The Toxpod: Recent Episodes
Tim Scott & Peter Stockham
We look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Dietzen, Dennis J., and Connor J. Blair. "Precision Chemotherapy: Optimizing Calibration for Rapid Determination of Blood Methotrexate by Tandem Mass Spectrometry±Liquid Chromatography." Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 39.14 (2025): e10053.
- Skjelland, D., Jørgenrud, B. M., Gundersen, K., Bjørnaas, M. A., Brekke, M., Dalaker, V. M., ... & Vallersnes, O. M. (2025). Gamma-hydroxybutyrate poisoning: clinical diagnosis versus laboratory findings. Clinical Toxicology, 63(4), 253-260.
- Guyon, J., Maillot, A., Bastard, S., Weisse, F., Daveluy, A., & Mété, D. (2025). Psychoactive cocktail consumption on Reunion Island: A case report. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, bkaf009
- Helland, A., Muller, S., Spigset, O., Krabseth, H. M., Hansen, M., & Skråstad, R. B. (2025). Drug detection in oral fluid and urine after single therapeutic doses of dexamphetamine, lisdexamphetamine, and methylphenidate in healthy volunteers. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 49(2), 65-72.
- Liu, C. M., Huang, B. Y., Hua, Z. D., Jia, W., & Zhi‐yu, L. (2025). Characterization of Mass Spectrometry Fragmentation Patterns Under Electron‐Activated Dissociation (EAD) for Rapid Structure Identification of Nitazene Analogs. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 39(12), e10030.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
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WIN A TOXPOD MUG!
Listen to the episode and email Toxpod@tiaft.org the name of the EUDA's 1000th drug and we'll send one lucky listener a coveted Toxpod mug!
Keeping up to date with New Psychoactive Substances is hard! We've assembled a crack team of international experts to help us do just that:
- Michael Evans-Brown, EUDA
- Jared Brown, UNODC
- Alex Krotulski, CFSRE
Hosted by TIAFT NPS Committee chair, Svante Vikingsson.
This episode features:
- THC-P - fully synthetic or semi-synthetic cannabinoid?
- the emerging etomidate and analogues
- the intriguing mystery of BTMPS-adulterant or precursor
- the 1000th NPS reported by EUDA and much more
These updates will be a regular part of our podcast schedule, letting you know about recent developments in NPS markets, detection and harms.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
You can send us a text message using this link!
Peter is joined by Bulletin editors Rebecca, Samantha and Luke for a rundown of the latest Bulletin.
For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
You can send us a text message using this link!
You can send us a text message using this link!
We look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Ning He, et al. Contextual bias in forensic toxicology decisions: A follow-up empirical study from China. (2024) Journal of Forensic Sciences, doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.15520.
- Kesmen, E. et al. Bioinformatics-driven untargeted metabolomic profiling for clinical screening of methamphetamine abuse. (2024) Forensic Toxicology, doi: 10.1007/s11419-024-00703-2.
- Schuller, M. et al. Electromembrane extraction of drugs of abuse and prescription drugs from micropulverized hair. (2024) Journal of Analytical Toxicology, doi: 10.1093/jat/bkae051.
- Schackmuth, M. et al. Identification of fentanyl analogs and potential biomarkers in urine using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q/TOF-MS). (2024) Journal of Chromatography B, doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2024.124303.
- Trobbiani, S. et al. Increasing the linear dynamic range in LC-MS: is it valid to use a less abundant isotopologue? (2017) Drug Testing and Analysis, doi: 10.1002/dta.2175
You can try out NotebookLM yourself at https://notebooklm.google/
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT or their employers.
You can send us a text message using this link!
In the final part of the St Gallen Special, The Toxpod speaks with TIAFT President Simon Elliott, Young Scientist Best Paper Award winner Liam Ward and host of TIAFT 2025, Matt Hosking.
