Forensic Toxicology and Pharmacology PDF

# Forensic Toxicology and Pharmacology ## Introduction Forensic toxicologists analyze evidence to determine if toxins/drugs are present. ## Toxicology - The study of drugs, poisons, toxins and also include metabolites (byproducts formed when the body breaks down drugs, poisons). - Poisons: Natura...

# Forensic Toxicology and Pharmacology ## Introduction Forensic toxicologists analyze evidence to determine if toxins/drugs are present. ## Toxicology - The study of drugs, poisons, toxins and also include metabolites (byproducts formed when the body breaks down drugs, poisons). - Poisons: Natural/Manufactured Chemicals that can cause serious harm. The Marsh test was used to test for arsenic. Ex: Arsenic, Rat Poison. - Toxins: Naturally occurring poisonous substances produced by living things. - Toxicologists develop specific tests and technologies to determine harmful substances. - Body fluids, stomach contents, or fluids from inside the eye. If the person is deceased, stomach contents and tissue samples from the liver and kidney will be examined. ## History of Forensic Toxicology - “All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy!” - Paracelsus. - Socrates was one of the earliest reported victims of poisoning, infamously. - In 1600, arsenic was used as a poison as it is extremely toxic in small amounts and mimics natural disease. - 1800s - Mathieu Orfila and Robert Christison popularized methods of chemical analysis to identify arsenic in tissues. - 1918 - Charles Norris (New York First Medical Examiner) and Alexander Gettler (Director of the first toxicology lab) developed standardizing techniques and testing to determine cause of death. ## Science of Toxicology ### Exposure to Toxins, Poisons, and Drugs: ADME 1. **Absorption:** - Either through the digestive tract, lungs, bloodstream, or skin, the chemical is introduced to your body. 2. **Distribution:** - Through the circulatory system, chemicals are carried to the brain, liver, and kidneys, and the rest of the body. 3. **Metabolism:** - Forms metabolites as the chemical is broken down. - If ingested, chemicals might be digested before absorbed. - Liver: If large quantities are absorbed, the liver can only process a limited amount, and the excess/remaining toxin circulates throughout the body. 4. **Excretion:** - Kidney → Urine - Intestines → Feces - Skin → Sweat - Lungs → Breath ## How Toxins and Drugs Affect the Body - **Acetaminophen** [Tylenol]: Destroys cells and the liver’s ability to detoxify substances. - **Cyanide:** Binds to hemoglobin on RBC instead of oxygen, leading to a lack of oxygen, loss of consciousness, and death. - **Fentanyl:** 50x stronger than heroin, affects respiratory control, results in many overdoses and accidental deaths. - **Botulinum Toxin** [Botox]: Paralysis of muscles, affecting breathing and heart death. - **Cocaine:** High blood pressure, heart attack, Stroke. - **5 Classes:** Stimulants, narcotics, depressants, hallucinogens, and anabolic steroids. ## Toxicity Factors - **Dosage:** Amount taken. - **Potency:** Drugs with high strength may be lethal in small amounts. ## Duration: Frequency and Length of Exposure - **Nature of the Exposure:** Injected, inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through skin. ## Toxic Metabolites from Non-Toxic Substances: - Methanol’s metabolite formic acid can cause blindness and death in small quantities. ## Symptoms of Poisoning: **Indicators:** - Death with no signs of trauma. - Sudden unexpected death. - Unexplained illness that recurs in circles. - Similar symptoms found in many people at the same time. - Unexplained loss of consciousness. ## Drug Addiction, Withdrawal, and Dependency: - **Addiction:** Feelings of pleasure produced by drugs when it mimics neurotransmitters, leading to have a physiological need of the drug. - **Withdrawal:** Reduced/discontinued use of an addictive drug results in physical/mental symptoms (illness or death). - **Drug Dependency:** Intense craving for the drug, but unlike addiction, doesn’t result in withdrawal when discontinued. - **Drug Tolerance:** Tolerance is when a person needs to take more of a drug to feel the same sensation. ## Characteristics of Poisons, Toxins, and Drugs ### Heavy Metals - Enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, absorption through skin, or mucous