The forensic scientists who prepare and peer-review your reports are experienced, home-office trained (ex-Forensic Science Service) toxicologists.
The toxicologists have been involved in some of the UK's most high-profile investigations and have many years of court-going experience. Whilst employed at the Forensic Science Service, the toxicologists were approved Authorised Analysts and registered forensic practitioners.
Analytical services provided by CNCFTS Ltd include:
*Analysis of blood or urine for the presence of drugs in relation to cases of 'Impaired Driving'
* Identification and quantification of drugs in blood, urine and hair (including ethylglucuronide - EtG determination)
CNCFTS Ltd toxicologists are available for consultancy work, offering expert witness opinion on prosecution (or defence) reports/witness statements.
What you need to know
Where will my samples be sent?
Your sample will be sent to Toxlab, which is one of the leading independent analytical laboratories within Europe specialising in the provision of an unparalleled range of toxicology testing and support services to police & governmental institutions.•Investigation into the causes of death
•Analysis in road safety issues
•Characterisation of usage of doping products
•Establishment of proof of chemical submission (blood, urine and hair analysis)
•Expert Witness interpretation in toxicology
•Quantification of metals in blood, urine and hair
•Analysis of seized street drugs and of traces of narcotics on different supports (banknotes, mobile phones, clothes)
•Toxicological analysis in behavioural medicine (alcohol, narcotics, benzos, metals, solvents)
With over 20 years experience in toxicological analysis in a variety of matrices, especially for medico-legal cases, the ISO 17025 accredited laboratory undertakes a comprehensive range of scientific analysis in accordance with international criminal justice standards.
What can be tested?
Blood
Blood samples are the most frequently collected and analysed samples; they are the sample of choice for determining an individual's blood-alcohol concentration in relation to drink-driving offences. Analysis of blood provides the forensic toxicologist with a profile or 'biological photograph' which can then be used to offer an interpretation specific to the case in question.
A typical blood sample collected by a forensic medical examiner, nurse or general practitioner would be approximately 3-5 millilitres (3 -5mls) in volume. This is usually sufficient for alcohol and drug screeninganalysis.
Urine
Urine samples are extremely useful for forensic toxicology analysis and investigation. The presence of drugs in urine does not in itself demonstrate impairment as certain drugs can remain detectable in urine long after their intoxicating effects have worn off.
Hair sample
Hair sample analysis can provide useful information concerning the chronicity of drug abuse, which may be valuable in many aspects of forensic toxicology. For example, hair analysis in postmortemtoxicology can help determine whether the deceased was a regular drug user and; hair analysis for forensic drug testing can offer useful information on drug use or abstinence in workplace testing, e.g., investigation into excessive alcohol intake by determination of ethylglucuronide (EtG).
Hair is capable of recording medium to long-term drug/substance abuse as drugs in the bloodstream can be transferred to the growing hair and distributed in the follicle, thus providing an approximate timeline of drug intake. Head hair grows at an approximate (average) rate of 1cm per month, therefore sections (or segments) of hair can provide 'historic' information as to when a drug (or drugs) were ingested.
CNCFTS Ltd can provide advice and guidelines on hair sample collection procedures, sample packaging and storage.
What should I do with my sample?
It is important to keep samples refrigerated (or frozen) and securely packaged in the original, un-opened (often tamper-proof) containers prior to submission. The exception to this is hair samples, which should not be refrigerated, but kept dry at room temperature. Once you have a sample that requires analysis please contact CNCFTS Ltd who will explain your options and the next steps.
contact the team
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