Forensic science is getting a makeover, and it's all thanks to something as small as a drop of blood. Dried Blood Spot (DBS) cards are becoming the talk of the town, especially in toxicology. These little cards are not just easy to use but also super efficient. Scientists have been working hard to make them even better. They wanted to see if they could use DBS cards ...
Coastal areas often bear the brunt of human activities, with pollutants seeping into the water and settling into the sediments. Among the creatures affected are golden kelp, E. radiata, which can't just up and leave when things get tough. They have to toughen up or adapt to survive. Scientists wanted to see how two groups of these kelp, living in different parts of ...
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have become a hot topic in research lately. Scientists are digging deep to understand how these chemicals affect our health. They are found almost everywhere, from the food we eat to the water we drink, even in the air we breathe. These chemicals can sneak into our bodies through many ways, and their effects can be quite ...
In the heart of Brazil's Ceará coast, the Cocó River tells a story of urban life's hidden impact. This river, surrounded by bustling cities, is a hotspot for various pollutants. Scientists dove deep into this issue, checking water, sediment, and even the creatures living there. They found a shocking number of pollutants, like PCBs, pesticides, and flame retardants, l...
When someone gets hurt or commits a crime, figuring out what drugs they took can be crucial. Usually, experts look for drugs in blood or other body fluids. But what if those aren't available? That's where things get tricky. Sometimes, the only clues left are on clothes, bedding, or other items. These items can have biological materials like vomit or stains that migh...
The world of toxicology is changing. Researchers have been exploring new ways to test how harmful substances affect living things. One exciting development is the use of three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures. These 3D models are better at mimicking real tissues than the old flat (2D) cell layers. However, using 3D fish cell models in toxicology studies is still ra...
Japan has a rich history in the realm of drug metabolism and disposition. This is clear when looking at the contributions made by Japanese researchers to the journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition over the last 50 years. Their work has significantly shaped the field, focusing on drug metabolism, membrane transport, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology. One of the most n...
Cadmium is a sneaky pollutant that sticks around and causes trouble for living things. It's everywhere, and it's not going away anytime soon. Scientists are trying to figure out just how dangerous it can be. They looked at how different amounts and ways of getting cadmium into the body affect rats. Three groups of rats got a single dose of cadmium chloride. One group...
When dealing with deceased individuals, forensic pathologists often face challenges in collecting biological samples for toxicology tests. This is especially true when the bladder is empty or the body is dehydrated. However, there is a new method gaining attention: washing the bladder with saline to gather any remaining urine. This technique, known as bladder wash, i...
Plastic waste is a huge problem that everyone talks about. But, there's more to it than what we can see. Plastics are made with various additives, like plasticisers, to make them useful. When these plastics end up in water, the additives can leak out. This is bad news for aquatic life. Scientists have been studying this, but there's still a lot we don't know. The fo...