TOSSICOLOGIA ED ENTOMOLOGIA FORENSE

6 CFU - 2° Semester

Teaching Staff

NUNZIATA GIUSEPPA ELISABETTA BARBERA - Module Forensic Toxicology - MED/43 - 3 CFU
FRANCESCO LOMBARDO - Module ENTOMOLOGIA FORENSE - BIO/05 - 3 CFU

Learning Objectives

Forensic Toxicology
The teaching of Forensic Toxicology provides the basic knowledge for the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the poisonings and acute poisoning induced by drugs, illegal drugs, volatile organic compounds (for example ethyl alcohol) and, in general, by xenobiotics. More specifically are studied the analytical techniques to identify and quantify the toxic substances in biological matrices.
ENTOMOLOGIA FORENSE
Depth of the issues related to the application of the study of Insects and other Arthropods to legal issues; acquisition of techniques for the recognition of the main groups of Insects; Analysis of the succession of cadaveric populations; Study of the biology of necrophagous Diptera and Coleoptera of medical-legal interest.

Course Structure

Forensic Toxicology
The course consists of a series of lectures
ENTOMOLOGIA FORENSE
Frontal lessons, exercises in the classroom and in the field

Detailed Course Content

Forensic Toxicology
Frontal lessons:

- concept of poison

- diagnosis of poisoning

- brief description of the pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs)

- methodology of chemical-toxicological survey

- carbon monoxide

- drugs of abuse, ethyl alcohol, opiates and derivatives, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, hallucinogens, drugs, volatile substances

- legal aspects of drugs

- ethyl alcohol and driving

- research for drugs in biological and non-organic samples

Laboratory exercises
- Extractive techniques from biological matrices for the detection of: antidepressants and antipsychotics, organic alkaloidal substances, benzodiazepines, opiates, cocaine and metabolites, methadone, cannabinoids, ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol and volatile substances.
- Specific analytical techniques: screening test, GC-MS, GC-ECD, GC-FID headspace.
ENTOMOLOGIA FORENSE
Forensic entomology, concerns the application of the study of insects and other arthropods to legal issues. It is divided into different sectors in relation to the problems that may result in disputes requiring the opinion of entomologists on particular situations of infestation or damage by insects or on environmental pollution situations detectable through the study of the entomological population present in the area investigated. Furthermore, it refers to the involvement of insects in events such as murder, suicide and rape, but also the abuse of drugs or their trafficking.

Textbook Information

Forensic Toxicology
Bertol E, Mari F, Lodi F, Marozzi E. Trattato di tossicologia forense. CEDAM, Padova, 2000.

Bertol E. Analitica tossicologia. Aspetti tecnici interpretativi, giuridici e deontologici, Esculapio, 2011.
ENTOMOLOGIA FORENSE
Entomologia forense- P. Magni, M. Massimelli, R. Messina. P. Mazzucco, E. Di Luise. Edizione Minerva Medica, 2008

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