Forensic Toxicology Lab
The Forensic Toxicology Laboratory of the Indiana State Department of Toxicology provides testing of toxicology samples for law enforcement agencies in Indiana. At present, the vast majority of samples submitted are obtained in investigations related to impaired driving. Such samples are normally blood and/or urine.
We test for most of the drugs that are typically found in such situations: Ethanol, Marijuana-derived (Cannabinoids), Benzodiazepines, Opioids (related to Morphine); Amphetamines; Cocaine, and others. If we cannot test for specific drugs, we provide either references to or transfer of sample to reference labs that can do such testing.
Our procedures follow strict guidelines for forensic testing: chain of custody, instrument and procedure validation, and proper documentation of all essential operations.
Current instrumentation primarily includes:
- Immunalysis® drug screening, based upon biochip-enhanced ELISA technology,
- Headspace Gas Chromatography, for analysis of volatiles, primarily Ethanol,
- GC/MS (Gas Chromatography with Mass-selective Detector), for drug confirmation testing.
The present staff includes eight full-time analysts, and two receiving clerks.
