Re: What is the use of urinalysis testing in forensic science?

Greetings,

The analysis of a urine sample in forensics is usually done to determine whether drugs are present. This area of forensic science is called Toxicology. For example, urine samples may be analyzed from prospective employees to determine whether or not they have used drugs. Urine samples can also be collected and analyzed from bodies, however, blood samples are usually analyzed in this case.

The analysis can be perfromed very quickly using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The peaks coming off the machine are compared to known drugs in a library (reference collection stored on a computer) by a computer.

There is a great deal of information regarding the types of analyses performed available on the internet. I recommend the following sources: http://www.forensicpage.com/new24.htm and www.abarbour.net.

Good luck in your project.

Dale Laux
Forensic Scientist