NCJ Number
68925
Date Published
1980
Length
23 pages
Annotation
RESPONSIBILITIES OF FORENSIC TOXICOLOGISTS AND LABORATORY TECHNIQUES USED IN TOXICOLOGY ANALYSIS ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS CHAPTER FROM 'INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC SCIENCES.'
Abstract
TOXICOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND THEIR PHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGANISMS. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITIATIVE METHODS FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES ANALYSIS IN BIOLOGIC MATERIALS ARE EMPLOYED. THE FORENSIC TOXICOLOGIST FREQUENTLY WORKS WITH THE CORONER, PATHOLOGIST, OR MEDICAL EXAMINER IN DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF DEATH IN CASES OF SUSPECTED POISONING. TOXICOLOGIC ANALYSES DEMONSTRATE THE PRESENCE OF POISONS IN THE TISSUES OR BODY FLUIDS OF THE DECEASED. AT PRESENT, THERE ARE ONLY 100 TOXICOLOGISTS WHO ARE CERTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FORENSIC TOXICOLOGISTS, CREATED IN 1975. TYPES OF DEATHS INVESTIGATED BY TOXICOLOGISTS INCLUDE ACCIDENTAL POISONING, WHICH OCCUR MOST FREQUENTLY IN THE HOME; DRUG ABUSE; SUICIDAL POISONING, WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON MANNER OF DEATH BY POISONING; AND HOMICIDAL POISONING, WHICH TODAY IS AN UNCOMMON MEANS OF COMMITTING HOMICIDE. THE TOXICOLOGIC INVESTIGATION OF A POISON DEATH INCLUDES OBTAINING A CASE HISTORY AND SUITABLE SPECIMENS, PERFORMING THE TOXICOLOGIC ANALYSES, AND INTERPRETING THE ANALYSES RESULTS. THE TOXICOLOGIST MUST KNOW THE AGE, SEX, WEIGHT, MEDICAL HISTORY, AND OCCUPATION OF THE VICTIM AND GROSS AUTOPSY RESULTS. SPECIMEN COLLECTION FOR TOXICOLOGIC ANALYSES IS PERFORMED BY PATHOLOGISTS AT AUTOPSY. BEFORE BEGINNING ANALYSES, TOXICOLOGISTS MUST CONSIDER THE AMOUNT OF THE AVAILABLE SPECIMEN, THE NATURE OF THE POISON SOUGHT, AND ITS POSSIBLE BIOTRANSFORMATION. FORENSIC TOXICOLOGISTS GROUP POISONS ACCORDING TO THE METHOD USED TO ISOLATE THE SUBSTANCES FROM BODY TISSUES OR FLUIDS. THESE GROUPS INCLUDED GASES, STEAM VOLATILE POISONS, METALLIC POISONS, NONVOLATILE ORGANIC POISONS, AND MISCELLANEOUS POISONS. METHODS OF ANALYSIS OF THE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE NATURE OF DETECTED SUBSTANCES INCLUDE COLOR TESTS, MICRODIFFUSION ANALYSIS, CHROMATOGRAPHY, GAS-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY, SPECTROSCOPY, AND IMMUNOASSAYS. ONCE THE ANALYSES ARE COMPLETED, TOXICOLOGISTS INTERPRET THE FINDINGS AS TO THE PHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF THE TOXICANTS ON THE DECEDENT AT THE CONCENTRATIONS FOUND. TOXICOLOGISTS ARE FREQUENTLY CALLED AS EXPERT WITNESSES IN COURT PROCEEDINGS. REFERENCES, TABLES, AND FIGURES ARE INCLUDED IN THE CHAPTER.