re: Mizzou Senior missing in Nashville-*UPDATED*-Found Deceased

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How accurate are toxicology tests after being in the water for 14 days?

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Evidence shows that alcohol can be produced postmortem in a submerged body by microbial contamination and fermentation, and this phenomenon is even more significant the higher the water temperature and the longer the submersion time.

Compared to alcohol postmortem changes, very little is known about the long-term stability of drugs in bodies found in water.

Postmortem redistribution of drugs is a well-known phenomenon that is likely to affect the concentrations of certain drugs.

Finally, the possible difference between saltwater and freshwater drowning on drug concentrations is still to be investigated.

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