"The use of toxicology and disciplines such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical chemistry to aid medical or legal investigations of death, poisoning, and drug use."
Understanding the principles of forensic toxicology, including the detection and analysis of drugs, poisons, and other toxic substances.
Drug Chemistry: This involves understanding the composition, properties, and effects of drugs on the human body.
Pharmacokinetics: This involves the study of how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated by the human body.
Analytical Chemistry: This involves the study of various techniques and methods used to analyze substances or compounds found in forensic samples.
Toxicology: This involves the study of how toxic substances affect living organisms, including humans.
Postmortem Chemistry: This involves the analysis of various tissues or fluids from a deceased person to determine the cause of death.
Forensic DNA Analysis: This involves the use of DNA to identify individuals, including victims and suspects in criminal cases.
Forensic Molecular Biology: This involves the use of molecular biology techniques to analyze forensic evidence, including DNA profiling.
Environmental Chemistry: This involves the study of the impact of chemicals and pollutants on the environment and living organisms.
Biochemistry: This involves the study of the chemical processes that occur in living organisms, including the metabolism of drugs in the human body.
Organic Chemistry: This involves the study of carbon-based compounds found in living tissues and forensic samples.
Forensic Pathology: This involves the study of the causes and effects of disease and injury on the human body.
Forensic Anthropology: This involves the study of human skeletal remains, including the identification of the deceased and determining the cause of death.
Forensic Entomology: This involves the study of insects found in or around dead bodies to determine the time of death and other forensic information.
Forensic Odontology: This involves the use of dental evidence to identify a deceased person or assist in criminal investigations.
Crime Scene Investigation: This involves the collection, preservation, and analysis of physical evidence found at a crime scene.
Forensic Photography: This involves the use of photography and other imaging techniques to document crime scenes, injuries, and other forensic evidence.
Forensic Art: This involves the use of art to enhance the interpretation of forensic evidence or to generate composite sketches of suspects.
Firearms and Toolmarks: This involves the study of firearms and their effects on human tissues, including the identification of bullet fragments and tool marks left at crime scenes.
Trace Evidence Analysis: This involves the analysis of small, often microscopic, particles found at crime scenes, including hair, fibers, and soil.
Digital Forensics: This involves the recovery and analysis of data from electronic devices, including computers and cell phones.
Post-mortem toxicology: This type of toxicology is performed after death to determine the cause of death or possible contributing factors.
Workplace drug testing: Analyzing samples from employees to detect the presence of illicit or prescription drugs in their system.
Driving under the influence (DUI) testing: Analyzing body fluids, such as blood or urine, to detect the presence of alcohol or drugs in drivers suspected of driving under the influence.
Performance-enhancing drug testing: Analyzing samples from athletes to detect the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Environmental toxicology: Analyzing substances in the environment to understand their effects on human health.
Hair analysis: Analyzing hair samples to detect the long-term use of drugs and other substances.
Blood alcohol content (BAC) testing: Analyzing blood samples to determine the alcohol content in a person's system.
Emergency toxicology: Analyzing samples in emergency situations, such as when a person is suspected of having been poisoned.
Food toxicology: Analyzing food samples to detect the presence of harmful chemicals or substances.
Medicolegal toxicology: Analyzing samples from living individuals involved in legal proceedings, such as assault cases.
"The obtention and interpretation of results."
"Various kinds of samples."
"The context of an investigation, physical symptoms recorded, and evidence collected at a crime scene."
"Pill bottles, powders, trace residue, and any available chemicals."
"The analysis of biological specimens taken from an autopsy to identify the effect of drugs, alcohol, and poisons."
"Blood, urine, gastric contents, oral fluids, hair, tissues, and more."
"Pathologists, medical examiners, and coroners."
"The examination of the dose-response relationship between a drug(s) present in the body and its effects."
"Laws such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs."
"The detection of drug use among individuals in various scenarios such as the workplace, sport doping, drug-related probation, and job applicant screenings."
"It is rare for a chemical to remain in its original form once in the body."
"Heroin is almost immediately metabolized into another substance and further to morphine."
"Injection marks and chemical purity."
"The substance may have been diluted, so a sample under investigation may only contain micrograms or nanograms."
"The forensic toxicologist works with pathologists, medical examiners, and coroners to help determine the cause and manner of death."
"To detect drug use in various scenarios, including workplace settings and applicant screenings."
"It examines the effects of drugs present in the body and aids in building and implementing laws related to drug and alcohol use during activities such as driving."
"Trace evidence, such as pill bottles, powders, and residue, collected at a crime scene can narrow the search for toxic substances."
"Toxicological analysis helps in determining the toxic substances present, their concentrations, and the probable effect of those chemicals on the person."