All Articles
Browse every published article, from the latest research to earlier analysis. Use the page numbers below to explore the complete archive.
Technical and Administrative Review in Forensic Toxicology
How technical and administrative review work in forensic toxicology, what each review should verify, and which records matter when evaluating reported results.
How Matrix Effects Are Evaluated in LC-MS/MS Forensic Toxicology
How matrix effects are evaluated in forensic LC-MS/MS, including ion suppression, ion enhancement, post-extraction tests, internal standards, and case review.
Specimen Homogeneity and Aliquoting in Forensic Toxicology
How specimen homogeneity, aliquoting, mixing, postmortem blood, gastric contents, and repeat testing affect forensic toxicology interpretation.
Specimen Stability in Forensic Toxicology: Storage, Freeze–Thaw, and Degradation
How storage, freeze-thaw cycles, preservatives, temperature, and time affect specimen stability in forensic toxicology and the interpretation of drug results.
Repeat Analysis and Replicate Agreement in Forensic Toxicology
Repeat analysis can support precision and troubleshooting, but agreement between replicates does not by itself prove accuracy, identity, or interpretive correctness.
LC-MS/MS Identification Criteria in Forensic Toxicology: Ion Ratios, Retention Time, and Confirmation
How forensic laboratories apply LC-MS/MS identification criteria using retention time, diagnostic transitions, ion ratios, standards, and interference review.
Measurement Uncertainty Near Forensic Toxicology Cutoffs
How measurement uncertainty should be evaluated near forensic toxicology cutoffs, reporting thresholds, and quantitative decision points under ANSI/ASB 056.
TDM vs TCI: Therapeutic Ranges in Forensic Toxicology
Holford et al. argue target concentration intervention should replace traditional TDM. Forensic toxicology should not treat therapeutic ranges as bright-line verdicts.
Injection Sequence Review in Forensic Toxicology: High Positives, Blanks, and Low-Level Results
A case-focused guide to reviewing toxicology injection order, preceding high positives, blanks, washes, and repeat testing when a low-level result may be sequence-dependent.
Certified Reference Materials in Forensic Toxicology
Certified reference materials help support calibration, validation, and traceability in forensic toxicology, but a CRM alone does not make a result traceable or fit for purpose.
Metrological Traceability in Forensic Toxicology
Metrological traceability connects a forensic toxicology result to specified references through a documented calibration chain and uncertainty.
Higher Alcohols and Postmortem Ethanol: What the Models Can—and Cannot—Show
Higher alcohols can support investigation of microbial ethanol formation, but organism-specific models require validation, uncertainty, and the complete postmortem record.
LC-MS/MS Ion-Ratio Failures: Troubleshooting Borderline Confirmatory Results
How to evaluate LC-MS/MS ion-ratio failures, including borderline confirmation, low concentration, interference, and troubleshooting in forensic toxicology.
Calibration Curve Weighting in Forensic Toxicology: 1/x, 1/x², and Heteroscedasticity
A technical guide to calibration-model weighting in quantitative forensic toxicology, including heteroscedasticity, 1/x versus 1/x², residuals, low-end bias, and validation review.
Matrix-Matched Calibration in Forensic Toxicology: Why the Matrix Matters
Matrix-matched calibration can reduce bias when biological matrix alters analytical response. Learn when it matters, what validation should show, and what records to review.
Reporting Limits in Forensic Toxicology: LOD, LOQ & Low-Level Results
Forensic interpretation of LOD, LOQ/LLOQ, reporting limits, cutoffs, validation, and why a detected signal is not automatically a defensible quantitative result.
Postmortem Redistribution: Why C/P Ratios Are Not Correction Factors
Central-to-peripheral blood ratios can describe postmortem concentration differences, but they are not universal correction factors for reconstructing antemortem drug levels. This guide explains why.
Vitreous Ethanol and BAC Conversion: Correlation, Prediction Intervals, and Uncertainty
Why vitreous humor can corroborate postmortem alcohol testing without supplying an exact individual blood-alcohol conversion.
Medetomidine Isomers in Forensic Toxicology: Dexmedetomidine vs Levomedetomidine
Medetomidine may appear as dexmedetomidine, levomedetomidine, or a racemic mixture. Learn why isomeric analysis matters in forensic casework.
Serum/Plasma Ethanol vs Whole-Blood BAC: Forensic Conversion
Why hospital serum/plasma ethanol runs higher than whole-blood BAC, how conversion ratios vary, and what forensic interpretation should account for.
Retrograde BAC Extrapolation: Assumptions, Absorption, and Uncertainty
Retrograde BAC extrapolation can be useful only when its absorption, elimination, timing, specimen, and uncertainty assumptions are justified case by case.
Postmortem Drug Concentrations: Why Reference Ranges Overlap
Why therapeutic, toxic and fatal postmortem drug ranges overlap—and how specimen site, redistribution, tolerance, and co-intoxicants change interpretation.
Bromazolam in Forensic Toxicology: Blood, Urine, Postmortem, and DUID Interpretation
Bromazolam is an emerging designer benzodiazepine increasingly encountered in forensic casework. This guide explains analytical detection, blood and urine interpretation, postmortem redistribution, polydrug findings, and the limits of concentration-based conclusions.
Nitazene Metabolites in Forensic Toxicology: Urine, Blood, and LC-MS/MS Interpretation
Nitazene metabolite testing can materially improve detection when parent drug concentrations are low or absent. A forensic guide to urine and blood biomarkers, LC-MS/MS and LC-HRMS interpretation, hydrolysis, postmortem casework, and the limits of metabolite-based timing conclusions.
7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) in Forensic Toxicology: Testing and Interpretation
Forensic interpretation of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH): LC-MS/MS testing, blood and urine findings, product composition, metabolism, and postmortem limits.
Xylazine in Forensic Toxicology: Detection, Metabolites, and Interpretation
A technical guide to xylazine testing in forensic toxicology, including LC-MS/MS detection, blood and urine interpretation, metabolites, postmortem limitations, fentanyl co-exposure, and records to review.
EtG, EtS, and PEth in Forensic Toxicology: Alcohol Biomarkers and Interpretation
EtG, EtS, and PEth answer different alcohol-exposure questions. This forensic toxicology guide explains specimen choice, detection windows, analytical methods, interpretive limits, postmortem issues, and why no single biomarker proves an exact drinking time or dose.
When an Ecstasy or Molly Result Is Not MDMA: Reagent Tests, Adulterants, and Confirmatory Analysis
Why street names and color reagents cannot establish MDMA identity, and what compound-specific confirmatory testing should document.
Cocaethylene in Forensic Toxicology: Cocaine, Ethanol and Interpretation
Technical guide to cocaethylene formation when cocaine and ethanol overlap, including blood and postmortem interpretation, metabolism, stability, analytical testing, cardiotoxicity evidence, and limits of timing or impairment opinions.
1,1-Difluoroethane (DFE) Forensic Toxicology
Forensic guide to 1,1-difluoroethane (DFE): blood detection, headspace GC testing, volatile loss, postmortem specimens, impairment, and interpretation limits.