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Post Mortem Forensic Toxicology

Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006. What is it?. Post-Mortem Forensic Toxicology: determines the absence or presence of drugs and their metabolites, chemicals such as ethanol and other volatile substances, carbon monoxide and other gases, metals, and other toxic chemicals in human fluids and tissues,

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Post Mortem Forensic Toxicology

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    1. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Post Mortem Forensic Toxicology Jeffery Hackett MSc CSci CChem MRSC Center for Forensic Sciences Syracuse, NY

    2. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 What is it? Post-Mortem Forensic Toxicology: determines the absence or presence of drugs and their metabolites, chemicals such as ethanol and other volatile substances, carbon monoxide and other gases, metals, and other toxic chemicals in human fluids and tissues, and evaluates their role as a determinant or contributory factor in the cause and manner of death

    3. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Where do I find out about it? Journals: Forensic Science International J.Forensic Science J. Anal. Toxicology J.Chromatogr. B (and A) Books: R.C. Baselt: Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man Clarke’s Analysis of Drugs and Poisons J.Garriot: Medico-legal Aspects of Alcohol

    4. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 What’s it all really about 1. How drugs get into people 2. How we get the drugs out 3. How drugs are tested for 4. What does it mean??

    5. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 1. How do drugs get into people?? Intoxicants: Ethanol (Other Alcohols) Oral administration Butane (Other gases) Toluene(also Solvents) Via Inhalation

    6. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Illicit Drugs: Cannabinoids: Smoked Amphetamines: Oral Cocaine/ Heroin: Smoked, Snorted, Injected

    7. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Prescription Drugs: Acetaminophen Propoxyphene Fentanyl Oxycodone Zolpidem Temazepam Methadone Mainly oral administration, some have been abused in other ways

    8. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Route of Drugs Oral administration A.D.M.E. Drugs will leave from the stomach Pass through the Liver Enter into Blood stream/ CSF Leave through Liver/Kidneys Pass into Urine

    9. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 What does this mean for sampling? Blood is always important (Site?) Liver will sequester higher levels of drugs Lungs are excellent for solvents Urine is the last point for drugs Hair has problems all of its own Brain??

    10. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 2. Getting the drugs out: Volatile/Semivolatile: Headspace Acid drugs : Solvent extraction + Basic drugs : Solid phase (micro) extraction Metals/Metalloids: Digestion

    11. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Headspace Analysis: Samples are warmed to create an atmosphere Aliquots are taken of the vapour This is free of contamination/ interferences Low boiling:Propane Medium : Ethanol High : Toluene

    12. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Solvent extraction: pH Modification Addition of acid/ base COOH ??COO- + H+ H+ + R-COO-? COOH Neutral Species are more soluble in organic solvents

    13. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Solid phase extraction: Samples are pH modified Filtered through porous sorbents Drugs are collected onto modified surfaces Interferences are washed off Compounds of interest are eluted off **pH= pKa +2** pH=pKa +log [ ionised/unionised]

    14. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Digestion: Dry digestion Samples are: heated, ignited and ashed Residue is dissolved in dilute acid Good for Copper, Lead, Zinc etc Wet digestion Samples are heated in strong acid solution Solution is reduced in volume, neutralized and diluted Good for volatile metals: Mercury, Thallium

    15. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 Drug Testing: Immunoassay: ELISA/EMIT/FPIA/RIA Chromatography: Gas Chromatography (FID, ECD, MS) Liquid Chromatography (PDA, FLD, MS)

    16. Forensic Science Week (SU) 2006 ELISA Instrumentation

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