2.  Definition: - the study of the chemical and physical properties of toxic substances and their physiological effect on living organisms  A forensic toxicologist must consider the context of an investigation,  in particular any physical symptoms recorded, and  any evidence collected at a crime scene that may narrow the search, such as pill bottles, powders, trace residue, and any available chemicals.

4.  Dose makes the poison  The concentration of the chemical  How the interaction takes place

5. Deaths Investigated by Toxicologists 1.Accidental Poisonings 2.Drug Abuse Cases 3.Suicidal Poisonings 4.Homicidal Poisonings

7. Toxicological Analysis of Tissue a.Collect sample of all body fluids b.Collect samples from organs and tissues c.A forensic toxicologist cannot simply look for the presence of a toxin or drug in a body, he must understand how the body processes these molecules d.Toxicological analysis must start as soon as possible after a person’s death

8.  Urine  Blood  Hair sample  Oral Fluid  Other Body Fluids  Other Samples

9.  Common among drug testing for employees and athletes.  A urine sample is quick and easy for a live subject  Urine is less likely to be infected with viruses such as HIV or Hepatitis B than blood samples. Many drugs have a higher concentration and can remain for much longer in urine than blood.  Collection of urine samples can be taken easily which does not require professionals for collection.  For example: Marijuana use, which in heavy users can be detected in urine for up to 14 days.

10.  10 cm³Blood Sample is usually sufficient to screen and confirm most common toxic substances  A blood sample provides the toxicologist with a profile of the substance that the subject was influenced by at the time of collection; for this reason, it is the sample of choice for measuring blood alcohol content.

11.  Hair is capable of recording medium to long-term or high dosage substance abuse.  Chemicals in the bloodstream may be transferred to the growing hair and stored in the follicle, providing a rough timeline Chronology of drug intake events.  Head hair grows at rate of approximately 1 to 1.5 cm a month, and so cross sections from different sections of the follicle can give estimates as to when a substance was ingested.

12.  Testing for drugs in hair is not standard throughout the population. The darker the hair the more drug that will be found in the hair.  If two people consumed the same amount of drugs, the person with the darker hair will have more drug in their hair than the lighter haired person when tested.

13.  The use of oral fluid is gaining importance in forensic toxicology for showing recent drug use, e.g. in clinical settings or investigation of driving under influence of substances.  Oral fluid is the proper term, however saliva is used commonly.  Oral fluid is composed of many components and concentrations of drugs typically parallel to those found in blood.

14.  Other bodily fluids and organs may provide samples,  particularly samples collected during an autopsy.  A common autopsy sample is the gastric contents, which can be useful for detecting undigested pills or liquids that were ingested prior to death.  In highly decomposed bodies, traditional samples may no longer be available. The vitreous humours from the eye may be used, as the fibrous layer of the eyeball and the eye socket of the skull protects the sample from trauma.  Other common organs used for toxicology are the brain, liver, spleen and stomach contents.

15.  Detection of drugs and pharmaceuticals in biological samples is usually done by 1. An initial screening and 2. then a confirmation of the compound(s), 3. Include a quantitation of the compound(s). 4. The screening and Confirmation are usually, but not necessarily, done with different analytical methods.

16.  The choice of method for testing is highly dependent on  what kind of substance one expects to find and  the material on which the testing is performed.  Biological samples are more complex to analyze because of factors such as  the metabolism and  conjugation of the target compounds.

18.  Physical vs. Psychological addiction  Physical  causes withdrawl symptoms (any physical or psychological disturbance (as sweating or depression) experienced by a drug addict)  Ex: Alcohol, Narcotics, Depressants

19. Psychological addiction The condition of using something on a regular or dependent basis Dopamine release : In the brain, dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter—a chemical released by nerve cells to send signals to other nerve cells. The brain includes several distinct dopamine systems, one of which plays a major role in reward- motivated behavior. Most types of reward increase the level of dopamine in the brain, and a variety of addictive drugs increase dopamine neuronal activity. Ex: Cocaine

20.  Narcotics  Reduce sensation – sleep like state  morphine, heroin, codeine, fentanyl  Both physically and psychologically addictive  Stimulants  Stimulates, speeds up, the central nervous system (CNS)  amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine  Psychologically addictive

21. Methods of Detection 1.Color test 2.Chromatography a. thin-layer chromatography (TLC) b. gas chromatography (GC) c. high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) 3. Microcrystalline test 4.Spectroscopy a. UV lightd. X-ray b. visible lighte. infrared 5. Immunoassay

22. Color test ▪ THC screening….. Marijuana and Hashish ▪ Drops added to vegetation, turns purple color Screening for Marijuana

23.  Chromatography = separation of mixtures  Thin Layer (TLC)  Gas chromatography (GC)  Liquid chromatography (LC)  Paper chromatography

24. Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)  Marijuana is a mixture of compounds  Components spread out in solvent TLC of Marijuana Components of various sizes and solubilities travel further

25.  Green Plant Material  Must be dry, in paper  Microscopic Examination

26.  Chemical reagent is added which causes crystals to form  Crystals have different shape depending upon what drug CocaineMethamphetamine

27.  Immunoassay  Based on antigen-antibody binding specificity  Antibody produced by injecting antigen (drug) into rabbit  Antibodies will bind to drug in urine  Confirmation done w/TLC

28. Heroin

30. Interpretation of Findings 1.Is a drug or poison present? What substance? 2.How much of the substance is present? 3. Is it’s concentration in the body sufficient to cause death? 4.How was the drug/poison administered?