The Forensic Toxicology Section serves the law enforcement, medical examiner, coroner, and court systems of the state of Arkansas in three primary ways:
- Death Investigations
Biological samples are analyzed for the presence of drugs and toxins, which can help elucidate the cause and manner of death in cases where these substances play a role. - Criminal Investigations
Biological samples are analyzed for the presence of drugs and toxins that may be important in criminal cases such as DUI, DWI, drug-facilitated sexual assault, and many other types of criminal offenses. - Court Testimony
The Toxicologists testify in municipal, circuit, and federal court as needed regarding the results and implications of our findings.
Testing
The Forensic Toxicology Section uses a variety of capable and current methods and instrumentation to ensure that our results are accurate, reliable, and timely. Among these are:
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS),
- Tandem liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS),
- Headspace gas chromatography,
- UV-visible spectroscopy, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and
- Enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT)
The analysis performed in an individual case can range from blood alcohol testing to a full determination of the presence and concentration of multiple drugs. The tests that are performed depend upon the needs of the case and the samples we receive.
