Forensic Toxicology

Code:

MCF13_17

Acronym:

MCF13_17

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Forensic Sciences

Instance: 2023/2024 - SP

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Public Health and Forensic Sciences, and Medical Education Department
Course/CS Responsible:	Forensic Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MCF	10	Current Studies Plan	1	-	6	40	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

In the Laboratory of Toxicology, the students will be placed into contact with the usual techniques of toxicological analysis and will learn:

 -  the correct collection of samples for analysis and how to guarantee the chain of custody

 -  the preservation of the samples until analysis with basis on the chemical and enzymatic stability of the analytes during storage

 -  the operation of the Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology (FT) and logical sequence of toxicological analysis

 -  the screening analysis of the main groups of xenobiotics responsible for poisoning in biological samples

 -  validation of analytical methods, principles, and steps to perform

 -  physical-chemical principles for the analysis by HPLC, GC, MS and atomic absorption

 -  interpretation of results obtained in the quantification of analytes in forensic samples, the possible sources of error, and how to minimize them.

Learning outcomes and competences

The students will understand the crucial importance of collecting, preserving and evaluating the stability of forensic samples for analysis in the reliability of the toxicology results. They also will learn how to systematize forensic toxicological analysis according to the group or groups of xenobiotics to characterize and acquire skills in the selection and adoption of the most appropriate methods of analysis to confirm the identity of compounds and their quantification in forensic samples. After the choice of the methods, the student will learn how to validate the methods and is encouraged to critique the results.

Working method

Presencial

Program

The student, under the supervision of a teacher, and in a first step, will develop in the laboratory all the tasks relating to the objectives outlined above. He/she will be provided of books and basic documents to establish protocols for forensic toxicological analysis. The student shall adopt, after discussion with the teacher, the most appropriate procedure in a particular case: trace analysis of various groups of xenobiotics in forensic samples.

In a second step the skills of the students in the analysis, understanding and interpretation of results obtained in the methodologies associated with FT are developed by the body of knowledge acquired in laboratories as part of this unit, applying and integrating the knowledge gained. The bulk of the methods of analysis applied to research in FT will be transmitted to the student in the Laboratory by performing complete toxicological analysis in forensic samples.

Mandatory literature

Moffat, Osselton, Widdop & Watts; Clarke's Analysis of Drugs and Poisons, Pharmaceutical Press, 2011
Klaassen; The basic science of poisons, McGraw-Hill, 2013
Negrusz & Cooper; Clarke's Analytical Forensic Toxicology Pharmaceutical Press, Pharmaceutical Press, 2013
Baselt; Disposition of drugs and toxic chemicals in man, Biomedical Publications, 2011

Teaching methods and learning activities

The students, 1 or 2 per teacher, will be at the Toxicology Laboratory for 56 hours to conduct laboratory practice according to the objectives outlined above. He/she will learn how to choose the methods of extraction, purification and quantitative analysis of xenobiotics in forensic samples and will complete validation of all methods adopted. The close monitoring by the professor will foster integrated learning, followed by a discussion of the steps taken and the difficulties that arise and how to overcome them.

At the end the students will present a detailed report of the learning gained and will present it to the professors of the UC who will put questions and make the critical of the report from the point of view of its presentation and content. The grade will be assigned after a meeting and discussion among the professors of the UC.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	50,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	112,00
Trabalho laboratorial	56,00
Total:	168,00

Eligibility for exams

Minimum presence in 75% of contact hours and final grade of 9.5 ou higher

Calculation formula of final grade

practical classes (50%) + work assignment (50%) = 100%