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Forensic Science

Trace evidence

Projects/Programs

Displaying 1 - 15 of 15

Drug Analysis - Opioids and Emerging Threats

Ongoing
Package Interdiction Many synthetic opioids and novel psychoactive substances enter the country through international mail. Research in this area focuses on measurement challenges associated with detection and analysis of these packages at the point of seizure in international mail facilities

Fingerprint Chemistry

Ongoing
Verification Test Materials (VTMs) for Fingerprint Developing Reagents The forensic community has no quantifiable QA/QC method for determining the efficacy of fingerprint developing reagents prior to use in casework. Reagents can be exposed to environmental conditions in the field that can expedite

Fire Debris and Explosives

Ongoing
Fire Debris Fire debris analysis involves the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data of debris collected from fire scenes. Samples are typically analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry which results in a complicated chromatogram that must be interpreted. Projects in this area are

Forensic Chemistry

Ongoing
Drug Analysis - Opioids and Emerging Threats This program primarily seeks to support the needs of the > 400 publicly funded state, local, and tribal forensic laboratories in the United States. The increased complexity of the analysis needed to keep pace with these emerging threats has resulted in
Photo of broken laminated windshield glass

Glass Evidence Analysis

Ongoing
Quantitative XRF Glass Database Recent research efforts in the forensic trace field have focused on the development of databases to assign a significance to forensic evidence (i.e., to report the strength of an association or exclusion). In the forensic analysis of glass using µ-XRF, samples are

Ion Mobility Spectrometry

Ongoing
IMS employs a drift tube with an applied electric field to separate ionized molecules based on their mobility. The technique is robust and capable of differentiating a wide range of drug and explosive molecules. Recent work has sought to investigate the utility of IMS for screening of illicit
Breathalyzer

Standards Development to Ensure Reliable Breath Analysis in the Field

Ongoing
Numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been identified in human breath. These compounds can be produced by the body or by organisms in the body (e.g., bacteria or viruses) and provide a non-invasive window into human health. Inexpensive point-of-care devices are being developed to diagnose

Surface Desorption Ambient Mass Spectrometry

Ongoing
The Surface and Trace Chemical Analysis Group maintains a range of research avenues into the characterization, analysis, and optimization of various commercial and in-house developed surface desorption ion sources. These research avenues also aim to advance our fundamental understanding of the

Thermal Desorption Ambient Mass Spectrometry

Ongoing
The Surface and Trace Chemical Analysis Group is involved in a number of research avenues for the rapid screening of wipe-collected samples for the security and forensic chemistry fields. Similar to the widely-deploy ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) systems for screening, this is accomplished through
Photo of blood droplets

Toxicology

Ongoing
Development of Low-Volume Drop Blood Drug Screening Tools This project aims to leverage recent NIST advances in ambient ionization mass spectrometry to develop platforms for low-volume blood drug screening. Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) and Paper Spray Ionization Mass

Trace Contraband Detection

Ongoing
Screening of people and their belongings including luggage, vehicles, and packages for the presence of trace residues of explosives and narcotics (trace contraband detection) is widely used in aviation security and law enforcement. In common screening scenarios, trace contraband residues in the form
Breathalyzer

Vapor Sampling in the Field

Ongoing
Breath sampling of cannabis users. Several versions of breath collection devices are being marketed for the detection of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) in the breath of cannabis users. THC is not directly correlated to intoxication but may indicate recent smoking or vaping. THC and other
Dvme-Schematic

Vapor Sampling to Support Public Safety and Forensics

Ongoing
Vapor pressures of unstable, reactive compounds. Over the last decade, our group has investigated a variety of low-volatility compounds including taggants (found in explosives), biofuels, terpenes and cannabinoids. Dynamic vapor microextraction (DVME), developed at NIST, is a small-volume dynamic