Toxicologia Forense

Forensyc toxicology

Forensic toxicology is essentially a specialty area of analytical cheistry. Toxicology is the science of adverse effects of Chemicals on living organisms. In genenral, atoxicologist detects and identifies foreign Chemicals in the body, with a particular emphasis upon toxic or hazardous substances. A descriptive toxicologist performs toxicity test to evaluate the risk thatexposure poses to humans. A mechanistic toxicologist attempts to determine how substances exert deleterious effeccts on living organisms. A regulatory toxicologist judges whether or not a substancehas low enough risk to justify making it available to the public.

A toxin is any material exerting a life threatening effect upon a living organismo. Poisons are a subgroup of toxins. Toxic materialsexist in many forms (gaseous, liquid, solid. Animal, mineral and vegetable), and may be ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Poisons generally enter the body in a single massive dose, oracumulate to a massive dose over time toxins work in minute quantities or low levesl, requiring sensitive analytical instruments for detection. Some toxins have medicinal value, but many produceirreparable dmage. Some toxins have antidotes and other do not. Poisons can be combated by prompt treatment, and most organ damage (exept for serious CNS injury) may be repairable. Whereas poisons aresomewhat easly identifiable by their symptoms, many toxins tend to disguise or mask themselves. Here’s a list of the more common poisons and their symtoms:

- Acids (nitric, hydrochloric, sulfhuric) -Burns around mouth, lips, nose.
- aniline (hypnotics, nitrobenzene) - Skin of face and neck quite dark.
- Arsenic (metals, Mercury, copper, etc) - Severe, unexplained diarrhea
- Atropine(belladona), Scopolamine - Pupil of eye dilated
- Bases (lye, potash, hydroxides) - Burns around mouth, lips, nose
- Carbolic acid (or other phenol) - Odor of disinfectant
- Carbon monoxide...