Using Toxicology To Provide Evidence In Qualitative Research

In the case of Joann Curley the key physical evidence that was used to solve this case was hair evidence. Hair evidence when properly collected and submitted to the laboratory accompanied by an adequate number of standard/reference samples, can provide strong corroborative evidence for placing an individual at a crime scene. In the case of Joann Curley, evidence was searched for and collected from their house, Roberts’s autopsies, and Roberts’s workplace. In addition, they also tested Roberts’s co-workers for thallium after they were questioned, including Joann and their daughter. During the investigation they figured out thallium was present in Roberts’s workplace which led to believe that his co-workers may have had involvement and pulled a prank on him, as Robert was known to have pranks pulled on him. This theory went down the drain after investigators tested the air and surface of Roberts’s workplace, which ended up being eliminated as possible source for exposure to thallium. Investigators then decided to look closer to home and found thallium located in Roberts thermos cup that he never took to work and decide to have a second autopsy of his body. During the autopsy forensic toxicologists Michael Baden and Fredrick Reader’s used hair evidence collected during it to analyze for traces of thallium because a substance like thallium will circulate through the blood stream and attach to the root of the hair like a cell, it then stays on the hair shaft and grows

Since the beginning of time in the medical field, toxicology has always been a profound question. What is toxic? And what not toxic. This question has pondered medical professionals for years. The toxicity of anything varies greatly, what can and is toxic to one person may not be toxic to another, and so on and so forth, this also includes as to what dosage of certain medicines and chemicals fall into the toxic category as well. What one person can inquest safely might kill another person? So how do we determine what is toxic, and how certain chemicals effect humans and animals? The answer is, we must perform test on something that is similar to the human species. Animals having similar traits and features in the body have often been the experimentation method of choice. By using animals in testing has raised a lot of concern and controversy over the years, but so has testing on human beings. One of the most horrifying examples of human testing was during World War II, the Nazi party in its quest to create the ultimate human species, performed a lot of testing on the Jews that were in the concentration camps with horrific results. But one good thing did come from this testing and that was the general knowledge of what a person could endure resulting in the better treatment of any species being tested for research purposes. The results from various chemical tests have been carried out for the benefit in the risks for humans, animals and the environment they are

Forensic evidence plays a huge role in most criminal cases. After the Daubert trial, forensic scientific evidence was reevaluated in criminal and civil cases. Scientific and forensic types of evidence can be extremely helpful in proving the case. It can help identify the suspect in a criminal case. That will help put a criminal in prison. There are many different types of forensic evidence that can be considered as scientific evidence. The different types include DNA matching, fingerprint identification, and hair evidence. The methods used to show these types of evidence are usually beyond the scope of knowledge that judges and juries know. Those types of forensic evidence are usually introduced as scientific evidence. Scientific evidence can sometimes be omitted from a courtroom or

I will continue then with the Biology Department. The Laboratories of this department will be using not just chemicals but also materials that can be contaminated, and that can also represent a health hazard for those individuals involved with the handling of them. Since waste products from this department includes body organs, tissues and fluids, specific regulations apply to this type of hazardous materials handling and disposal.

Many different drugs such as street drugs are mixed with a lot of simple household items, such as sugar, starch or quinine. The forensic scientist must be able to tell the difference between the substances. Many court cases that involve drugs rely exclusively on the forensic scientists findings. They must be able to prove that the substance found was actually a drug and not say a package of sugar or another legal

In chapter two titled “Chloroform” of The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum. The most interesting story in this chapter a murderer called Mores he said “ [He] liked chloroform for its efficiency… its wonderful poison” (9). As the story continues Mores used chloroform as an advantage for murder, he took this, as an advantage because he said that when investigators did an autopsy there was no way of finding the cause of the death since autopsies showed no clue of chloroform. This story relates to the title because as we read chloroform is a chemical, which is very poisonous and dangerous method of constraining a murder.

