FORENSIC BY: ROSEMARIE D.

TOXICOLOGY COSUE, Ed.D.

WHAT IS TOXICOLOGY?
-is a field of science that helps us understand the
harmful effects that chemicals, or situations, can
have on people, animals, and the environment.
-is the study of substances that cause harm
HOW DO WE DEFINE
FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY?
- is the study and practice of the application of toxicology
to the purposes of the law.
-Forensic toxicology is the use of toxicology and disciplines such
as analytical chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry to aid
medical or legal investigation of death, poisoning, and drug use .
Forensic toxicologists must be able to determine:
- What poison was used? Why was it taken? How? And
By who?
FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND
-less than 1% of homicides result from poisoning
-accidental overdoses are the most common
-poisoning is used as the most subtle way of killing
SUB-DISCIPLINES OF
FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY
1. Postmortem forensic toxicology - forensic toxicologists, work with pathologists,
medical examiners, and coroners to help establish the role of alcohol, drugs, and
poisons in the causation of death. Postmortem Toxicology investigates suspected
drug overdoses, homicide, suicide, natural deaths and general unknown deaths where
toxins are either ruled in or out through testing and interpretation.
2. Human performance toxicology – Similar to criminal investigation analysis which
involves the same application of techniques as in the death investigation setting, but
specimens are typically collected from living persons. Blood and urine are
commonly encountered, but oral fluid, hair, and other samples are also used.
3. Forensic drug testing – is performed in a wide variety of settings including the
workplace, doping control in sports, probation and parole, as well as compliance
testing.
HARMFUL SUBSTANCES
1. POISON – natural or
manufactured ex. Rat poison
2. TOXIN- naturally occurring
substances that cause harm. Ex.
Snake venom
3. DRUGS- substances taken for a
desired effect. Ex. Tylenol,
overdosed insulin
PORTAL OF ENTRY OF
HARMFUL SUBSTANCES
1. mouth- ingestion
2. nose-inhalation
3. skin-absorption or inoculation
HOW ARE PEOPLE EXPOSED?
1. intentional
2. accidental
3. deliberate
HOW HARMFUL IS THE
SUBSTANCE?
MULTIPLE FACTORS:
1. dose
2. duration
3. entry
4. interactions
5. By Products/ metabolites
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
Harmful substances in transport and person “mule” are detected by x-ray and
sniffing dogs

Note:
Appearance of these substances are either in the forms of pills, powder, liquids or
plants
EVIDENCE COLLECTION
Wet plants – dry first and place in paper bags

Syringes/needles- glass container with this label “hazard”

Dry – paper bags or paper bindle

STEPS IN FORENSIC ANALYSIS
OR TREATMENT OF THE
SPECIMEN TO GET AN
ANSWER
Isolation of the drug/poisonINCLUDE:
from the matrix, be it blood or vitreous. To do this, some type
of extraction method is employed to remove the substance from the biological model.
Detection and characterization of the poison by comparison with known quality control
reference materials (controls), calibrators, and drug libraries is the next step.
Identification of the drug, or confirmatory testing, by matching retention times and
spectrum of an unknown substance in a sample to a known material in the drug library
Quantification - when a concentration of the substance is determined by comparison to
values of a calibration curve analyzed on the same run as the samples
Interpretation - once data is reviewed, forensic toxicologists consider all the results, the
case information, and known literature to interpret the toxicological findings in a case.
TESTING PHYSICAL
EVIDENCE
QUESTIONS:WHAT IS IT? HOW MUCH? IS IT ILLEGAL?
1. microscope identification
2. microcrystalline testing ( dry into crystals and measure light frequency)
3. gas chromatography (determine “visual” fingerprints)
4. Spot Test ( negative (pink) or positive (blue)
BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
TESTING BIOLOGICAL
EVIDENCE
1. urine- present or absent
2. stomach-present or absent
3. liver and blood- best sources ; not only present or absent but shows metabolites,
amount of drug and short term (acute)or long term (chronic) exposure
4. hair- can determine the timeline up to 90 day timeline
POISONS: HEAVY METALS
1. lead
2. mercury
3. arsenic
POISONS; PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES

1. aldrin and dieldrin- pesticides

2. gycophosphate mixture ( herbicides)
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. KEEP
ON LEARNING!
ALL THE BEST!