Forensic Toxicology

By: DeMarcus Waggoner

What is toxicology?Toxicology. . . is the science that studies the harmful effects of drugs, environmental contaminants, and naturally occurring substances found in food, water, air and soil.

Most People Do Not Know…

•Toxicology does not just cover drugs and alcohol.•More preventative research is done than after death research.•Does not just cover humans or animals.

“Forensic” Does Make A Difference

•They have day jobs that do not always include working on a dead body.•But they generally stay in the field of toxicology just under different agencies.

•Toxicology and Forensic Toxicology are not totally opposite but they are not the same.

There are Several Directions A Toxicologist Could Venture Into

Things To Test

Gene SchwilkeForensic Toxicologist

• Employed by AIT • 15 years at

Washington State Toxicology Lab •PhD from

University of Maryland

•Use of cannabinoids* •Bachelors Degree From Washington State

Gene Schwilke

• “A science background, covering various courses in biology, chemistry and physics is essential. You'll need these core program courses to gain a general understanding of the methodology of toxicology.”

Gene Schwilke• “For most laboratories, a

minimum of a bachelor's degree in a related science is required to work as a forensic chemist; however, becoming a toxicologist would require either extensive experience in a forensic toxicology lab, and/or graduate work. In this case, further training in pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, pathology, anatomy/physiology, biochemistry and statistics may be required. I chose to extend my education through a Ph.D.”

What about the $MONEY$???

“This isn’t a drug you see very often.”

• John Smith*• AIT Toxicology Lab• Unknown Substance• Papaverine• 3 Methods of Testing• Myocardium Infraction

Sources

• http://www.aitlabs.com/contact-toxicologists.aspx

• http://www.aitlabs.com/cases.aspx?id=1652• http://www.toxicology.org/ai/apt/careerguide.

asp• http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/usda/care

ers/toxicologist.html

• http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/usda/careers/toxicologist.html