Liam Ward's paper can be found here:
Ward, Liam J. et al.Postmortem metabolomics as a high-throughput cause-of-death screening tool for human death investigations, iScience, Volume 27, Issue 5, 109794
All the info you need for going to TIAFT in 2025 (23-27 November 2025) can be found at www.tiaft2025.com
You can send us a text message using this link!
Neither Tim or I could make it to the The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists meeting in St Gallen to get “On The Spot” interviews with delegates this year, so we asked TIAFT past President Dimitri Gerostamoulos to give us a rundown of how the meeting went. Also we have Michael Scholz, who won the Young Scientist’s best oral presentation award. Hope you enjoy part 1!
You can send us a text message using this link!
Keeping up to date with New Psychoactive Substances is hard! We've assembled a crack team of experts to help us do just that:
- Michael Evans-Brown, EUDA
- Conor Crean, UNODC
- Alex Krotulski, CFSRE
And now hosted by TIAFT NPS Committee chair, Svante Vikingsson!
These updates will be a regular part of our podcast schedule, letting you know about recent developments in NPS markets, detection and harms.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
You can send us a text message using this link!
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released every few months.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Rebecca Hartman, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Geraldine's new podcast is called The Analytical Zen Podcast (buzzsprout.com), give it a go!
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
You can send us a text message using this link!
Keeping up to date with New Psychoactive Substances is hard! We've assembled a crack team of experts to help us do just that:
- Michael Evans-Brown, EUDA
- Conor Crean, UNODC
- Alex Krotulski, CFSRE
And now hosted by TIAFT NPS Committee chair, Svante Vikingsson!
These updates will be a regular part of our podcast schedule, letting you know about recent developments in NPS markets, detection and harms.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
You can send us a text message using this link!
Tim is joined by Samantha Tolliver, Chief Toxicologist in the District of Columbia, to discuss the challenges of running a modern forensic toxicology laboratory.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
You can send us a text message using this link!
You can send us a text message using this link!
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released every few months.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Rebecca Hartman, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Like all classes of drugs, amphetamines have the potential to both help and harm our communities - depending on how and why they are used.
Tim hosted a panel discussion on this topic at the FACTA2024 conference, featuring A/Prof Rebecca McKetin, Dr Paul Liknaitzky, and Prof Olaf Drummer.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
"I used to keep a quadrupole in my pocket..." Who else can say that?
Bryan received the The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists' Alan Curry Award in 2018 and was present at the "revolt" of 1963 that led to TIAFT's genesis. Even after 6 decades in toxicology he continues to support the development of our science and our scientists through the Bryan Finkle Visiting Scientists Grant. A true giant of our field. Come along for the ride!
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Meet the giants upon whose shoulders modern toxicologists stand! In the first of a series on winners of TIAFT's prestigious Alan Curry Award, Peter is joined by Tony Moffat, the 2013 winner. He is still contributing to our field after more than 50 years.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released every few months.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Rebecca Hartman, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Keeping up to date with New Psychoactive Substances is hard! We've assembled a crack team of experts to help us do just that:
- Svante Vikingsson, TIAFT NPS Committee chair
- Conor Crean, UNODC
- Alex Krotulski, CFSRE
These updates will be a regular part of our podcast schedule, letting you know about recent developments in NPS markets, detection and harms. In this episode we discuss the dropoff in new substances compared to last year, the effect of international controls, and how best to gather and then communicate information on NPS to forensic labs.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Tim is joined by Lana Brockbals to discuss her research into a number of interesting areas in forensic toxicology, including post-mortem drug changes and metabolomics.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
At the TIAFT2023 conference in Rome, Peter caught up with a few fellow toxicologists to talk about their work.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
At the TIAFT2023 conference in Rome, Peter caught up with a few fellow toxicologists to talk about their work.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released every few months.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Rebecca Hartman, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
As forensic scientists, we're exposed to some pretty awful things during the course of our work. In this episode we talk with psychologist Samantha Schiro about her recent publication, "Occupational exposure to traumatic evidence and posttraumatic stress symptoms in forensic science professionals: Prevalence and patterns".
