Hello Forensics students, - Belle Vernon Area School District · 3/26/20 5 9 Forensic Science:...

Hello Forensics students, First of all, and most importantly, I miss you and hope you are well! As you most likely have heard, beginning April 1st, we will begin doing school from home. Toxicology is what we will be working on from April 1st through April 15th. We had been finishing up the fingerprints unit and only had a review and quiz left. Given the circumstances we will no longer be having the quiz and instead moving on to the next unit. I have included three assignments to be completed over the next two weeks:

1. Power Point Notes and Questions (The questions are on the last slide.) 2. Two readings with questions 3. Notes and Questions on Performance Enhancers

You do NOT need to print these worksheets. Please put your name, the section you are working on, and the answers in a document or on a piece of paper. If you can put answers to all three assignments into just one document it would be much appreciated as I know I am going to be bombarded with emails. There are several options for turning in your work:

1. Use a google doc and share with me 2. Type answers into an email and send to me 3. Take pictures of your hand-written work and email to me

o My email is [email protected] 4. If you are unable to submit things electronically that is okay! Instead, keep all

hand-written work and submit to me when we return to school. Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns that you may have. In the meantime, stay safe! I hope to see you soon, Miss Fisher

3/26/20

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Forensic Science: Fundamentals & Investigations, Chapter 9 1

Chapter 9 Drug Identification and Toxicology Introduction

Forensic toxicology helps determine (a) the cause-and-effect relationships between exposure to a drug or other substance and (b) the toxic or lethal effects from that exposure. People can be exposed to toxic substances:

l intentionally—by treating illness or relieving pain l accidentally—by harmful combinations or

overdoses l deliberately—by harming or killing others or by

committing suicide

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Poison—Murder, Accidental Overdoses,

and Drug Offences

l Not even 1% of all homicides results from poisoning.

l Accidental drug overdoses are more common.

l More than 50% of the federal prison population and about 20% of the population in state prisons consist of drug offenders.

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Controlled Substances—Hallucinogens

l The effect and intensity of response to these drugs varies from person to person.

l Often derived from plants, hallucinogens affect the user’s perceptions, thinking, self-awareness, and emotions.

l Affects of an overdose include an increased heart rate, often increased blood pressure, and sometimes panic attacks, anxiety, or psychosis.

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Controlled Substances—Narcotics

Narcotics reduce pain and can be very habit forming.

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Controlled Substances—Stimulants

l Stimulants increase feelings of energy and alertness while suppressing appetite.

l As the drug wears off, however, depression often results.

l Affects of an overdose can include high blood pressure, agitation, confusion, or seizures.

l Stimulants tend to be highly addictive.

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Controlled Substances—Anabolic Steroids

l These drugs are produced in a laboratory and have a chemical structure similar to testosterone.

l Anabolic steroids promote cell and tissue growth increasing bone mass and body muscle.

l Because of this they are popular with weightlifters, bodybuilders, and other athletes.

l What are some of the negative side effects that are possible? – All muscles get bigger, including heart which causes heart disease and premature death at young ages

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Controlled Substances—Depressants

l Depressants act on the central nervous system and increase the activity of a brain chemical called GABA.

l Increased GABA production results in drowsiness and slowed brain activity.

l These drugs, consequently, relieve anxiety and produce sleep.

l Mixing depressants with alcohol and other drugs increases their effects and health risks, possibly leading to coma and death.

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Controlled Substances—Alcohols l In what way are alcohols toxic?

– Slow down functioning of the body; organs begin to shut down when alcohol poisoning sets in

l How is grain alcohol produced? – Pure alcohol from fermented grain (corn); very dangerous as it is twice as strong as

hard liquor; when undiluted it can cause blindness due to the methanol in itl What are the classic symptoms of a hangover?

