Presentation Transcript

1. Forensic Toxicology By: Kathleen Hardy

2. What is Forensic Toxicology? • Forensic toxicologists perform scientific tests on bodily fluids and tissue samples to identify any drugs or chemicals present in the body.

3. Toxicologists • Identify any substances in the body that may have contributed to the crime, such as: • Alcohol • Illegal or prescription drugs • Other chemicals • Poisons • Metals • gases

4. Toxicologists • Performs tests on samples collected by crime scene investigators. • Use highly sophisticated instruments, chemical reagents and methods to determine the presence or absence of substances

5. Responsibilities • Document every process • Work on cases involving environmental contamination, to determine the impact of chemical spills on nearby populations • Justify in court • Run tests

6. Responsibilities • Develop models • Identify substances • Write reports

7. Where a toxicologist works • Labs run by law enforcement agencies, • Medical examiners • Private drug testing facilities

8. Qualifications • A bachelors degree in one of the physical sciences • Working in a pharmacy is a bonus for employers

9. Qualifications • Certification • The American Board of Forensic Toxicology offers certification • In order to take the certification exam a bachelors degree in one of the physical sciences • Must recertify every five years

10. Salary • Master’s or doctorate is around $75,000 • Experienced in the field earning well over $100,000 per year • Entering the career earn around $60,000