EVALUATION SEMINAR ON

FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY

PRESENTED BY:-Supriya c s1st M pharmDept…of PharmacologyPESCP

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:-Dr. Shivalinge gowda k .PH.O.DDept…of PharmacologyPESCP

CONTENT

1. History and definition

2. Four disciplines of forensic toxicology Death investigational toxicology (Postmortem toxicology) Human performance toxicology Doping control Forensic workplace drug testing.

3.Advantages and disadvantages of various specimens used in forensic toxicology.

4.Analysis carried out by different methods

5.Application of Forensic toxicology

6.General classes of poisoning

7.Possible symptoms

8.Famous cases of Forensic Toxicology

HISTORY AND DEFINITION

History Of Forensic Toxicology :

• Father of Forensic Toxicology is “ Mathieu Orfila”

• It is there around for hundreds of years .

• The marsh test apparatus was one of the way to detect toxic level

Definition Of Forensic Toxicology :-

Toxicology is defined as the study of adverse effect of chemicals on

living organisms.

Forensic toxicology

• Forensic toxicology is a modern science ,depending on

published and widely accepted scientific methods according to

practice for analyzing of drugs on biological material, and

interpretation of those results .

• There is a risk and dangerous with the use of abuse illicit and

recreational drugs , medication, and alcohol.

The Forensic Toxicology Council (FTC) It was formed on 2009 .

The FTC was formed specifically to provide information to government

and policy makers ,regarding the field advancement and development

of forensic toxicology.

It’s been governed through the “ professional certifying and

accrediting board- The American Board of forensic toxicology” it

promotes professional development and education through major

professional organizations:-

The society of Forensic Toxicologists(SOFT).

The American Academy of Forensic Science(AAFS).

And international organizations such as ,The international Association of

Forensics Toxicologists(ITAFT).

The Four disciplines of Forensic Toxicology:-

Death investigational toxicology (Postmortem toxicology).

Human performance toxicology. Doping control. Forensic workplace drug testing.

Death investigational toxicology :- (Postmortem toxicology).

Principle involved in the post mortem toxicology is that the “

dose makes the poison” certain amount of every substances ,even

water and air can be toxic and those amount can somewhat

differ from person to person and substances to substances.

It analysis variety of fluids and tissue sample for the absence or

presence of drug or poisons.

Once the analyzing is finished the toxicologist as been having

an challenge for interpretation of finding.

Evidence will be collected and it as to be to sent to an toxicology

testing and it will be collected by an forensic pathologists or

mortuary autopsy .

The specimen should be labeled properly by identifying and it

as to be sealed specimen pertaining to the cases as to be

collected and packed in a tamper - proof container.

Recommended specimen to be collected according to the types of death cases

Death cases Specimen

Suicide , Industrial accident , :-motor vehicle trash

Homicides and suspicious :-

Drug related :-

Volatile substance abuse :-

Liver ,blood ,urine ,vitreous humor.

Liver , blood ,urine ,vitreous humor ,gastric content ,bile, liver ,hair.

Liver ,blood ,urine ,vitreous humor ,gastric content ,bile ,hair

Blood, vitreous humor, lung fluid.

Tied off :-

Heavy metal poisoning or other exposure poisoning :-

Lung ,liver.

Blood, liver ,vitreous humor ,hair, kidney ,urine.

Blood

Blood is the sample used for

detecting ,quantifying ,and interpreting drugs and

concentrations of other toxicant.

The recent drug ingestion concentration of the toxicants

can be known through the blood at the time of death .

At the time of post –mortem the blood concentration may

be different at the different places due to variable degree of

decomposition it may difficult to analyze.

Urine

Urine is the sample used for drug testing at the work places where as it

will be not available at the time of post –mortem.

It’s not been directly correlated for the presence of drug ,as it

takes time to eliminate from the body ,urine is the sign that indicates

the substance was been in the blood at an earlier time

Liver

Liver is the solid specimen for the study of toxicology as it will

metabolizes the drugs and toxicants ,hence most of the drug get

concentrate in it ,when there is no level of drug in the blood ,it is the

one which is been used to study toxicology.

Vitreous humor

It is the fluid used for screening the ranges of drug ,it will be

commonly analyzed for blood alcohol concentrations .

Gastric content The stomach content can be used in toxicology for potential over

dose and or acute poisoning. The detection can be done how much time elapsed between the

ingestion and death. It depends on the how much of the content present in the stomach

not an concentration.

