Post mortem Toxicology

Presented By:
Lecture Details: Donkina Nagesh
UNIT 4 Lecturer
Post mortem toxicology Forensic Science
3rd yr/5th semester Giet Degree College
 Analytical Toxicology
Is a branch of forensic science deals with the extraction, isolation,
detection & estimation of various types of drugs & poisons or their
metabolites in biological & other materials in low concentration.

Direct evidence of poisoning is its detection in various tissues obtained at

autopsy or detected in urine, blood and gastric lavage taken in living
patients.

In the cases of ingestion of corrosive poisons like mineral acids and
alkalies, the concentration of which can be determined only on the site of
application or on the gastro intestinal contents.
In chemical analysis, many basic mistakes may happen due to by
inexpert use of techniques, desired cleanliness and use of sub-standard
chemicals and equipments.

Hence, toxicological analysis should always be undertaken by

experienced and properly trained analyst.

The analysis is desirable to be carried out in well cleaned, standardized

and calibrated equipments and chemicals of highest purity should be
used.
BASIC STEPS IN ANALYTICAL TOXICOLOGY:

1. Extraction of active constituent i.e, poison in matrices of interest.

2. Stripping or purification of active constituent thus separated.
3. Rapid Screening and Identification
4. Quantitation
5. Interpretation / Conclusion.
Isolation and Purification
 Screening tests

The screening is done in three steps:

a) Smell
b) Colour tests
c) UV-spectra
 Methods of Identification
Distillation Digestion Method
Steam Distillation Dry Ashing
Fractional Distillation Wet Digestion
Sweep Co- distillation Microwave Digestion
Vacuum Distillation Sublimation
Solvent Extraction Micro- Diffusion
Dialysis