does anyone know how long a poison such as arsenic be detected in lab work on someone?

Question

i have a friend that has been ill first with vomiting for months then seizures and all sorts of nerve damage as well as other health problems. i didnt know anyone could be as sick as she. her husband took total care of her as she lay ill. she has left her husband about a month ago. since they have been apart her energy has come back gradually, she no longer vomits her last seizure was one week after leaving him. we are very suspicious because his first wife died mysteriously with no autopsy. she is gong to the doctor soon to get some lab tests done to see if she was poisoned. does anyone know how long a poison can be detected. or is it too late since she left him a month ago. please i need some advice. her appointment is a few days from now and labs take a while sometimes. i know she has to wait for the results but i need some expert advice.

Answer 1

it can be detected in the hair for a long time

Answer 2

The toxicity of arsenic is relative to the type of arsenic compound used.
Arsenic in the forms in which it ordinarily occurs in foods, including the
organically bound arsenic of shrimp, is well absorbed and rapidly
eliminated in the urine. The more toxic trivalent compounds, including
arsenic trioxide, is well absorbed and excreted rather slowly.

The symptoms of acute arsenic poisoning are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
burning of the mouth and throat, and severe abdominal pain. Chronic
exposure to smaller, perhaps continued doses, results in weakness,
prostration, muscular aching, skin abnormalities, peripheral neuropathy,
and pigmentation within the fingernails.The antidote (for the acute
condition) is BAL that protects enzymes containing active thiol groups.
This usually is given in a hospital seting quickly after exposure.

Retained arsenic (as from arsenic troxide) is concentrated in hair and
fingernails. Hair samples, even some time after exposure, can be analyzed
for arsenic. Hair containing over 2 parts per million can engender
suspicion of arsenic poisoning. One should go to a medical doctor and give
him/her a health history including possible symptoms of chronic arsenic
poisoning and request that a laboratory perform arsenic analysis on hair
samples. The laboratory will take the hair in a proper sampling manner. The
laboratory must have sensitive instruments to detect small concentrations
of arsenic in the hair, e.g., neutron activation technique is one example
of sensitive instrumentation. There are others. It is very difficult to
predict if an increased arsenic hair concentration,after many months after
possible arsenic chronic poisoning exposure, can still be observed.

Answer 3

Hair studies can detect poisons for years if the hair is allowed to grow for that long. Suggest a hair study be done.

Some labs:
http://www.pathology.unc.edu/labs/test/a/as_hair.htm#comments

http://www.ithyroid.com/hair_analysis.htm

http://www.balanceyournutrition.com/add_mineralanalysis.htm

The important thing to remember is that these tests are not forensic, since with you sending it in, there is no chain of custody. Once you have the results, take them to the police if they indicate poisonous levels so a forensic sample can be taken.

Answer 4

Well if she was sick for months and you assume it was arsenic, it should still be detectable. And if none is found, you should really make sure she finds out what caused her to get so sick. Also, if he was feeding her some kind of arsenic it would probably be in something she ate/drank everyday. So ask her what he would give her that he wouldnt eat/drink and if she can get ahold of that have it tested as well!

Answer 5

If the ex-wife is suspicious she may have been poisioned by her ex, the best course of action is to go to the police and voice your concerns to a detective and see what they have to say. Certainly, proceed with the tests. I assume that the people who took the tests are aware there is suspicion of a toxic agent....

Answer 6

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