– Headache, thirst, fatigue & weakness, shakiness, dizziness, sensitivity to sound and light; extreme dehydration

l What is the effect of alcohol on the central nervous system? – Lack of coordination; poor judgement and decision making

l What can chronic abuse of alcohol cause? – Cirrhosis or liver failure

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Controlled Substances—Bioterrorism Agents

Ricin l is a poisonous protein in the castor bean. l is lethal in extremely small amounts. l can enter the body in various ways:

– inhaled as a mist or a powder. – ingested as food or drink. – injected into the body.

l can cause death within a few hours to several days later

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Controlled Substances—Bioterrorism Agents

Anthrax l is caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis, which

forms spores. l can be spread to humans from infected animals. l can enter the human body through:

– inhalation; causing breathing problems that usually result in death.

– ingestion; becoming fatal in 25% to 60% of cases. – absorption via the skin; leading to death in about

20% of untreated cases.

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Power Point Review Questions – 17 Informal Points

1. By what three ways may a person be exposed to toxic substances?2. How common is homicide by poisoning?3. What is the most common way a person dies due to a toxic substance?4. What percent of inmates are in prison due to drugs in the federal prisons? In the state prisons?5. Where do most hallucinogens come from?6. What effects do hallucinogens have on a person? What are the symptoms of an overdose?7. What are narcotics used for in medicine? How addictive are they?8. What are some of the symptoms of a narcotic overdose?9. What affects do stimulants have on a person? What are the symptoms of an overdose? How addictive are

they?10. Where do anabolic steroids come from? What are they most commonly used for? Why are they so

dangerous?11. What part of the body do depressants act on? How do they work?12. What could happen if depressants are mixed with alcohol?13. In what way is alcohol toxic?14. How is grain alcohol produced? Why is it especially dangerous?15. What causes a hangover?16. When a person abuses alcohol for years and years what happens to their liver?17. What is ricin?

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Pittsburgh professor convicted for fatally poisoning wife with cyanide November 8, 2014 High profile Pittsburgh poisoning case makes national news.

Part of Robert Ferrante's job had been to manage a laboratory that conducted clinical trials using various drugs and chemicals. Until he was accused of using one of those substances -- cyanide -- to kill his wife. On Friday, a Pennsylvania jury determined that this accusation was well founded, convicting the University of Pittsburgh medical researcher and professor of murder in death of 41-year-old Autumn Klein. As juror Helen Ewing told reporters afterward, "It was very hard for me to accept and to believe that he could have done it. "But I felt that the facts were clear, and I couldn't argue with them." For many on the outside, there seemed little amiss in the lives of Ferrante and Klein. They both had successful careers, including Klein as a top neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Their house was brightened by Klein's then-6-year-old daughter, Cianna. And they'd just returned from a trip to Puerto Rico. "I've never seen anything to suggest they were anything but a happy couple with a beautiful little girl," their neighbor Blithe Runsdorf said. Then, on April 17, 2013, Ferrante called 911 and said his wife was "conscious and breathing, but not alert" inside their Pittsburgh home. "Please, please, please," he said. "... I think my wife is having a stroke." When paramedics arrived, they found Klein on the floor of the kitchen with a plastic bag containing creatine. She died three days later. According to a criminal complaint, several text messages sent between the couple suggest Ferrante urged Klein to try using creatine to get help her get pregnant. Whatever Ferrante's rationale, there's no scientific consensus that creatine supplements -- which some use to build muscle mass and may have medical value -- help with female fertility; in fact, the National Institutes of Health says pregnant women should not use creatine. Regardless, authorities say it wasn't the creatine that killed Klein -- but rather cyanide that had been mixed with it. One day before Klein fell ill, Ferrante had used a credit card to place an overnight order for more than a half-pound of cyanide. At the time the order was placed, there were no active projects at Ferrante's lab that involved the use of cyanide, according to the complaint. And when investigators looked at the bottle, they found that over 8 grams of cyanide were missing from it. Cyanide is often used in research laboratories for experiments. In humans, in which it interferes with a body's ability to use oxygen to produce energy, it can be deadly. In July 2013, Ferrante was charged in his late wife's death, arrested in West Virginia, then extradited back to Pennsylvania. And why did Autumn Klein die? More than a week after her collapse, after being told that she'd been fatally poisoned with cyanide, Ferrante himself asked detectives, "Why would she do that to herself?" A few seconds later, according to the complaint, he added: "Who would do this to her?" Another neighbor of the couple, who asked not to be identified, said it was no secret that Klein wanted another baby. But she told the neighbor's wife Ferrante did not share that desire. The criminal complaint raises another source of friction: Ferrante confronted his wife three times within weeks of her death about whether or not she was having an affair. "Further, evidence has been uncovered that reflects that the victim intended to have a conversation with Ferrante and Ferrante would 'not like the discussion,'" the complaint adds. The case lingered for months, before finally going to trial in October. Dozens of witnesses took the stand, perhaps none more key than Ferrante himself. His lawyer, Bill Difenderfer, said after the verdict that he thought his client "did extremely well" on the stand. "I thought he was very candid ... and he was telling the truth." Yet, rather than be convinced of his innocence, jurors said that inconsistencies in his testimony played a significant role in their guilty verdict. "I think he has excellent coaches," Ewing said. "I think he had a year to think about the story he wanted to tell." Difenderfer said that it's going to take time to review the "80-plus search warrants, multitudes of evidence (and) terabytes of information" before deciding on the defense team's next steps, including a possible appeal. Klein's parents, meanwhile, returned home to care for young Cianna and cherish the memories of the girl's late mother. "While we are pleased that the person responsible for Autumn's death has been brought to justice," the parents said in a statement, "nothing will ever fill the emptiness that we feel in our family and in our hearts."