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Tim is joined by Helena Teixeira, from the National Institute of Legal Medicine in Coimbra, Portugal.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Artificial Intelligence is quickly becoming one of the key tools in all fields of science. In this episode we look at how it's being used in forensic toxicology, and how it might be used in the future.
That NPS paper that Pete mentioned.
Special thanks to Stephen Trobbiani for participating in this episode.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Did you know that TIAFT presidents have a synergistic effect? Recorded live at the TIAFT 60th Jubilee in London, this panel discussion hosted by Nikolas Lemos features a bunch of former TIAFT presidents giving their perspectives on a wide range of issues facing forensic toxicologists. Thanks to all for participating, and here's to the next 60 years!
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Keeping up to date with New Psychoactive Substances is hard! We've assembled a crack team of experts to help us do just that:
- Michael Evans-Brown, EMCDDA
- Conor Crean, UNODC
- Alex Krotulski, CFSRE
These updates will be a regular part of our podcast schedule, letting you know about recent developments in NPS markets, detection and harms. In this episode we discuss an increasing trend of xylazine in fentanyl supplies, the recent scheduling of some NPS by the United Nations, and the emergence of semi-synthetic cannabinoids including HHC.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released each quarter.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Rebecca Hartman, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Palm, E. et al. Machine learning for absolute quantification of unidentified compounds in non-targeted LC/HRMS. (2022) Molecules, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27031013.
- Bishop-Freeman, S. et al. Melatonin supplementation in undetermined pediatric deaths. (2022) Journal of Analytical Toxicology, https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkac033.
- Flament, E. et al. Determination of orellanine in human biological matrices using liquid chromatograph with high-resolution mass spectrometry detection: A validated method applied to suspected poisoning cases. (2023) Journal of Analytical Toxicology, https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkac018
- Wang, Y. et al. Operation of the anti-doping laboratory for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. (2022) Drug Testing and Analysis, DOI: 10.1002/dta.3384.
- Otsuka, M. et al. Analysis of degradation products of Novichok agents in human urine by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. (2022) Forensic Toxicology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11419-022-00656-4.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released each quarter.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Rebecca Hartman, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Keeping up to date with New Psychoactive Substances is hard! We've assembled a crack team of experts to help us do just that:
- Michael Evans-Brown, EMCDDA
- Conor Crean, UNODC
- Alex Krotulski, CFSRE
These updates will be a regular part of our podcast schedule, letting you know about recent developments in NPS markets, detection and harms. In this episode we discuss the recently released UNODC report on Current NPS Threats, as well as benzodiazepine trends and the importance of Drug Checking programs.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
At the TIAFT2022 conference in Versailles, Peter caught up with a few fellow toxicologists:
Michael Scholz (Switzerland), Brigitte Desharnais (Canada), Svante Vikingsson (USA), and Jean-Claude Alvarez (France).
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
TIAFT meetings are back! Peter is joined on stage in Versailles by Sarah Wille (Belgium), Rebecca Hartman (USA) and Jennifer Schumann (Australia) to discuss what's hot and what's not in the field of toxicology.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Huen-Yin Tang M, et al. Ropinirole metabolite mimics a new psychoactive substance (4-HO-MET) in LC-MS/MS. (2022) Forensic Science International, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.111151.
- Shang, Q. et al. Multi-extraction system with identical supported semi-liquid membrane: Enhanced stability for coextraction of acidic and basic drugs. (2022) Talanta, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123485.
- Khan, T. Kamini, a little recognised source of illicit opioid: A case series of 12 patients. (2022) Drug and Alcohol Review, DOI: 10.1111/dar.13475.
- Trigg, S. The alprazolam analogue 4’-chloro deschloroalprazolam identified in seized capsules. (2022) Drug Testing and Analysis, DOI: 10.1002/dta.3325.
