TOXICOLOGY SECTION

The duties performed by the Toxicology Section may be broken down into three primary areas: (1) Breath Alcohol, (2) Blood Alcohol, and (3) Drug Toxicology. A brief description of these areas and their assigned tasks are as follows:

1. BREATH ALCOHOL

Breath alcohol involves maintenance and repair of the Intoxilyzer 5000. This includes repair to damaged or broken instruments, installation of new instruments, semi-annual accuracy inspections of nearly 110 instruments in the field, and preparation of simulator solutions containing a known amount of alcohol. The Toxicology Section is also responsible for training of all law enforcement agencies in the use of the Intoxilyzer 5000 at the West Virginia State Police Academy, and training of District Sergeants to perform monthly inspections on all field units. Another aspect of breath alcohol is the repair and calibration of portable breath testers (PBTs) which is required every 90-days for nearly 400 units in the field at this time. All the above listed duties must also be covered by expert testimony in courts and DMV hearings. Breath test equipment being used in the State of West Virginia is the Intoxilyzer 5000 Model 768 for secondary chemical testing. Two preliminary breath test units in use are the Intoxilyzer S-D2 and the ALCO Sensor III.

2. BLOOD ALCOHOL

Blood alcohol analysis is also carried out in the Toxicology Section. Any DUI arrest may include a subsequent drawing of the suspects blood which will be analyzed for the presence of alcohol. The evidence is received, an analysis is carried out by Gas Chromatography, a report generated, and the evidence is returned to the arresting officer. In the event that these results are challenged in court, expert testimony is provided by the analyst. These cases currently run about 500 a year. Also of some note, the Toxicology Section determines the alcohol content of alcoholic beverages seized in illegal activities.

3. DRUG TOXICOLOGY

If an officer believes that a DUI suspect is under the influence of some type of drug or drugs, blood or urine may be submitted for tests to determine their presence. This evidence will be screened by an enzyme multiplied immunoassay test (EMIT) to determine which class of drugs are present so that an extraction may be performed to separate that particular drug from the sample. After the extraction is performed, a confirmation is performed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GCMS) on the extracted drug, a report is generated and the evidence is returned to the arresting officer. As with blood alcohol analysis, expert testimony is provided by the analyst and these cases currently run about 200 per year.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants are required to have a Bachelor of Science Degree in the natural sciences, preferably in Chemistry or Biology.