Abstract
The purposeful search for the “Eureka!” moment is a fruitless effort; the “Aha!” event has to come to you. However, by being attentive and aware, an individual can nurture behavior to encourage an insightful experience to occur. That is exactly what happened to me.
I learned to use the First Edition of Fundamentals of Analytical Toxicology by bouncing through the text searching for answers to analytical questions that invariably emerged when I examined toxicity issues. Since I reviewed the First Edition 1 , I learned how to use Fundamentals of Analytical Toxicology and find answers for analytical support as expressed in the vernacular: the hard way. I thought it would be a novel experience to do a review of a book for which I had familiarity by using the updated edition to solve a real problem, one that I was currently addressing. With some simple restructuring by the authors and the ability to use word searching capability of the electronic version of the second edition, I had my “Eureka!” moment. The opening of my horizon continued!
Investigating Fundamentals of Analytical Toxicology, Second Edition, brings into focus 3 necessary dimensions of toxicology: (1) the adverse effects caused by a toxicant; (2) the level of the toxicant that causes the adverse effects; and (3) the level of the toxicant at which no adverse effects are seen. We toxicologists intensely study the adverse effects of a toxicant, but we can’t lose sight of the reality that two-thirds of our job description is associated with quantitation of the toxicant and therefore analytics. The authors, in speaking to the readers of their text, could use a phrase out of the Urban Dictionary: “we have you covered” on the “levels of toxicants.”
The book contains approximately 600 pages which are segmented into 4 major sections: A. The Basics; B. Separation Science; C. Essential Pharmacokinetics; and D. Analytical Toxicology. The textual material is preceded with an outlined Table of Contents (TOC) and followed by an Index. When the text is used as a reference volume, a manner in which it will most be used, the Index falls short if used solely as a means to find content; however, when used with the outstanding TOC, a user will be able to find necessary information. The best approach to locating information is to use an electronic version of the text and conduct a word search for desired information and material.
So, here it is: my “Eureka!” moment. During the course of addressing a toxicological problem, I needed to describe the concept of the sensitivity of the method that was used to obtain the analytical results of a toxicant that I used in my report. When I went to the Index of the text, the term “sensitivity” was not listed. In retrospect, that’s not surprising and it is not a flaw in the text because “sensitivity” is a universal concept when discussing analytical procedures like air is to a discussion of respiration. I did a word search using the electronic version of the text and found 197 incidences of the term “sensitivity.” Not only did the text take me back to school about an analytical procedure, but it also gave me ample options on how to describe “sensitivity” for my audience. This example further illustrates the text’s value: fundamental (true to the book’s title) concepts and principles are inculcated within the descriptive and explanatory content. I will not go so far as to say it can make the reader a better writer, but the text does provide a good opportunity for a toxicologist to enrich the reporting of toxicological findings.
In the first section, A. The Basics, there are 6 chapters: 1. “Analytical Toxicology—Overview”; 2. “Sample Collection, Transport, and Storage”; 3. “Basic Laboratory Operations”; 4. “Aspects of Sample Preparation”; 5. “Color Tests and Spectrophotometric and Luminescence Techniques”; and 6. “Immunoassays and Related Assays.” These 6 chapters cover the analytical techniques that are normally used in the definitive identification and quantification of toxicants. This section constitutes approximately 25% of the book and is structured in such a manner that if necessary, the user can jump into a richer experience with a more intense exploration of the technologies for the various analytical procedures and techniques that described, either elsewhere in the text or through the copious array of references.
The second section, B. “Separation Science,” constitutes about 30% of the book and is structured in a way that it addresses routine separations of chemical constituents contained in extracts from biological samples that were described in fourth chapter and in more detail in chapter 18—“Laboratory Testing for Substance Misuse.” Any toxicologist who has worn the “white coat” knows how knotty separations associated with biologic matrices can be. Yet, the book uses and describes the very different concepts of matrix (tissue, separation medium, and body fluid) with ease and clarity. The authors make separations from a matrix extract understandable with the same clarity that they used to describe isolations from a biologic matrix. The reader will have the adequate resources in the text to carry out separations necessary for a toxicological investigation ranging from the equivalent of separation tree logs from boulders to locating needles in haystacks.
Section C contains only 2 chapters, but they cover important aspects of the dynamics of toxicants in animals. Section C—“Essential Pharmacokinetics,” contains chapter 15—“Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion of Xenobiotics” and chapter 16—“Pharmacokinetics.” This 2-chapter section is not intended to be an all-encompassing treatise on pharmacokinetics; the reader can get the in-depth treatment elsewhere. Rather, this section is a welcomed opportunity to give context to the various analytical processes and procedures that a reader may engage. In addition, section C provides a bridge for sections A and B to section D—“Analytical Toxicology.” With section C, the reader does not have to go to a different text to put analytical results into a context.
The final section of the book, section D, is approximately 30% of the text and covers the applied dimension of analytical toxicology. In this section, there are topics such as alcohol testing, substance abuse, sources of biologic samples beyond the standard sources of blood and urine, drug monitoring for detecting presumptive positives for nontherapeutic drugs and drug monitoring for verifying levels of therapeutic drugs. Section D puts it all together and does so in a very practical way. The best description of the practicality of any analytical toxicology effort is described in Box 17.1 Questions when deciding to implement point of contact testing. The questions outlined in the informational box provide a structure not only for the analytical toxicologist but also for the toxicologist who will be using the analytical data to make risk assessments. Box 17.1 contains 7 questions, beginning with “What are the reasons for testing?” and concludes with “Will it be cost effective?” Just in case, toxicologists are called upon to explain the fruits of their efforts or to justify their existence, Box 17.1 outlines that justification.
There are some aspects of reality that are not open to much, if any, interpretation or discussion. One example is that a coin has 2 sides. The concept of a 1-sided coin challenges the imagination. Closer to the discussion here, toxicology and its practice is very much like a coin: adverse effects of a toxicant and the amount of the toxicant to cause the adverse effects are both necessary to explain the complete realm of toxicity. It is that 2-sided toxicological coin that allows us to understand Paracelsus’ foundational insight “the dose makes the poison.” 2 When it is important to understand the essence of toxicity, Fundamentals of Analytical Toxicology, Second Edition should be at your elbow along with the toxicology text of your choice.