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Forensic Toxicology
Definition: The science of detecting and identifying the presence of drugs and poisons in body fluids, tissues, and organs.
Drug Schedules
Schedule I: Drugs with high potential for abuse and addiction, NO medical value Ex: Heroin, LSD, Ecstasy, Marijuana Schedule II: Drugs with high potential for abuse and addiction, have some medical value with restrictions Ex: PCP, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Most Opiates, Some Barbiturates
Drug Schedules
Schedule III: Drugs with less potential for abuse and addiction, currently acceptable for medical use Ex: Some Barbiturates, Codeine, Steroids Schedule IV: Drugs with low potential for abuse and addiction, currently acceptable for medical use Ex: Tranquilizers like Valium, Xanax, Librium
Drug Schedules
Schedule V: Drugs with low potential abuse, medical use, lowest potential dependency Ex: Some Opiates with Non-Narcotic Ingredients
Toxicology Procedures
10mL of blood in airtight container
Add anticoagulant Add preservative
Toxicology Procedures
Screening quick test to narrow down possibilities color tests, TLC, GC, immunoassay
Confirmation determines exact identity GC/Mass Spec Note: TLCthin layer chromatography
Color Tests
Marquis Test:
Turns purple in the presence of Heroin, morphine, opium Turns orange-brown in presence of Amphetamines
Duquenois-Levine:
Test for marijuana turns purple
Why?
Think of all the people that you have heard do drugs. US drug manufacturers produce enough barbiturates and tranquilizers each year to give every person in the US 40 pills (thats about 12 billion pills) 18,000 out of 44,000 annual traffic deaths are alcohol related and send over 2 million people to the hospital
Toxicology of Alcohol
Alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and intestine Once absorbed, alcohol is:
Oxidized- in liver by alcohol dehydrogenaseturned into acidic acid Excreted- by breath, perspiration, and kidneysturned into carbon dioxide and water
Toxicology of Alcohol
Alcohol intoxication depends on
Amount of alcohol consumed Time of consumption Body weight Rate of alcohol absorption
Fate of Alcohol
Alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream Distributed through-out the bodys water And finally eliminated by oxidation and excretion
Circulation Definitions
Arterya blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart Veina blood vessel that transports blood toward the heart Capillarya tiny blood vesselwalls exchange materials between blood and tissues Alveolismall sacs in lungsexchange vapors between breath and blood
Circulation Cont
Note: If alcohol is present, it will be passed from the blood into the alveoli where it will be passed on to the mouth and nose during the act of breathing. Evidence has shown that the ratio of alcohol to alveoli air is approx. 2100 to 1This is a basis for relating breath to blood-alcohol concentration.
Analysis of BAC
Breath Tests
Blood Tests
Breath Tests
A breath test reflects the alcohol concentration in the pulmonary artery. One instrument used for breath tests is called The Breathalyzer. The Breathalyzer is a device for collecting and measuring the alcohol content of alveolar breath.
The Breathalyzer
Breathalyzer Cont
Once the alveolar breath is trapped it is allowed to undergo a chemical reaction:
2K2Cr2O7 + 3C2H5OH + 8H2SO4 2Cr2(SO4)3 + 2K2SO4 + 3CH3COOH + 11H2O
Potassium dichromate Ethyl alcohol Sulfuric acid Chromium sulfate Potassium sulfate Acetic acid
Dihydrogen oxide
The Breathalyzer indirectly determines the quantity of alcohol consumed by measuring the absorption of light by potassium chromate before and after its reaction with alcohol, using the principle of spectrophotometry
Infrared-Breath Test
Uses the principle that infrared light is absorbed when shined on alcohol Essentially, the infrared light passes through a chamber where it will interact with the alcohol and cause the light density to decrease. The decrease in light intensity is proportional to the concentration of alcohol present in the captured breath
Fuel Cell Test converts fuel (alcohol) and oxygen into a measurable electric current
At least we dont live in France, Germany, Ireland, or Japan (0.05%) or especially Sweden (0.02%)!
The End