Toxicology: Forensic Toxicology: Causes And Uses

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Toxicology Forensic toxicology is a branch of forensic science concerned with the study of toxic substances or poisons; toxicology is the study of the toxic or harmful effects of chemicals. It is concerned with how toxins act, when their harmful effects occur, and what the symptoms and treatments are for poisoning. It also involves the identification of the substances involved (Interdisciplinary).
Forensic toxicologists have faced numerous challenges throughout the 1800’s and are still facing some of these challenges today. In Gettler’s and Norris’s time of being head of forensics in New York, they faced problems within toxicology study, and some out of toxicology. One of their main problems was metabolizing a poison and determining the lethal …show more content…

One of many problems, stated by Dr. Bruce Goldberger, a Professor and Director of Toxicology at the University of Florida, stated that it was nearly impossible for toxicology testing to keep pace with new formulations of synthetic drugs. He went on to say, “There are many of these synthetic drugs that we currently don’t have the methodology to test on… There is no one test or combination of tests that can detect every possible substance out there”. Another occurrence in the corruption within today’s toxicology challenge is the National Research Council provides an assessment of the past, present, and future of forensic science, mainly the notion of evidence. The NRC described the need for advances in disciplines in order to improve criminal investigations, enhance national security, and reduce the possibility of wrongful convictions. There have also been recent events relating to bioterrorism, which is a form of terrorism involving the intentional release of biological agents. These agents can consist of bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form ("Bioterrorism Overview", 2007). These activities create a demand for the enhancement of the foundations in which forensic science rests. Another issue is the limitations on post-mortem toxicology. If a death wasn’t considered to be suspicious, an autopsy may not be performed. Even if …show more content…

It isn’t superior to the old reliable testing that Gettler once did, but the new technology is able to isolate compounds and substances much more efficiently, but is equivalent to the old methods used. Toxicology is an important field in chemistry; it entails pieces of important information about our life. Without the development of this branch of science, along with forensics, many of us would not be here today. Toxicologists must be heavily experienced and trained in this field, being able to be extremely methodical and they must bear the burden of deciding what makes up a poison and how can it be harmful to

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