Toxicology Testing

Toxicology Testing History in forensic science is referred to as application of science into law. The process came at a time when crime needed to be solved using sophisticated means, and institutions needed innovations in the field of science. Many techniques were adopted to determine level of toxins in people’s blood or fluids. It has helped identify harmful toxins that would otherwise not have been discovered. Toxicology testing refers to the methods used to determine toxic levels in samples.

The process of toxicology testing includes collecting samples, testing the samples by use of special methods like chromatography, analyzing results and finally generating a toxicology report. The process that leads up to the report is an important aspect for accurate results. This happens to be a highly sensitive area, so maximum cleanliness is required and sterilized materials need to be used. This form of testing is commonly used in police stations and hospital labs, to test for illicit substances and toxins in the blood and other body fluids respectively.

In the case of law enforcement, they can use this as evidence if one is charged with ‘Driving under the Influence’, which is a traffic offence. In murder cases, DNA evidence can be used in court to prove a crime with an accuracy of 99.91%. According to Lappas (2016), accused persons are always prosecuted when they are found with illicit substances in their blood stream. Toxins are porous materials, and just like germs, they penetrate the skin and into the human blood stream through the semi permeable membranes.

When alcohol is ingested, its particles are absorbed into the blood stream through the capillaries in the stomach walls. Alcohol contains starch which is stored as fats in the fatty glands and the toxins remaining are passed onto the liver for processing. This is why the liver is always affected by toxins since it works to get rid of toxins from the body. Forensic toxicology aims to determine toxins in samples especially blood, tissues or urine samples.

In a court case, forensic evidence can be used to prosecute or vindicate a defendant. The law allows for forensic evidence to be used in public court if the case is of a sensitive nature. In the case of a drunken driver case, the alcohol blood level is always tested to determine whether the accused’s blood was above or below the required limit to drive. The accuracy of forensic evidence makes it easier for prosecutors since there is 98% chance of beating forensic evidence in a case in court.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation uses the forensic evidence to prosecute people thus a success rate in their convictions. Forensic toxicology was adopted in the 1970s as a way to improve testing samples in labs, law enforcement, sports and employment recruitment processes. In sports, toxicology testing is taken seriously when an athlete ingests supplements and always leads to suspension from the sport or a hefty monetary fine Wells & Peter (2016). Generating a toxicology report requires toxicology testing. The process of testing includes collecting samples from subjects.

The specimen can be blood, urine, faeces and saliva. The specimen is usually handled by lab technicians who are highly trained in the field. Testing the sample always requires various tests including an immune assay test. This is a test whereby antibodies that are attracted to that specific drug are deployed to detect the drug in the sample. If the drug or toxin is present in the sample, it will combine with the antibody.

In the case of a urine sample a common substance of abuse usually detected in the samples is amphetamines. Monoclonal and polyclonal samples are normally used to detect such toxin in the samples and the result measured by a spectrometer. A toxicology report comes after all the testing has been done. The lab technician analyses the sample composition, concentrates and toxins and records their percentages. There is always a threshold on the amount of toxins present in a sample to consider it contaminated.

It is usually as a result of the lab test identifying and quantifying potential toxins in the samples and making recommendations on a treatment plan. A toxicology report is an important aspect of determining the level of toxins in someone’s blood or urine. There is need to generate the report quickly through screening if the case is sensitive, but further testing is always required to determine qualitative and quantitative data on the correct amount of toxins.

Quick screening does not guarantee accurate results, but the combination of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry guarantees the qualitative and quantitative techniques are applied to get the correct percentage of toxins in any given sample. The new methods adopted by anti-doping institutions help improve the accuracy of toxic detection since there are new substances in the world that are hard to detect, but with the right technology and deployment, they are detected. In summary, forensic technology helps a lot of institutions with accountability and determining.