Forensic Toxicology

The Forensic Toxicology Laboratory uses many techniques and sophisticated instrumentation to detect and quantitate drugs and their metabolites (breakdown products formed in the body) in blood, urine and postmortem tissue. Instrumentation used by the laboratory includes: a dual-column headspace gas chromatograph, three gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers (GC-MS), an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system (ELISA) for blood, an enzyme multiplied immunoassay test system (EMIT) for urine and a co-oximeter for the measurement of carbon monoxide in blood.  The Forensic Toxicology Laboratory performs over 70 thousand tests annually.

The laboratory also completed over 4,100 cases submitted in 2006 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The analytical toxicological information compliments the investigation of suspicious or violent deaths by medical examiners and law enforcement agencies throught the Commonwealth.

Consultation and scientific expert witness testimony is available through a board certified (ABFT) forensic toxicologist.

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