Developing the Forensic Applications of the Organic Component of Sediments

It is well established that geoforensic evidence can make a valuable contribution to a forensic investigation in criminal proceedings. The physical, chemical and biological components of sediments can all offer highly environmentally specific indicators that can aid the comparison of samples recovered from relevant locations and/or exhibits, and indeed offer an indication of the provenance of the sediment. Whilst there has been a growing body of research addressing the capabilities of the physical and chemical components of sediments (and to a large degree the pollen constituent) in addition to developing improved methods of recovery and analysis, there has been less attention focussed on other biological components that can be present and the organic signatures of sediments. This paper presents research that has been carried out to assess the ability of this underutilised component of soil/sediment samples to provide meaningful and valuable intelligence and evidence to an investigation.