Forensics Case: Georgi Markov and theLethal UmbrellaBy Douglas P. Lyle

In 1971, Georgi Markov defected from Communist Bulgaria to London. Anoutspoken critic of the regime in his homeland, he continued his assaults inantigovernment broadcasts on the BBC. The Bulgarian government was less thanpleased with his diatribes.

While walking on the Waterloo Bridge on September 7, 1979, Markov felt a sharppain in his right thigh. He turned to see a stranger with a furled umbrella. The manapologized in a thick accent and hurried to a cab. Inspecting his leg, Markovdiscovered a red puncture mark on his thigh.

That night Markov fell ill, and by the next morning, had a high fever, rapid pulse, andlow blood pressure. His wound was severely inflamed, and his white blood cell countsoared. X-rays of his leg revealed nothing, and despite large doses of antibiotics, hiscondition worsened during the next two days, and he died.

During an autopsy, a section of the skin around Markov’s wound was removed andsent to Dr. David Gall, an expert in poisons at the top-secret government ChemicalDefense Establishment at Porton Down.

Within the submitted tissues, Gall found a metal pellet the size of a pinhead with twotiny holes drilled into it. He assumed that the pellet, containing a lethal substance,had been injected into Markov by a gas gun hidden within the assailant’s umbrella.The nature of Markov’s demise made bacterial and viral entities unlikely culprits andfavored a chemical toxin.

Only ricin, a substance derived from castor beans, seemed to fit the scenario, but thepolice had no reliable test for ricin. The body’s natural enzyme systems quickly breakdown ricin, leaving no trace of it.

In an ingenious experiment, investigators injected an amount of ricin equal to whatthe pellet could hold into a live pig. The animal quickly became ill and died in lessthan 24 hours. An autopsy of the pig showed organ damage identical to that inMarkov’s organs, suggesting that ricin was indeed the agent injected into him.