The theme of The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York is: there are many ethical, social, and medical issues surrounding advancements in science. The following quote supports this theme because it demonstrates to social issues in the New York political system. The coroners were hand chosen by a city’s mayor; typically the mayors chose a political friend or ally to occupy the coroner’s office, rather than a medically trained individual. Thanks to shady, ill-informed, untrained, and occasionally drunk coroners, murderers continually walked free. In the subsequent case, the Mors murder case, the coroner’s misinformation resulted in a lack of evidence

My purpose for graduate study is two-fold: a) to advance my present career in forensic toxicology and b) to further my knowledge in the forensic discipline. Currently, as a forensic toxicologist at the Nassau County Medical Examiner, I have been exposed to nearly all facets of post-mortem and human performance forensic toxicology. Every single day is an intellectual challenge, whether it involves obtaining and interpreting a peculiar set of results, or troubleshooting one of the many instruments we use, I go into work every day knowing that I am going to learn something new about my field. Forensic Toxicology combines what I have always loved about science and medicine with constant intellectual stimulation and a burning desire to answer the

Forensic science involves genetic material and examining DNA, this will be provided as the biological evidence. Samples of forensic biology include saliva, blood or fingerprints in relation to DNA and genetics. The evidence can show gender establishment, blood type, and other genetic information of the individual. Each piece of evidence in the crime scene displays useful information for the Forensic scientist.

Toxicology is used by society in many ways – its absence would greatly affect the lives of many. This is because toxins are found almost everywhere in the modern time; they are found in the food we eat, or in the clothes we wear every day. Being exposed to such a great amount of toxins inevitably can be dangerous for all living things – which Is where the job of a toxicologist comes into play. A Toxicologist is a broad term which is given to any expert in science who is concerned with nature, and effects/detection of poisons. Several specialities of toxicology in which a toxicologist may be employed in include occupational, environmental, pharmaceutical, and forensic toxicology. Each field plays

The lab analysts must take extensive precautions in preventing any type of contamination because samples are limited and repeating tests is costly. At this time, the medical examiner and crime scene team are put under high pressure and must be diligent and focused when in the laboratory (Dale and Becker 139) (Roberts 48). Since errors happen because of humans and not the machines (Bertino 143). To prevent lab error, detailed guidelines for Quality Control and Quality Assurance are updated regularly (National Research Council 37). In many cases, there is an abundance of evidence that is collected and requires examination. To process all the evidence in a timely manner the forensic scientists are specialized and only process one piece in the

To eliminate natural toxins that the skin absorb when testing hair, forensic scientists dissolve the sample in an organic solvent which separates the keratin and any chemical substances (Bertino 57).Doing this step makes it possible for analyzers to get a more precise identification of substances. With the lab divided in two work areas and under constant supervision, forensic scientist follow a strict multi-stage regimen that allows them to process their work with less chance of error. Becoming a court-going analyst, one must have a minimum of their Bachelors of Science in biology, chemistry or a forensic science-based program with coursework in biochemistry, genetics, statistics, and population genetics (Canadian Society of Forensic Science Web). When evidence is presented in court cases, it must be put in terms that the judge and jury will understand.

Crime Scene Investigator In the Criminal Justice System, there are many fields to go into. Careers may vary from being a paralegal, bounty hunter, and a crime scene investigator. Being a crime scene investigator, one learns how reconstruct a crime scene, evaluate evidence, and help law enforcement officials. Therefore using these methods and procedures, investigators can figure out the crime scene.

According to researcher Kapil Verma of Amity Institute of Forensic Sciences (AIFS), microscopic algae, like diatoms for example, can be picked up from anywhere that there is water. This can includes rivers, lakes, oceans and moisturized soils. Some domestic water supplies and even moist surfaces such as exposed rocks and sediment can harvest diatoms. While many diatoms traditionally have been used to diagnose deaths caused by drowning, research has now showed that the use of diatoms and their potential for use as traces of evidence in a range of forensic examinations has been useful throughout the field of forensic science.

Animal testing forces chemical exposure in toxicity testing, which can include oral force-feeding, forced inhalation, skin or injection into the abdomen, muscle, exposes animals to drugs, chemicals or infectious disease at levels that cause illness, pain and distress, and even death. Animal testing uses genetic manipulation, addition or “knocking out” of one or more genes, animal testing uses ear-notching and tail-clipping for identification of test subjects, short periods of physical restraint for observation or examination, prolonged periods of physical restraint, depriving animals of food and water, surgical procedures followed