Toxicology is the study of all the harmful effects of drugs and chemicals that can adversely affect biological systems. Forensic toxicology must consider the application of toxicology for the purposes of court testimony or in a specific forensic context. A forensic toxicologist will need to find answers to questions such as: Did prescription or illegal drugs cause or contribute to this person's death? Was this person impaired by drugs or alcohol while driving? Or was a drug used to facilitate a criminal act? Finding the answer to such questions will often require a forensic toxicologist to work collaboratively and share information with individuals from various law enforcement agencies, medical examiners, death investigators, scene investigators investigators, clinicians, other forensic pathologists and legal professionals. Within the field of forensic toxicology, the principles will primarily relate to three main subdisciplines: postmortem forensic toxicology, human performance toxicology, and forensic drug testing. All of these sub-disciplines and specialist fields take into account a variety of uncommon career paths. When working in the field of postmortem forensic toxicology, a forensic toxicologist will work with pathologists, other forensic pathologists, and coroners to help determine the role of alcohol, drugs, and poisons in the cause of death. The forensic toxicology laboratory section will work to identify and quantify the presence of drugs and chemicals in biological fluids and tissues collected from the body during autopsy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay A wide possibility of specimens may be encountered in post-mortem toxicology investigations, this may include blood, urine , vitreous fluid from the eye, liver, brain and other body tissues, as well as the hair and nails of the victim or offender. Once the testing is complete, a forensic toxicologist will then need to interpret these results. This information helps a medical examiner determine the cause and manner of the victim's death during a crime investigation. The forensic toxicologist uses advanced professional analytical techniques in these examinations, similar to those used in hospitals or research laboratories, to isolate and identify drugs and poisons from complex biological samples. This requires extensive knowledge of analytical chemistry procedures and the ability to use instrumental analysis. Forensic toxicology laboratories must use a variety of different techniques, including gas and liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry, and antibody-based immunoassays. There are also qualitative and quantitative analysis methods that are used to determine which drugs or poisons are present in the crime and in what concentration they may be present. Forensic toxicologists must develop an inquisitive mind and the ability to apply their knowledge of chemistry and pharmacology to solve real-world puzzles. Toxicology of human performance, professionals deal with the effects of alcohol and drugs on human performance and behavior. The use of drugs and alcohol can have serious medico-legal consequences and can beinvolved in many aspects of criminal investigations, from impaired driving to traffic assaults and homicides, to drug-facilitated crimes such as sexual assault. Criminal investigation-based analysis involves the same application of techniques as in a death investigation, however, in this case specimens are usually collected from living people. Blood and urine are commonly seen, but oral fluid, hair, and other samples are also used. Forensic toxicologists are primarily asked to determine the duration, concentration, and extent of impairment resulting from different patterns of drug and alcohol use. How forensic toxicology interprets test results in this field is what is called their greatest challenge, as it requires the application of knowledge from clinical and medical studies and experience in the field in order to to give an opinion on the effects of a medication or combination of medications. on an individual at the time of a crime or accident. Forensic drug testing can be conducted in a wide variety of other settings, including the workplace, sports doping control, probation or parole, and surveillance and strict testing of everything. Drug use by people in the workplace has significant safety and economic consequences. This is particularly crucial for people employed in dangerous or safety-sensitive sectors, such as transportation and the military. The scope of testing a drug is unfortunately often limited, but, compared to human performance or post-mortem toxicology, the possible test results may be more important. Workplace drug testing laboratories will perform tens and thousands of tests per day and, in many cases, require specialized equipment setups such as the art of multiplexing, which in turn will reduce time analysis and will improve productivity. For crimes, urine is the most commonly tested sample, but oral fluid, hair, sweat, and other matrices are also used if they can be obtained. As with all forensic disciplines, emphasis will be placed on record keeping, chain of custody documentation, rigorous quality control and data management. In forensic toxicology, understanding and communicating results can be more difficult than the analysis they must perform itself. The results obtained are often determined using complex scientific tests and procedures that are difficult for most juries and attorneys to understand. In conclusion, a toxicologist must have strong communication skills so that information can be presented fairly and clearly during court testimony. Forensic Toxicologist Job Description As the person responsible for testing bodily fluids and tissue samples during autopsies for the presence of chemicals. , a forensic toxicologist will work in laboratories to perform tests on samples taken by crime scene investigators. The jobs they will have to do will involve testing for the presence of gases such as carbon monoxide, alcohol; metals; illicit drugs; prescription drugs; poisons and other poisons that can be detected when a poisoning or drug overdose is likely to be used in a crime. The work of a forensic toxicologist can help solve casescriminal charges, and these individuals are often called to testify in court about the findings of their investigations. When it comes to specialized testing and methodologies employed through the use of very specific equipment and chemical reagents, a forensic toxicologist will be called upon to determine the facts regarding the presence or absence of chemicals while documenting each step of the process. Most forensic toxicologists will be asked to work for law enforcement, private drug testing centers, and government medical examiners. A job description, as certified by the board, for a forensic toxicologist will involve evaluating the determinants or contributing factors in the cause and manner of death, performing forensic human performance toxicology, determining the the absence or presence of drugs and chemicals in blood, hair, tissue, breath, etc., Work with medical examiners and coroners to help establish the role of alcohol, drugs and poisons linked to the cause of death, Use state-of-the-art chemical and biomedical instruments, Provide expert testimony, Comply with safety, quality control and other administrative criteria. What is toxicology? As mentioned, toxicology is the study of chemical effects on living organisms, particularly on poisoning people. Toxicology will consist of studying the symptoms, mechanisms, treatments and detection of poisoning on the body as well as all chemicals or toxic agents, possible factors being biological, physical or chemical factors. Over time, toxicology and science have continually evolved, allowing individuals to access even more knowledge about the effects of toxic agents on the body. Toxicology may also be called the "science of poisons" because it involves the study of the effects of toxic agents on physical or chemical agents and the possible correlative relationship between the dose of poison and its effect on the exposed body. What is forensic toxicology? Knowledge and training in forensic toxicology will combine the practice of toxicology with other similar disciplines used in the forensic field, including clinical chemistry and pharmacology, with the aim of facilitating the investigation of related deaths to poisoning, whether accidental or intentional or linked to drug consumption. . Through examination of samples, forensic toxicologists will be able to determine which toxic substances are present, in what amount of concentrations, as well as their effects and consequences on the body. Forensic toxicology, or also known as death investigation toxicology or postmortem toxicology, involves not only determining the presence and amount of toxic substance in the body postmortem, but a forensic toxicologist also concerns itself with how the body's natural processes affect the substance, including chemical change and its dilution. Forensic Toxicologist Education Requirements Forensic toxicologists must complete, at least the minimum required, a bachelor's degree in forensic science , toxicology, chemistry, clinical chemistry, or any other related field, although many forensic toxicologists take it upon themselves to continue pursuing graduate degrees in this competitive field of forensic medicine. The main courses involved in a forensic toxicology program will typically include general toxicology, principles of forensic science and statistics applied to data analysis, toxic substances, forensic medicine in general and finally topics.