Name _________________________ Date ____________________ Period _______ Pittsburgh Professor Convicted for Fatally Poisoning Wife with Cyanide

1. What did Robert Ferrante do for a living? 2. Where did Robert Ferrante work? 3. What was Robert Ferrante accused of? 4. What did Autumn Klein do for a living? Where at? 5. How many children did Ferrante and Klein have and how old? 6. What happened on 4/17/13? 7. How did the paramedics find Klein? 8. When did she die? 9. What did the text messages suggest Klein was using the creatine for? 10. What is creatine typically used for? 11. What does the NIH say about creatine use during pregnancy? 12. Was is the creatine that killed Klein? If not, what did cause her death? 13. How and why did Ferrante become a suspect in Klein’s death? 14. Biologically, how does cyanide kill a living creature? 15. What two motives may Ferrante have had to murder his wife? 16. What did the jury think about Ferrante on the stand? Did they find him guilty or

innocent? 17. Based on this article, what do you think about Ferrante’s conviction?

Ricin Poisoning Reading 1. Read “Forensics Case: Georgi Markov and the Lethal Umbrella” and write a 6 - 10 sentence

summary of the case. 2. Write a 5 – 8 sentence paragraph stating what you learned about ricin and if you were surprised

by this story.

Performance Enhancer NOTES

PERFORMANCE ENHANCER

WHY TAKE IT? HEALTH RISKS?

Creatine

Creatine is a natural substance that turns into creatine phosphate in the body. Creatine phosphate helps make a substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP provides the energy for muscle contractions.

Although creatine is a natural substance, it hasn't been well-studied over the long-term. Researchers still aren't sure what effects it might have on the body, particularly in young people, or how effective it might be.

Anabolic Steroids

Some adults and teens use illegal anabolic steroids to lower body fat, get bigger muscles, and increase strength. They use the drugs because they are seeking to improve how well they play sports or how they look.

Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances similar to the male hormone testosterone. When taken without a prescription they cause males to have over developed male characteristics or females to develop male characteristics, such as a deeper voice. Also, it enlarges muscles including the heart so heart complications occur.

Caffeine

When consumed before exercise—can cause fat cells to be used as an energy source, as opposed to glycogen. Also, the high amounts of caffeine in black coffee will increase your metabolism, which makes you burn more calories throughout the day. Having coffee before exercise enhances that effect.

Caffeine is LIKELY SAFE for most adults when used appropriately. Caffeine is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth for a long time or in fairly high doses. Caffeine can cause insomnia, nervousness and restlessness, Stomach irritation, nausea and vomiting, increased heart rate and respiration, and other side effects.

Beta-blockers

It stops “hand tremors”

• Dizziness. • Weakness. • Drowsiness or fatigue. • Cold hands and feet. • Dry mouth, skin, or eyes. • Headache. • Upset stomach. • Diarrhea or constipation

Human growth hormone (hGH)

Like steroids, HGH seems to be in constant demand by athletes, not only to increase lean body mass but also to speed recovery from muscle fatigue or injury. ...

In turn, IGF-1 causes bone growth and also plays a key role in muscle and organ growth, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Ephedrine

As a central nervous system stimulant, the ephedrine in Ma Huang increases basal metabolic rate (BMR), meaning it spurs the body to burn calories faster.

• nervousness,

• anxiety,

• dizziness,

• spinning sensation (vertigo),

• headache,

• nausea,

• loss of appetite,

• trouble sleeping (insomnia),

• fast heart rate,

• palpitations,

• sweating,

• vomiting,

• weight loss, and

• difficult or painful urination.

Erythropoietin (EPO)

EPO is erythropoietin, which is naturally produced by the kidneys. Blood doping is a method of increasing athletic performance by artificially increasing an athlete's red blood cell (RBC) count. Because red blood cells carry oxygen to the muscles, having a higher RBC count can dramatically improve an athlete's aerobic capacity and delay fatigue.

• Rapid increases in blood pressure when the substance is introduced too quickly.

• Convulsions. • Influenza-like symptoms, bone aches and shivering

following injection. • Skin reactions, allergy-like swelling at the site of injection. • Liver or pancreatic damage.

