Poisoners watch out

mr friendly guy · Post by **mr friendly guy** » 2005-06-21 11:55pm

NZ scientists' poison test a world first
21:44 AEST Mon Jun 20 2005
AAP
New Zealand scientists have developed a world-first test to find out if someone has been poisoned.

The test, which has won plaudits in the United States from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is expected to enable forensic experts to know within minutes if someone has traces of poisons such as cyanide, arsenic or mercury in their system.

It has been developed at the Environmental Science and Research toxicology laboratory in Porirua by researchers Jacqui Horswell and Natalie Redshaw in association with scientists from Aberdeen University in the United Kingdom.

ESR forensic toxicology spokesman Stuart Dickson said the test worked by using bacteria called biosensors to detect toxic chemicals such as pesticides or inorganic poisons in urine.

Biosensors were common in medicine and soil and food quality testing, but the ESR test was the first time they had been used in forensic toxicology.

They glowed if they were free of poison, but became dimmer if toxic chemicals were present.

The advantage with the test was that it was fast and cheap, Dr Dickson said.

Scientists could know within minutes if a sample contained poison. Previous testing methods were costly and results could take days.

Forensic laboratories were often asked to exclude poisoning as a factor in a death, and the new test meant this could be done almost immediately.

©AAP 2005

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2005-06-22 12:34am

Guess if Arthur Conan Doyle were alive now they would be out of a job

Interesting development, does it work on all poisonous elements or just the common ones like arsenic etc..

General Brock · Post by **General Brock** » 2005-06-22 07:23am

Hmmmm The test picks up the prescence of poison, but not necessarily the concentration, I think. Still, I didn't think testing for poisons was so difficult; this should help catch a few murders if it becomes a standard autopsy tool.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2005-06-22 09:13pm

Maybe now they'll stop searching for Unicorn Horns....

(Medieval belief said the Unicorn's Horn sweated in the presence of poison)

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2005-06-23 10:16am

I thought there already was a method for detecting poisons in the bloodstream. Or do those not apply if a person's dead?

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2005-06-23 04:18pm

Darth_Zod wrote:I thought there already was a method for detecting poisons in the bloodstream. Or do those not apply if a person's dead?

Read the whole article next time, not like its very long

The advantage with the test was that it was fast and cheap, Dr Dickson said.

Scientists could know within minutes if a sample contained poison. Previous testing methods were costly and results could take days.