- Brooks-Lim, E. Fatal ingestion of Taxus baccata: English yew. (2022) Journal of Forensic Sciences, DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14941.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released each quarter.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Sarah Wille, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Tim chats with Jose Luiz da Costa, Professor of Toxicology at the University of Campinas in Brazil, about his work with NPS and advancements in 'Green Analytical Toxicology'.
Here's a link to his paper on Green Analytical Toxicology
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
At the FACTA2022 conference, Peter caught up with a few fellow toxicologists:
Dimitri Gerostamoulos, Naren Gunja, and Susan Britza.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We continue with another episode recorded live at FACTA2022 in Brisbane, Australia.
It's a panel discussion on medicinal cannabis featuring Associate Professor Vicki Kotsirilos, Professor Olaf Drummer, Professor Thomas Kraemer, and Dr Samuel Banister.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We finally attend a real life conference again, and turn the conference theme, "Fresh approaches to old problems" , on its head! Recorded live at FACTA2022 in Brisbane, Australia.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Keeping up to date with New Psychoactive Substances is hard! We've assembled a crack team of experts to help us do just that:
- Michael Evans-Brown, EMCDDA
- Conor Crean, UNODC
- Alex Krotulski, CFSRE
These updates will be a regular part of our podcast schedule, letting you know about recent developments in NPS markets, detection and harms. In this episode we discuss cathinones, the recent contamination of synthetic cannabinoids with brodifacoum, and the future of psychedelics.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released each quarter.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Sarah Wille, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We were at the TIAFT Virtual Conference in February! This episode is audio from a couple of sessions we did there - busting some more myths in forensic toxicology.
Plus we had our first ever competition! Stay tuned til the end to find out who won the prestigious Toxpod mug...
A couple of examples of recommendations for first responders who may encounter opioids from the USA and the UK.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released each quarter.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Sarah Wille, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We tell the story of the TIAFT2020 conference in Capetown, South Africa - a conference that never actually happened.
Thanks to Alicia Evans, Bronwen Davies, Lorna Martin, Marc LeBeau, Simon Elliott, Dimitri Gerostamoulos and Michaela Kenneally for taking part in this episode.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released each quarter.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Sarah Wille, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Keeping up to date with New Psychoactive Substances is hard! We've assembled a crack team of experts to help us do just that:
- Michael Evans-Brown, EMCDDA
- Conor Crean, UNODC
- Alex Krotulski, CFSRE
These updates will be a regular part of our podcast schedule, letting you know about recent developments in NPS markets, detection and harms. In this episode we discuss Early Warning Systems and potential changes in the synthetic cannabinoid market.
Some info on the new class of OXIZID SCRAs
The UNODC Tox-Portal - get involved!
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We'll be previewing issues of the TIAFT Bulletin as they are released each quarter.
Special thanks to Jennifer Schumann and Sarah Wille, editors of the TIAFT Bulletin. For more information on the Bulletin, including how to submit content, click here.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Polettini A, et al. LC–QTOF-MS Presumptive Identification of Synthetic Cannabinoids without Reference Chromatographic Retention/Mass Spectral Information. II. Evaluation of a Computational Approach for Predicting and Identifying Unknown High-Resolution Product Ion Mass Spectra. (2021) Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 45(5):440-61.
- Kuwayama, K. et al. Development of the “selective concentration” analytical method for drug-containing hair regions based on micro-segmental analysis to identify a trace amount of drug in hair: hair analysis following single-dose ingestion of midazolam. (2021) Forensic Toxicology, 39(1):156-66.
- Robin, T. First-Line Toxicological Screening with Fully Automated Extraction. (2021) Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 45(3):252-68.
- Kranenburg, R. Spotting isomer mixtures in forensic illicit drug casework with GC–VUV using automated coelution detection and spectral deconvolution. (2021) Journal of Chromatography B, 1173:122675.
- Elmsjö, A. Post-Mortem Metabolomics: A Novel Approach in Clinical Biomarker Discovery and a Potential Tool in Death Investigations. (2021) Chemical Research in Toxicology, 34(6):1496-1502.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We chat with Alex Krotulski about his work with CFSRE and NPS Discovery. You can find out more about these initiatives, and access the many resources they produce, at https://www.npsdiscovery.org/
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Modern forensic toxicologists are able to detect tiny amounts of drugs in a sample. Is it possible we are now too sensitive?