Diuretics Diuretics increase the production of urine, and some athletes use them to try to flush out residue from steroids. They can also be used to shed water as a temporary weight loss measure in sports with weight categories (boxing, equestrian sports).

• too little potassium in the blood. • too much potassium in the blood (for potassium-sparing

diuretics only) • low sodium levels. • headache. • dizziness. • thirst. • increased blood sugar. • muscle cramps.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)

A pregnancy hormone: used by athletes to minimize some of the side effects of anabolic steroids, manipulate testosterone levels to mask steroid use, and build muscle. a hormone used by bodybuilders to improve results during anabolic-androgenic steroid use. The hormone is produced by the placenta of a pregnant female and is essential for healthy pregnancy in humans.

• Headache. • Irritability. • Restlessness. • Fatigue. • Swelling in the feet, ankles, lowers legs, or hands. • Appearance of female breasts in men. • Pain in the area where you received the injection.

Blood doping

Blood doping is the practice of boosting the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream in order to enhance athletic performance. Because such blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles, a higher concentration in the blood can improve an athlete's aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and endurance.

• the formation of blood clots, • overload of the circulatory system, • kidney damage from allergic reactions and. • transmission of infectious diseases like HIV.

Glutamine

glutamine supplementation can not only help an athlete prevent illness and prevent catabolism of muscle tissue, but it can actually boost growth hormone levels, enhance glycogen storage, and hydrate muscle cells.

• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, gas; • swelling in your hands or feet; • muscle or joint pain, back pain; • headache, dizziness, tired feeling; • mild skin rash or itching; or. • dry mouth, runny nose, increased sweating.

Androstenedione (Andro)

The goal of the andro is to increase testosterone levels so athletes can train harder and recover in less time.

Male Side Effects. In men, androstene causes a low sperm count, aggression, and irritability. Andro has also been linked to premature baldness. These side effects are due to andro increasing testosterone in men.

Name ____________________________________ Date ___________________________ Period _______ Performance Enhancers Assignment

Toxicology is very important when it comes to athletics. During the Olympics or other elite sporting events, competitors test the limits of human strength, speed and agility. These athletes spend hours in the gym, building muscle and enhancing their cardiovascular fitness. Many athletes train for years, hoping to make it to the top of their sport. The pressure to perform is often overwhelming. Looking for an edge and fearing falling behind the competition, some athletes up their training and alter their diet, while others turn to more controversial, often illegal and dangerous performance enhancers to “level the playing field.” While these drugs may have positive effects on performance, they inflict serious long term and short term damage on the human body. These drugs or treatments damage the health and the reputation of the athlete, as well as the integrity of the sport. Despite repeated scandals, performance enhancing drugs and treatments still are being used. In 1999, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was created to monitor the use of performance enhancing drugs, screen athletes for the use of banned substances and protect the integrity of athletic competition. Their mission is to encourage athletes around the globe to “play true” and to refrain from the use of artificial enhancements.

1. Read through the Performance Enhancer Information Table. Then use this information to answer the following questions.

a. Some performance enhancers are only banned in specific sports. Why do you think beta-blockers are banned in sports such as archery or gymnastics?

b. Unfortunately, it is not just athletes who are turning to these types of treatments. Many young men and woman, unhappy with their bodies, may turn to drugs in the hopes of added muscle mass, increased size or a leaner body. Why do you think students your age might consider using these drugs and what would you say to those who are considering it?

c. “Gene doping” has recently been added to the WADA prohibited list. What do you think this term means?

d. Finnish cross-country skier Eero Mantyranta won two gold medals in the 1964 Winter Olympics. It was not until decades later that scientists identified a genetic mutation in Eero’s family that causes an excessive response to EPO. How do you think this “natural advantage” contributed to Eero’s success in endurance sports?

e. Explain how performance enhancers show the negative side of medicine.

Hello Forensics students, - Belle Vernon Area School District · 3/26/20 5 9 Forensic Science:...

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