membranes. - Stored in soft tissues and damage organs. ### Arsenic - Contaminates drinking water. - Overexposure leads to gastrointestinal symptoms, difficulty speaking, muscle cramps convulsions, kidney failure, and death. ### Mercury - Industrial wastes dumped in the body of water, coal-fired power plant pollutant. - Exposure leads to Mad Hatter's disease and death. - Acute Poisoning: Muscle aches and stomach upset. - Chronic Poisoning: Irritability, memory and balance problems, abdominal pain, nausea, etc. ### Lead - Naturally occurring element, older paints. - Blue discoloration appears along gum line in the mouth. - Nausea, abdominal pain, insomnia, kidney problems, etc. ### Potassium Chloride - Affects the heart’s ability to send electric signals. ### Sodium Pentothal - Acts as a depressant and slows down the CNS. ## Pesticides and Herbicides - Aldrin, Dieldrin [Pesticides]: Anxiety, seizures, rapid heartbeat, muscle weakness, etc. ### Glyphosate Mixture [Herbicide]: - Gastrointestinal problems, skin and eye irritation, kidney malfunction, death. ## Biofluids - Blood, Urine, bile, etc. ## Toxins - Toxins of interest are substances produced by plants, animals, fungi. ### Ex: Ricin - Waste Product from manufacture of castor oil from castor beans. - Lethal to humans in small quantities. - Can be inhaled as mist/powder, ingested or injected. ## Drugs and Drug Schedules - **Illicit Drugs:** Drugs with no current medical use. - **Controlled Substances:** Legal drugs whereas sale, possession, and use are restricted. ## Controlled Substances Act → 5 Schedules: - **Schedule I:** No Medical Use, High Potential for Abuse: Ex: Heroin, LSD (Hallucinogen), MDMA (Ecstasy), Marijuana. - **Schedule II:** Severely Restricted Medical Use, Highly Potential for Abuse: Ex: Cocaine, Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Methadone, Morphine, Oxycodone. - **Schedule III:** Accepted Medical Use, Moderate Potential for Abuse, Moderate → Low Risk Dependence: Ex: Anabolic Steroids, Ketamine, Vicodin, Tylenol w Codeine, Testosterone. - **Schedule IV:** Medical Use, Low Potential for Abuse, Low Risk Dependency: Ex: Xanax, Valium, Sleeping Pills, other tranquilizers. - **Schedule V:** Widely used for medical purposes, very low Potential for abuse, has limited quantities for narcotics: Ex: Lyrica, CDD ## Illegal Drugs - **Hallucinogens:** Schedule 1: Affect perception, thinking, self-awareness, emotions. Physical reactions include increased heart rate and blood pressure and dilated pupils, visual effects in flashbacks. ## Van Urk Color Test, Gas Chromatography, Infrared Spectrometry: - Are tests for hallucinogens. - Ex: LSD, MOMA, Marijuana, PCP (Angel Dust). - **Affect Levels of Serotonin** ## Narcotics - Derived from natural opium/synthetic, are highly addictive, sleep-inducing drugs → CNS depressants and suppress pain. - Opium has more derivatives → opiates or opioids. - Most potent is heroin. - Only Illegal Narcotics are under Illegal Drugs [Heroin]. ## Controlled Substances - Include stimulants, some narcotics, depressants, anabolic steroids. - Schedule II → V. ## Stimulants - Highly addictive drugs that increase feelings of energy and alertness while suppressing appetite. - Side effects: High BP, Rapid Heart Rate, Extreme Cases bleeding into the brain and death, depression once the effect wears off. - Ex: Amphetamines, Methamphetamines, and Cocaine. ## Methamphetamines - Synthetic drug that is longer acting and more potent than other stimulants. - Physical Effects: Major weight loss, severe dental problems, cardiac/neurological damage, hallucinations, multiple organ failure. ### Legal Narcotics - Ex: Morphine (Extreme Pain), Codeine (Mild Painkiller/Cough Suppressant), Fent, hydrocodone, oxycodone. - Drug deals do fent & heroin to P potency. - Side effects: Severe breathing problems, permanently contracted pupils, death from overdose. ### Narcan Spray (Naloxone) - is used for opioid emergency/overdose by blocking the heroin receptors. ## Depressants - Relieve anxiety and produce sleep. - Ex: Barbiturates and benzodiazepines. ## Slow down body functions, reduce coordination and ability to concentrate. - Overdose leads to slurred speech, loss of coordination, coma, death. ## Anabolic Steroids - Promote cell and tissue growth and cell division. - Today used for: Delayed puberty and muscle wasting. - Negative effects: Acne, increased