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We chat with Jenny Button, Deputy Director of Chiron, about the use of reference standards in forensic toxicology.
Jenny's written a book chapter about all this - it's really good! Here's a link.
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Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Tim chats with Marthe Vandeputte about the current and potential uses of activity based assays in forensic toxicology. Links to a couple of Marthe's papers on the topic are below:
Validation of activity-based screening for synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists in a large set of serum samples
In vitro functional characterization of a panel of non-fentanyl opioid new psychoactive substances
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Karoly, H. et al. Effects of high-potency cannabis on psychomotor performance in frequent cannabis users. (2020) Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, X:X, 1-9
- Prado, E. et al. Metabolism of synthetic cathinones through the zebrafish water tank model: a promising tool for forensic toxicology laboratories. (2021) Forensic Toxicology, 39: 73-88
- Chu, M. et al. Time-dependent changes in THC concentrations in deceased persons. (2021) Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 45:1-7
- Van Schalkwyk, F. et al. Fatal pyrrolizidine alkaloid poisoning of infants caused by adulterated Senecio coronatus. (2021) Forensic Science International, 320:110680
- Norman, C. et al. Large-scale evaluation of ion mobility spectrometry for the
rapid detection of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists in
infused papers in prisons. (2021) Drug Testing and Analysis, 13:644–663
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We chat with Hilary Hamnett about the complex issue of cognitive bias in forensic toxicology.
If you'd like to hear more from Hilary about cognitive bias, you can contact her at HHamnett@lincoln.ac.uk
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
How confident are you that your analytical methods won't miss a target analyte? In the first episode of season 4, we discuss the potential for false negative results in forensic toxicology.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Costa, C. et al. Distinguishing between contact and administration of heroin from a single fingerprint using high resolution mass spectrometry. (2020) Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 44: 218-225
- Kaufmann, A. et al. Partially overlapping sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra: A methodology to improve the spectra quality of veterinary drugs present at low concentrations in highly complex biological matrices. (2020) Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 34: e8638
- Kraemer, M. et al. Detectability of various cannabinoids in plasma samples of cannabis users: Indicators of recent cannabis use? (2019) Drug Testing and Analysis. 11:1498-1506
- Margalho, C. et al. Determination of new psychoactive substances in whole blood using microwave fast derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. (2020) Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 44:92-102
- Gundersen, P. et al. Retrospective screening of synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic opioids and designer benzodiazepines in data files from forensic post mortem samples analysed by UHPLC-QTOF-MS from 2014 to 2018. (2020) Forensic Science International. 311: 1-11
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Tim chats with Alberto Salomone about workplace testing, hair analysis, and new psychoactive substances.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Peter chats with Richard Bade about the advantages and challenges of wastewater analysis.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Tim chats with Michelle Peace about her current research on vaping, and her experiences in the field of forensic toxicology.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We channel our sports withdrawal into a toxicology related draft.
Thanks to Michaela Kenneally and Stephen Trobbiani for participating in this episode.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
The California Association of Toxicologists Spring meeting has been postponed due to COVID restrictions, but that won't stop us from chatting with some of the planned speakers!
