then confirms the substance’s identity or measures the percentage purity or other
quantitative analysis. Lastly on the list is the flourescein test. It is a presumptive test for blood. It is
useful in the detection of patterns of older, indistinct or latent bloodstains and in detecting the residue
of blood remaining after a stain has been cleaned.

The tests that are mentioned above are only some of the tests conducted by forensic toxicologists. Aside
from testing bodily fluids and tissue samples, hair analysis is also done by forensic toxicologists when
blood and urine are no longer expected to contain a particular contaminant, typically 3 months or less.
Hair analysis is more widely acceptedly used in the field on forensic toxicology and increasingly,
environmental toxicology. Several alternative medicine fields also use various hair analysis for
environmental toxicology but these uses are controversial, evolving and not standardized.