Generating information about the background abundance of material

What we are doing

We have worked with over 50 academics, forensic and other scientists, members of the judiciary, leaders from the Scottish Science Centres and a group of fantastic young people from Monifieth High School to design an initial series of citizen science projects to look at the background abundance of a range of different materials. 

Why we are doing it

When evaluating the value of a recovered piece of trace evidence (that is material that cannot be seen or that is present in very small quantities), forensic scientists are greatly helped if they have information as to what the ‘normal’ abundance of the material is in society.

We can use simple experiments, which can be undertaken by everybody to generate better knowledge about the levels of materials out in the environment to generate this ‘normal’ background data. 

We are working with Monifieth High school to prototype the first of these projects looking at how much glass is reasonable to expect to be found on the soles of someone’s shoes in the normal course of their day to day activities.

How we will do it

We are refining the design of a method of recovering and identifying glass from people’s shoes. The experiment will be tested as a prototype in different parts of the City of Dundee and the data collected and analysed.

Outputs

Creation of a universal experimental protocol for the investigation of transfer and persistence of trace evidence

Part 1 - From design to implementation for particulate evidence

Ménard, H, Cole, C, Gray, A, Mudie, R, Klu, JK & Nic Daeid, N 2021, 'Creation of a universal experimental protocol for the investigation of transfer and persistence of trace evidence: Part 1 - From design to implementation for particulate evidence', Forensic Science International: Synergy, vol. 3, 100165.  

Part 2 – Implementation and preliminary data

Ménard, H, Cole, C, Mudie, R, Klu, JK, Lawson, M, Green, S, Doyle, S, MacNeill, EH, Hamilton, B, Sheridan, K & Nic Daeid, N 2021, 'Creation of a universal experimental protocol for the investigation of transfer and persistence of trace evidence: Part 2 – Implementation and preliminary data', Forensic Science International: Synergy, vol. 3, 100164.