Thanks to Luke Rodda, Jarrad Wagner, Juliet Kinyua and Alan Wu for participating in this episode.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We talk about synthetic cannabinoids (or is that SCRAs?) with medicinal chemist Samuel Banister.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Blanckaert, P. et al. Report on a novel emerging class of highly potent benzimidazole NPS opioids: Chemical and in vitro functional characterization of isotonitazene. (2020) Drug Testing and Analysis. 12: 422-430
- Reinstadler, V. et al. A validated workflow for drug detection in oral fluid by non-targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. (2019) Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry. 411:867-876
- Benaglia, L. et al. Testing wastewater from a music festival in Switzerland to assess illicit drug use. (2020) Forensic Science International. 309:1-8
- Munoz-Munoz, A. et al. Characterization of an Amphetamine Interference from Gabapentin in an LC–HRMS Method. (2020) Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 44:36-40
- Darke, S. et al. Characteristics and circumstances of death related to gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB). (2020) Clinical Toxicology. Published online 18 Feb 2020.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
In our last episode of the season, we look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Steuer, A. et al. Identification of new urinary gamma-hydroxybutyric acid markers applying untargeted metabolomics analysis following placebo-controlled administration to humans. (2019) Drug Testing and Analysis. 11 (6):813-823
- Souza, R. et al. Validation of an analytical method for the determination of the main ayahuasca active compounds and application to real ayahuasca samples from Brazil. (2019) Journal of Chromatography B. 1124: 197-203
- Snamina, M. et al. Postmortem analysis of human bone marrow aspirate - Quantitative determination of SSRI and SNRI drugs. (2019) Talanta. 204:607-612
- Fabresse, N. et al. Development of a sensitive untargeted liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry screening devoted to hair analysis through a shared MS2 spectra database: A step toward early detection of new psychoactive substances. (2019) Drug Testing and Analysis. 11 (5):697-708
- Sitasuwan, P. et al. Comparison of purified beta-glucuronidases in patient urine samples indicates a lack of correlation between enzyme activity and drugs of abuse metabolite hydrolysis efficiencies leading to potential false negatives.(2019) Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 43 (3):221-227
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
In this episode, we dive into the techniques, practices, and guidelines used in forensic toxicology for drug identification. Do we have the balance right?
Some of the available identification guidelines:
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
European Workplace Drug Testing Society (EWDTS)
Organisation of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC)
Gesellschaft für Toxikologische und Forensische Chemie (GTFCh)
That article Pete mentioned on amphetamine isomers:
Brown, D. H., et al. (2016). "Beta-methylphenylethylamines: common fragmentation pathways with amphetamines in electrospray ionization collision-induced dissociation." Drug Test Anal 8(3-4): 344-350.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
During his recent trip to the TIAFT2019 conference in Birmingham, England, Peter caught up with a few toxicologists to discuss some of their recent work.
Barry Logan's group has published their findings on kratom
Join the HighResNPS community
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Peter is joined by toxicologists Sarah Wille (Belgium) and Luke Rodda (USA) to discuss how the field of toxicology is changing and where it will lead us. Recorded live at TIAFT2019 in Birmingham, England.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
The world of scientific publishing is a mysterious place - even to many who publish regularly! How does reviewing work? What are predatory journals? Why should scientists write?
We are joined by Professor Roger Byard (forensic pathologist, prolific writer, and editor-in-chief of Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology) as we peek behind the curtain of the publishing world.
Roger's editorial - The forensic implications of predatory publishing
ABC Radio podcast on predatory publishing
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Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We are joined by Dimitri Gerostamoulos, Head of Forensic Science and Chief Toxicologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
Peter gets up close and personal with some delegates at the FACTA conference in Adelaide.
Find out more about FACTA at www.facta.org.au
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
TIAFT President Marc LeBeau joins The Toxpod for a special episode recorded live at the FACTA conference in Adelaide. We discuss some of the emerging risks in the field of toxicology.
Find out more about FACTA at www.facta.org.au
You can read the available OSAC toxicology guidelines here
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
In this episode, we look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Oiestad, E. et al. Interpreting oral fluid drug results in prisoners: monitoring current drug intake and detection times for drugs self-administered prior to detention. (2019) Forensic Toxicology. 37 (1):59-74
- Erne, R. et al. Hair Analysis: Contamination versus incorporation from the circulatory system - Investigations on single hair samples using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. (2019) Analytical Chemistry. 91 (6): 4132-4139
- Eckberg, M et al. Separation and identification of isomeric and structurally related synthetic cannabinoids using 2D liquid chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometry. (2019) Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 43 (3): 170-178
- Ivanov, I.D. et al. A case of 5F-ADB/FUB-AMB abuse: drug-induced or drug-related death? (2019) Forensic Science International. 297: 372-377
- Caspar A.T. et al. Blood plasma level determination using an automated LC-MSn screening system and electronically stored calibrations exemplified for 22 drugs and two active metabolites often requested in emergency toxicology.(2019) Drug Testing and Analysis. 11 (1): 102-111
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We're back and we're looking to bust some myths in forensic toxicology. No conventional idea is safe!
