Toxicologia forense: o estudo dos agentes tóxicos nas ciências forenses

Abstract

Forensic toxicology is an interdisciplinary science employed in criminal investigation or during the judicial process. It aims to detect, identify and / or quantify, in either ante-mortem biological matrices or post-mortem ones, a wide variety of substances or chemical elements that can have harmful effects on the organism. The investigation of the harmful effects of chemicals can be carried out either on living individuals or on cadavers. The objective of this research was to compile information available in the literature regarding forensic toxicology, showing the importance and scope of this area within the forensic sciences. The methodology adopted in this research was a literature review using several databases in which only articles related to general toxicology and forensic toxicology were included in the search. The results obtained show the complexity of forensic toxicology due to the great diversity of compounds that can be found in different biological materials. In addition, in post-mortem investigations, it is important to know the stability of a substance in biological matrices, as well as the analytical challenges regarding the choice of the appropriate matrix and the analytical method to be employed. Besides these considerations, it is important to give special attention to the procedures and protocols from sample collection until its analysis, avoiding the loss of substances of interest to be identified, as it is also important to emphasize the importance of proper identification, packing and conservation of the samples, as well as the registration of its chain of custody. Thus, forensic toxicology can answer questions and inquiries in the investigation of Justice-related problems, in the criminal sphere.