Description
Conduct analytical and interpretive toxicology on biological specimens to detect, identify, and quantify drugs, alcohols, poisons, and metabolites for criminal and medico-legal investigations. Operate and validate chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods, maintain chain of custody and quality systems, prepare reports, and testify as an expert on findings and their significance.
- • Receive, log, and preserve biological specimens under chain of custody.
- • Testify in court on toxicological methods, results, and interpretation.
- • Interpret analytical findings to assess exposure, impairment, or cause of death.
- • Operate and maintain GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, headspace GC, and related instruments.
- • Prepare reagents, calibrators, controls, and extraction solutions.
- • Identify and quantify drugs, metabolites, alcohols, volatiles, and poisons in matrices such as blood, urine, vitreous, tissue, hair, or oral fluid.
- • Develop, validate, and document analytical methods to accreditation standards.
- • Perform sample preparation, including protein precipitation, liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, and derivatization.
- • Review case files and analytical data for technical accuracy and completeness.
- • Maintain quality control charts and participate in proficiency testing.
- • Calibrate instruments and verify performance with quality control samples.
- • Prepare formal reports and affidavits summarizing methods, results, and conclusions.
- • Consult with medical examiners, pathologists, and investigators on testing strategy and findings.
- • Screen specimens with immunoassay or other rapid tests and confirm positives by mass spectrometry.
- • Measure blood alcohol concentration and perform retrograde extrapolation when appropriate.
- • Analyze specimens for carbon monoxide, cyanide, metals, and other toxicants as needed.
- • Interpret drug-facilitated crime and chronic exposure cases using alternative matrices.
- • Follow chemical hygiene, biosafety, and hazardous waste management procedures.
- • Manage evidence storage conditions, preservatives, and temperature controls.
- • Use laboratory information management systems to document custody, methods, instrument runs, and results.
- • Train and mentor staff on toxicology procedures and evidence handling.
- • Research and add emerging psychoactive substances to testing panels.
- • Estimate measurement uncertainty and determine detection and quantitation limits.
- • Assist with specimen selection and collection during autopsies or clinical draws.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