Hair and nails Hair is been used to test for the drugs such as

amphetamines ,cocaine ,and heroin. Toe nails and finger is been used for drug analysis to provide

longer potential of window of exposure than hair.

Human performance toxicology:-

It deals with the effects of alcohol and drugs on human performance

and behavior and medico-legal consequence of drug and alcohol

use .

It may lead for the investigation of impaired driving ,vehicular assault

,homicidal, drug facilitated crime, sexual assault ,aircraft and motor

vehicle collision.

The forensic toxicologist perform analysis on biological sample of

blood and urine .But merely the analysis is been done on oral fluid

and hair .The analytical method is been founded in many research

and hospital laboratory..

 

It will be involved with extraction and purification , identify and

amount of drug present and deals with the interpretational result

whether the drug dose represent therapeutic use ,recreational

use or potential abuse.

This type of testing can also be done in private crime laboratory or

in health department but private or academic forensic toxicology

laboratories can observe the same standard in place public sector .

Most states have an thousands of alcohol breathing testing

operators ,it produce evidence in DUI , impairment cases and its

integral work place drug testing.

Doping control:

This doping control will applies for both human and animal sports.

Most competitive and intramural sports governing bodies derived

the rules regarding performance enhancing drug use to protect the

health and welfare of the professional athletes ,to avoid fraud.

International Olympic committee ,World anti –doping agency,

international federation of horseracing authority ,it maintains these

list as patterns of drug use change.

It uses many of the same high performance analytical method to

detect the current and historical use banned substance the test is

been done in private, commercial ,and public sectors.

Forensic workplace drug testing:-

There should be safety and economic consequences

significantly in the workplaces. In an united state taking certain

medication without prescription or any recreational drug misuse is

prohibited.

Forensic toxicologist perform testing in urine sample is been

regulated and inspected to minimize the risk factor, the highly

uniformed and well defined techniques and methods is used. The

test can also performed on other specimens like oral fluid ,sweat and

hairs.

Advantages of urine ,hair ,sweat and oral fluid specimens:-

Urine :- a)Drug and drug metabolites are highly concentrated.

b) It is a extensive scientific for testing methodology

c) Commercially screening testing method

d) The result are accepted frequently by court.

e) Liberally practiced performance.

 Oral fluid:-a)parent drugs and metabolites are detected.

b)Detection of recently used drug.

c)Readily available for collection.

d)Result will be depended on performance

Sweat:- a)Noninvasive specimen collection.

b)Detection of parent drugs and drug metabolites.

c)10 two weeks the drug intake can be monitored.

d)Cumulative measures of drug exposure can be provided.

Hair :- a)Provide of longer estimate of drug used.

b)Detects parent drugs and drug metabolites.

c)Easy of storing, obtaining, and shipping specimen

d)Second specimen can be obtained very easily.

Disadvantages of urine ,oral fluid ,sweat ,hair specimens-

Urine:- a)Drug concentration will be influenced by amount of water intake.

b)Detection period will be 2-3 days.

c)Susceptible to adulteration and substitution.

Oral fluid:- a) Collection volume may be depended on device.

b)Contamination of oral fluid due to smoking ,intranasal routes of drug administration.

c)Testing performance is under development.

d)Detection window may be shorter.

Sweat :-

a) Risk of accidental removal.

b)Limited collection device.

c)specimen volume is unknown.

d)Risk of contamination during use and removal.

e)Prior exposure cannot be detected.

f)Large variation in sweat production.

 

Hair :- a)Hair color bias.

b)testing is under development.

c)Recent drug use cannot be detected.

d)For some drug classes contamination is possible in environment

e)Susceptible to contamination during prior collection.

The analysis performed

There are different techniques for toxicology screening:- Immunoassays. Chromatographic techniques. Systemic toxicological analysis.

Immunoassay:-

The four techniques for the interpretation of drug test screening involves True positive False positive True negative False negative

True positive - detect the presence of correct drug in the result.

False positive- detect the presence of incorrect drug in the result which was not present.

True negative- detect the presence of absence of drug in the result.

False negative- detect the absence of drug when there is a presence of drug.

eg:- ELISA - It’s been used as an detector for detecting analytes substance in extracts and or digest of sweat ,oral fluid and hair .This technique is semiquantative ,cost effective, high sensitive .They have increased specifity to parent drugs ,rather than drug metabolites

Chromatographic techniques:-• It’s this analytical procedure is been used for the separation of

compound or drugs.