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
In the final episode of season 1, we look at five recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Voelker, SE, et al. Semi-quantitative determination of designer steroids by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection in the absence of reference material. (2018) Drug Test. Anal. 1-7
- Moretti, M. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of cocaine and metabolites in blood and in dried blood spots collected from postmortem samples and evaluation of the stability over a 3-month period. (2018) Drug Test. Anal. 10: 1430-1437
- Oenning, AL. et al. An effective and high-throughput analytical methodology for pesticide screening in human urine by disposable pipette extraction and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. (2018) J Chrom B. 1092:459-465
- Bertol, E. et al. Proactive drugs in DFSA cases: Toxicological findings in an eight-years study. (2018) For. Sci. Int. 291: 207-215
- Brockbals, L. et al. Time-dependent postmortem redistribution of opioids in blood and alternative matrices. (2018) J. Anal. Toxicol. 42: 365-374
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
What is the place of investigative work in forensic toxicology? Should the forensic toxicologist take the same approach in every case? Or should they use their judgement to decide on the best approach for each unique case? Either way, there are a lot of complex issues that arise. Luckily, Tim has all the answers! (or at least some of the questions...)
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
We discuss the advantages and the limitations of comprehensive drug detection methods, and the quest for a truly universal method.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
In this episode, Peter chats with Dr David McCutcheon of Royal Perth Hospital about the Western Australian Illicit Substance Evaluation (WISE) project.
McCutcheon, D. et al. An early warning system for emerging drugs of concern in the emergency department: Protocol for the Western Australian Illicit Substance Evaluation (WISE) study. Emergency Medicine Australasia (2018) https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.13185
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
In this episode, Tim sits down for a chat with renowned toxicologist Professor Heesun Chung CBE.
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
In this episode, we look at 5 recent publications in the field of toxicology.
- Mogler, L. et al. Phase I metabolism of the recently emerged synthetic cannabinoid CUMYL-PEGACLONE and detection in human urine samples. (2018) Drug Test Anal. 10 (5):886-891
- Grapp, M. et al. Systematic forensic toxicological analysis by liquid-chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry in serum and comparison to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. (2018) For Sci Int. 287:63-73
- Roxburgh, A. et al. Accurate Identification of opioid overdose deaths using coronial data. (2018) For Sci Int. 287:40-46
- Elliott, S. Hernandez-Lopez, E. A series of deaths involving carfentanil in the UK and associated post-mortem blood concentrations. (2018) J Anal Toxicol. 42(4):e41-e45
- Gundersen, P., et al. Quantification of 21 antihypertensive drugs in serum using UHPLC-MS/MS. (2018) J Chromatogr B. 1089: 84-93
EMCDDA: demystifying the chemistry of synthetic cannabinoids
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
In this episode, we talk about the analysis of drugs in hair.
The use of hair as a preferred sample for drug testing has grown in popularity over the last couple of decades. But so too has our understanding of its limitations. What can hair analysis tell us about a person's drug history?
Special thanks to Michaela Kenneally and Marc Grabowski for appearing in this episode.
Peter's recommended hair collection device
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.
In the very first episode of The Toxpod, we talk about drug degradation.
Where do the drugs go? What do they do when they get there? And how do we find them again? All good questions...
Contact us at toxpod@tiaft.org
Find out more about TIAFT at www.tiaft.org
The Toxpod is a production of The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists. The opinions expressed by the hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TIAFT.