0000000000236472
AUTHOR
Donatella Piscionieri
Occurrence of illicit drugs in two wastewater treatment plants in the South of Italy
In this study the occurrence and the behavior of illicit drugs and their metabolites have been investigated for two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) (namely, WWTP-1 and WWTP-2) located in Sicily (island of Italy). Samples were analyzed for methamphetamine, cocaine (COC), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methadone (METH), 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP), 3,4-methylenedioxy amphetamine (MDA); 3,4-methylenedioxy ethylamphetamine (MDEA), 11-nor-9-carboxy-Î9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) and Benzoylecgonine (BEG). The BEG, COC, MOR and THC-COOH were found at the highest concentration in both WWTPs. The Wastewater-based epidemiology calculation for BEG, COC…
Medico legal procedures related to sexual assault: a 10-year retrospective experience of a Daphne protocol application
Background: Sexual assault is a worldwide problem that has not yet been sufficiently acknowledged as confirmed by the literature. Italian law n.96, 1996, foreseeing norms regarding rape and sexual abuse, finally gave significant relevance to sex crimes. In 2004, the European Commission for Justice Internal Affairs and Social Politics promoted the Daphne II program to support victims of rape and abuse, and the Violence and Operative Healthcare Networks (Ve.R.S.O.) project started at the Policlinico âP. Giacconeâ University Hospital of Palermo in 2006. Aim: data analysis emerging from 10 years experience of Daphne protocol utilization for the management of sexual assault victims. Methods:…
The Essential of Bone Histology for Forensic Applications
This chapter illustrates characteristics of bone, as specialized connective tissue, taking into account fundamentals of histology for forensic purposes (Cells of Bone, Concentric or Haversian system, Systems of internal and external circumferential lamellae, Bone Remodeling).
Illicit drugs consumption evaluation by wastewater-based epidemiology in the urban area of Palermo city (Italy)
Introduction. A wastewater-based epidemiology approach was performed to estimate the drug consumption in Palermo city, the fifth largest city of Italy with a population of 671 696 inhabitants, and to investigate the monthly variability of drug loads in wastewater from different areas of the city. A seven-months detection campaign was conducted at the two wastewater treatment plants of the city. Methods. Following a pre-treatment, 32 samples of wastewater were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results. We estimated a mean cocaine use in Palermo of 0.19 g/day/1000 people, corresponding to 1.90 doses/1000 people and cannabinoids use of 2.85 g/day/1000 people, correspo…
Postmortem Imaging in Drowning
The diagnosis of drowning is one of the most difficult in the field of forensic medicine since the autopsy findings are often not specific and the laboratory examinations are controversially appreciated by the scientific community. In a cadaver recovered from water, it is of utmost importance to differentiate antemortem and postmortem drowning. This chapter fully investigates biological/thanato-chemical, pathological and imaging findings which may guide the definitive diagnosis.
Useful Evidence by Post-Mortem CT and Stereomicroscopy in Bone Injury: A Case Series from Forensic Practice
The investigation of bone injuries is an essential topic in forensics. We sometimes have to deal with charred or dismembered human remains that have lost soft tissue, making it difficult to diagnose the mechanisms of injury that led to death. Our contribution aims to share with the scientific community how we approached two cases of very different bone injuries and the techniques used to differentiate relevant pathology findings of bone fragments. Two cases are analyzed from the case history of the forensic medicine institute of Palermo. PMCT made it possible to differentiate heat bone lesions from traumatic lesions. The stereomicroscope was superior to PMCT in being able to better characte…