• By the application of HPLC ,GC coupled with MS ,its becoming popular tool for modern toxicology laboratory.

Eg:-

1) Use of high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode –array UV detection for the creation of a 600-compound library application to forensic toxicology.

2)Capillary drug screening in forensic toxicology.

Systemic toxicological analysis :-

• The systemic toxicology involves the preliminary examination and

screening of acidic ,neutral ,basic or organic compound and alcohol.

• If the toxin is been identified means or confirmatory then

quantitative analysis is been done ,it will be used to detect the

amount of substances is present .For initial test the immunoassay

and then GC-MS ,HPLC-MS is been used.

Testing:-

• There should be an sophisticated instruments and trained analyst

for testing the biological fluids or tissue for the presence of drugs

and or other substance.

• According to the case and condition of the body determination of

biological specimen test is conducted.

Drugs included in routine post -mortem toxicology for example

SUBSTANCE EXAMPLES

Alcohol Chemically ethanol ,and test included for methanol

and acetone

Analgesics Paracetamol,salicylates

Anti depressant Tricyclics (imipramine,amitriptyline)

;SSRI’s(fluoxetine);Sertraline

Antihistamine Diphenydramine ,chlorophenarmine

Cocaine Cocaine and its metabolites

Cardiovascular drugs Dilitiazem ,propanolol

Cannabis Tetrohydrocannabis and its metabolites

Benzodiazepine All available diazepam,alprozalm

Drugs routinely not included in death investigational Toxicology screening for example:-

SUBSTANCE EXAMPLES

Barbiturates Phenobarbital , Butalbital

Digoxin Used to treat arrhythmias and heart failure

Environmental toxicants Carbon monoxide,cyanide,pesticides,

LSD Hallucinogens rarely seen in corners cases

GHB Gamma –hydroxybutrate

Designer drugs Synthetic cathinones, synthetic cannabioids

Application of forensic toxicology:-

Forensic toxicology is used to know the substance absorption, distribution ,elimination ,and metabolisim of the substances.

Forensic toxicology is used to study how the drugs effect the body and how it occurs.

Forensic toxicology is used to identify the hazardous and chemicals.

Forensic toxicology is been used to study the illegal drugs and such legal ones like alcohol.

Forensic toxicology testing is carried out in transportation and workplaces

General classes of poisoning:-

Gases like - HCN,CO Metallic poison –As ,Sb , Pb ,Ti ,Li ,Hg Non volatile organics like - Corrosive poisons:-

strong acid and bases,

Salts:- NaCN

Alkaloids

Pesticides

Carbon monoxide:- CO prevents oxygen binding to an hemoglobin leads to

suffocation. Normal level of carbon monoxide in the body is 1-3% ,and in a

smoker it is 10%. Fatal level of CO at autopsy is considered to be >50% for a

healthy middle aged male.

Metal poisons:- Most common metallic poison is AS2O3 ,death will occur within 24

hour ,the symptoms is vomiting ,diarrhea ,if it given for longer period in an traces amount .

Alkaloids:- Nitrogen containing organic bases is known as alkaloid .

It’s found in plants and fungi, strychnine is the most common it causes death due to muscle over –contraction ,leading to respiratory failure , spasm and convulsion .

Pesticides:- The pesticides are the one which is sprayed in gardens and

lawns ,it’s the poisons , it’s easy to obtain and common enough that it won’t raises suspicious as quickly it traces are found.

Top Five Homicide Poisoning:-o Arsenic – 31%o Cyanide -9%o Strychnine -6%o Morphine - 3%o Chloroform -3%

Possible symptoms

Constricted pupils ( organic phosphates, opiods) Breath odor ( arsenic –smell of garlic) Convulsion (strychnine) Hair loss (Thallium) Paralysis (botulism) Coma (depressants, hypnotics) Skin color (CO-red ,nitrates-blue) Skin appearance- (Arsenic- hyperkeratosis ,warts)

(TCDD dioxin- chloracne).

Famous cases of forensic toxicology :- Emile Zola :- The French writer died on 29th November 1902 .As been

died due to carbon monoxide.

Alexander litvinenko:- He was an military man, due to lethal dose of polonium 210.

Michael Jackson :- A famous pop dancer died due to lethal dose of propofol.

Janis joplin :- A famous singer of 1960,died due to overdose of heroin.