Soils, forensic examination

Forensic soil examination can be complex because of the diversity and in-homogeneity of soil samples. However, such diversity and complexity enables forensic examiners to distinguish between soil samples, which may appear to be similar. 

Soils can have characteristics due to human activity (anthropogenic soils). The forensic examination of soil is therefore not only concerned with the analysis of naturally occurring rocks, minerals, plant, and animal matter it also includes the detection of such manufactured materials as ions from synthetic fertilizers and from different environments (e.g., nitrate, phosphate, sulfate) and environmental artifacts (e.g., lead or objects such as glass, paint chips, asphalt, brick fragments, and cinders). Each of these materials can represent distinct soil characteristics. When unique particles are found in soil evidence, more precise and rapid discrimination can be achieved even if the amount of evidence recovered is microscopic (Sugita and Marumo 2004). For this reason, microscopy is often considered the most useful technique for the detection of such characteristic particles. 

Pye, K. (2004). Forensic examination of sediments, soils, dust and rocks using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray chemical microanalysis, in Forensic Geoscience Principles, Techniques and Applications (K. Pye and D. J. Croft, Eds.). London Geological Society Special Publication 232,103-122. 

A major problem in forensic soil examination is the limitation in the discrimination power of the standard and nonstandard procedures and methods. 

Petraco, N. (1994a). Microscopic examination of mineral grains in forensic soil analysis 1. Am. Lab. 26, 35-40. 

Sugita, R. and Marumo, Y. (1996). Validity of color examination for forensic soil identification. Forensic Sci. Int. 83,201-210. 

Soil Analysis in Forensic Taphonomy Chemical and Biological Effects of Buried Human Remains is the first book to concentrate entirely on the telling impact of soil and its components on the postmortem fate of human remains. Examining the basic physicochemical composition of the soil as it relates to forensic science and taphonomy, leading experts from across the world—... 

Construction of a hand-dug caisson is essentially a well digging exercise. During the excavation of caisson wells, the soil conditions can be assessed and buried objects can be examined. Such wells have been used in forensic work of failed structures where the soil conditions and pile conditions (depth and quality) can be examined (Yee 2003). 

Bertino, Anthony J., and Patricia N. Bertino. Forensic Science Fundamentals and Investigations. Mason, Ohio South-Western Cengage Learning, 2009. Examines the tests and techniques used for the scientific analysis of various evidence types, including hairs and fibers, DNA, handwriting, and soil. 

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