Soil in Criminal and Environmental Forensics: Proceedings of the Soil Forensics Special, 6th European Academy of Forensic Science Conference, The Hague

340 Pages·2016·15.183 MB·English

by  Henk Kars, Lida van den Eijkel (eds.)

Soil Forensics
Henk Kars
Lida van den Eijkel
Editors
Soil in Criminal
and Environmental
Forensics
Proceedings of the Soil
Forensics Special, 6th European
Academy of Forensic Science
Conference, The Hague
Soil Forensics
Series editor
Henk Kars
Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences
VU University Amsterdam
Amsterdam , The Netherlands
To be a forum for all (scientifi c) workers in the rather fragmented fi eld of Soil
Forensics. This fragmented character is intrinsic to multidisciplinary research fi elds
and a common platform for the exchange of knowledge and discussion is therefore
heavily needed. To promote the fi eld of Soil Forensics in academia, in forensic
research institutes, legal profession/jurisdiction organisations and for the general
public (science sections in newspapers). To contribute to a high scientifi c standard
of the fi eld. To be attractive for publishing in the series it is peer reviewed in order
to be competitive with journals such as Forensic Science International.
More information about this series at h ttp://www.springer.com/series/11807
Henk Kars • Lida van den Eijkel
Editors
Soil in Criminal and
Environmental Forensics
Proceedings of the Soil Forensics Special,
6th European Academy of Forensic Science
Conference, The Hague
Editors
Henk Kars Lida van den Eijkel
Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences Netherlands Forensic Institute
VU University Amsterdam The Hague , The Netherlands
Amsterdam , The Netherlands
ISSN 2214-4293 ISSN 2214-4315 (electronic)
Soil Forensics
ISBN 978-3-319-33113-3 ISBN 978-3-319-33115-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-33115-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016951948
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
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Pref ace
In this fi rst volume of a newly established series on soil forensics, the reader will
fi nd a collection of papers based on contributions to the soil forensics sessions that
were a part of the 6th triennial conference of the European Academy of Forensic
Sciences in the Hague in 2012. They represent a cross section of the many contribu-
tions: 34 oral presentations, a workshop and a forum in a total of 12 sessions, and,
in addition, another 18 posters on display throughout the conference.
The soil sessions of the conference, also the 4th meeting of the world-wide Soil
Forensics International (SFI) network, attracted contributors from all corners of the
globe, refl ecting the fact that everywhere soils are recognized as a source of mean-
ingful forensic information.
T ogether the contributors showed the multiple uses of soil forensics in the differ-
ent areas of law enforcement these days. In criminal investigation, soil is studied as
trace evidence and as a place where victims are buried and decay. In environmental
investigations, the quality of soil as such is studied, since everywhere soil is pro-
tected by law from pollution and mismanagement. All forensic soil examinations
however share common ground: fi eldwork at crime scenes, sampling procedures,
and laboratory analysis to gather data, followed by the diffi cult task of interpreting
the obtained results given the enormous complexity of soil with its many functions,
the multitude of processes that take place in it, and its big variability in space and
time.
D uring the conference, much experience with this complicated material was
shared among all participants, both practitioners doing casework and academic
researchers involved in the fundamental development of soil forensics. Finally, in a
forum, questions and insights that had emerged during the sessions were discussed,
leading to some recommendations for the community of forensic soil scientists to
work on in the future. For instance, what’s in a name? Soil forensics deals with the
study of soils as depicted above, and it is, as is the case with the whole fi eld of
forensic science, an inter- to multidisciplinary discipline, with extremely important
transdisciplinary aspects. It was felt, therefore, that a widely accepted common ter-
minology for all aspects of this fi eld is urgently needed for the research community
and end users in law enforcement.
v
vi Preface
Another concern was related to the fragmentary nature of the current practice of
forensic soil science. It is an applied science, but the fi eld covers the whole range of
research, from service-on-demand work at one end to fundamental interdisciplinary
research at the other. The research community of soil forensics however is com-
posed of numerous small groups or even individual researchers all over the world.
It is a challenge of vital importance to this community to create larger research
groups and interaction on (inter)national levels. Cooperation and exchange will help
to be more successful with funding bodies and will further improve the quality of
soil forensics and keep it up to date – all with the fi nal goal of increasing its strength
of evidence for the end users in law enforcement.