body hair, severe include increased aggression, impaired fertility, cancers and heart attacks. - **Doping:** Using substances like anabolic steroids to enhance athletic performance. ## Alcohol - CNS depressant, and while it’s not on the 5 drug schedules, it can cause death. - # of Alcohol is expressed in proof, which is 2x percentage. - 80 Proof = 40% alcohol. - Liver damage from converting alcohol → acetaldehyde [toxic]. - Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) ≥ 0.08%. Person is under alcohol. - Combining heroin + alcohol → effects. ## Processing Evidence Drug-related evidence is collected ASAP as the body will break it down. ## Evidence Detection: - K9 dogs trained to detect smell of drugs and chemicals. Used in airports and schools. - Chemical wanding of bags and hands for drugs in airports. - Drugs are smuggled through luggage, boxes, or large shipping containers or people paid to smuggle them (called mules). ## Evidence Documentation and Collection: - **Sources of Evidence:** 1. Pills, powders, crystals. 2. Substances embedded in food, paper, candy. 3. Seeds, leaves, mushrooms. - **Evidence from Victims:** 1. Hair, urine samples; if deceased, stomach contents ## Evidence Packaging - Collectors should wear PPE and each piece of evidence must be packaged and labeled (has date and time). - To prevent mold and contamination, all plant matter and wet items are dried. ## Forensic Analysis of Poisons, Toxins, and Drugs ### Preliminary Testing - First Responding Officers can perform preliminary drug testing. - These drug tests use color change. Color change means the drug is present. ### Confirmatory Testing - Multistep process to provide a positive identification of drug. 1. Isolation of Substance. 2. Identification and separation of individual ingredients (qualitative). 3. Determination of quantity (quantitative). ## Thin Layer Chromatography - Travels through a porous medium to separate compounds based on chemical affinity. ### Methods - Gas Chromatography: Identifies and separates components. - Mass Spectrometry: Molecules (ions), separating and displaying each substance graphically. - Wet Chemistry: Uses liquid solvents to separate compounds. ### Tandem Mass Spectrometry: - Quickly detects low traces of drugs in blood. ## Testing for Acute/Chronic Poisoning: ### Acute Poisoning - High dose over a short period that immediately produces symptoms.. - Spectro Cyanide Ingestion Inhalation meter ### Chronic Poisoning - Caused by lower doses over long periods of time. - Mercury and Lead poisoning. ## Duquenois-Levine - Chemical color test used to confirm the presence of cannabinoids in plant material. ## Quizlet - **Precursors:** Substances that can be converted into an abused substance. ## Cannabinoids - Marijuana and parts of the plant in Cannabis sativa, which Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is active, active ingredient in Marijuana. ## Polypharmacy - Mixture of drugs. ## Cyanomethemoglobin - A complex of cyanide and methemoglobin. - Used to treat cyanide poisoning. ## Oxidized form of hemoglobin - Can’t bind to oxygen and can’t carry oxygen to tissues. ## Carboxyhemoglobin - Hemoglobin in which oxygen is replaced by carbon monoxide. ## Thermolabile - A substance that breaks at elevated temperatures. ## ICP-MS: - Form of mass spectrometry used to detect inorganic materials and metals. ## Toxiol/Pharmacokinetics vs Toxiol/Pharmacogenetics - How genetic factors influence toxicology and drug effectiveness. - Study of genetic influences on the response of organisms to toxins. ## Cutting Agents - Substance added to illicit drugs to reduce the concentration. ## Cystolithic (Bear-Claw Shaped) Hairs: - Hairs on the surface of a leaf/finer clothing. ## Alkaloids - Substance formed by in plant tissues/bodies of animals. - Ex: Morphine and Codeine are alkaloids of opium from poppy plants. ## Mescaline: - Hallucinogen in cactus buttons. ## Psilocybin: - Naturally occurring psychedelic mushrooms produced by psilocybin mushrooms. ## Clandestine Drug Laboratories: - Labs set up to manufacture controlled substances without government authorization. ## LD50: - Dose of poison that kills 50% of the population. ## Phencyclidine: - Schedule I drug that causes users to experience severe psychotic manifestations. ## Designer Drugs: - Drugs synthesized and designed for abuse and evasion of drug laws.