Toxiology

What is toxicology

The study of the harmful effects of chemical, biological, and physical agents on living organisms

What is forensic toxicology

The application of the scientific study of poisons/intoxicants to questions raised in judicial proceedings

What are the key responsibilities of forensic toxicology

• conduct toxicological analysis

• report and doucment

• consulting and testifying (court)

• R&D

What are poisons?

A substance that can cause the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed

What happens during a toxicological investigation

• establishing poisoning as cause of death

• investigate unlawful poisoning by a third party

• detect performance enhancing drugs

• provide evidence for allowing parental access, if history of drug abuse

• analytical checking of statements

What is the role of the pathologist

• perform medico-legal autopsies to establish the cause of death and issue death certificate

• estimate time of death

• removal of specimens to assist in the investigation

• prepare report, precognition, court testimony

What is chain of custody

A process that tracks movement of evidence through its collection, safeguarding, and analysis lifecycle by documenting each person who handled the evidence, the date/time it was collected or transferred, and the purpose for the transfer

Types of poisons and poisoning

• Anions - cyanide

• corrosives - sulphuric acid

• gases and volatiles - ethanol

• metals and metalloids - iron, lead

• toxins - plant, animal, bacterial, fungi

• pesticides - herbicides

• household chemicals - cleaning products

Explain what acute exposure to toxicants is

Acute - occurring over a short time

Acute exposure - contact with a substance that occurs once or for only a short time (up to 14days)

Explain what chronic exposure to toxicants is

Chronic - occurring over a long time

Chronic exposure - contact with a substance that occurs over a long time (more than 1 year)

What are general symptoms of poisoning

• nausea

• vomiting

• seizure

• coma

• death

What are illict drugs

• highly addictive substances

• they are illegal to sell, make and use

• theyre not used for medical purposes and are illegal to use in these settings

• variable sources - pharmaceutical drugs, plant based drugs and synthetic drugs

Limbic system