T his book gives the reader a broad view on the current practice of soil forensics
in case work and the research that is taking place internationally to further develop
this fi eld. The contents can of course be studied from a specialist point of view,
focusing on the particular aspect that one is interested in, but for forensic applica-
tions of soil science, it is essential to keep in mind and elaborate on the themes as
discussed by the forum. The aim of this book is to contribute substantially to the
importance of soil forensics as a truly forensic expertise.
Amsterdam , The Netherlands Henk Kars
The Hague , The Netherlands Lida van den Eijkel
Contents
Part I Criminal Soil Forensics: The Examination
of Traces and Legal Context
1 Forensic Palynology: Checking Value of Pollen Analysis
as a Tool to Identify Crime Scene in Semiarid Environments ............ 3
M. Munuera-Giner and J.S. Carrión
2 Forensic Palynology: How Pollen in Dry Grass Can
Link to a Crime Scene ............................................................................ 15
Martina Weber and Silvia Ulrich
3 Geological Analysis of Soil and Anthropogenic Material.
Three Case Studies .................................................................................. 25
Rosa Maria Di Maggio
4 Forensic Soil Analysis: Case Study of Looting
at a Roman-Visigothic Burial Vault ....................................................... 45
Enrique Santillana , Jose C. Cordero , and Francisco Alamilla
5 Soil Comparisons Using Small Soil Traces, A Case Report ................ 61
Stefan Uitdehaag , Frederike Quaak , and Irene Kuiper
6 Forensic Comparison of Soil Samples ................................................... 71
Jisook Min , Kiwook Kim , Sangcheol Heo , and Yurim Jang
7 Reinstating Soil Examination as a Trace Evidence
Sub-discipline .......................................................................................... 107
Brenda Woods , Chris Lennard , K. Paul Kirkbride ,
and James Robertson
8 Methodology of Forensic Soil Examination in Russia
and a View on the World Standardization Process .............................. 121
Olga Gradusova and Ekaterina Nesterina
vii
viii Contents
Part II Environmental Soil Forensics: Tools for Spatial
and Chemical Analysis
9 Geographical Information Systems – A Working
Example in the Brazilian Federal Police for Fighting
Environmental Crime ............................................................................. 139
Daniel Araujo Miranda and Daniel Russo
10 Forensic Characterization of Gasoline Releases Impacting
the Environment ...................................................................................... 153
Gil Oudijk
11 A General Overview of Pesticides in Soil: Requirement
of Sensitive and Current Residue Analysis Methods ........................... 163
Sevcan Semen , Selda Mercan , and Munevver Acikkol
Part IIIa Searches: Cooperation, Strategies and Techniques
12 A Study of pH as an Influencing Factor in the Survival
of Human Remains at Sites Investigated by the Independent
Commission for the Location of Victims Remains ............................... 183
N. A. McCullagh
13 Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Search and Location
of Buried Bodies: A United Kingdom Context ..................................... 201
Karl Harrison , Lorna Dawson , and Gaille Mackinnon
14 Forensic Geophysics: How the GPR Technique Can
Help with Forensic Investigations .......................................................... 213
P. M. Barone , C. Ferrara , E. Pettinelli , and A. Fazzari
15 Filter Paper Adsorption and Ninhydrin Reagent
as Presumptive Test for Gravesoil ......................................................... 229
Martien H. F. Graumans , Tim C. W. van der Heijden ,
Aleksandra Kosinska , Maarten J. Blom , and Ben M. de Rooij
Part IIIb Burial Sites: Decomposition and Degradation Processes
16 Changes in Soil Microbial Activity Following Cadaver
Decomposition During Spring and Summer Months
in Southern Ontario ................................................................................ 243
Heloise A. Breton , Andrea E. Kirkwood , David O. Carter ,
and Shari L. Forbes
17 Soil Fauna and Their Effects on Decomposition Within
Coniferous and Deciduous Tree Soil Samples ...................................... 263
Rebecca J. Camplin , Damian Evans , and Iain D. Green
Contents ix
18 Analysis of Decomposition Fluid Collected from Carcasses
Decomposing in the Presence and Absence of Insects ......................... 275
Jenna L. Comstock , Helene N. LeBlanc , and Shari L. Forbes
19 Forensic Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds
from Decomposed Remains in a Soil Environment.............................. 297
Sonja Stadler , Jean-François Focant , and Shari L. Forbes
20 GC×GC-TOFMS, the Swiss Knife for VOC Mixtures
Analysis in Soil Forensic Investigations ................................................ 317
Pierre-Hugues Stefanuto and Jean-François Focant
21 An Investigation of the Degradation of Polymeric Grave
Goods in Soil Environments .................................................................. 331
C. Sullivan , B. H. Stuart , and P. S. Thomas
Index ................................................................................................................. 343