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The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science

Ignitable Liquids, Explosives & Gunshot Residue Subcommittee

OSAC Ignitable Liquids, Explosives & GSR SC icon only

The Ignitable Liquids, Explosives, & Gunshot Residue Subcommittee focuses on standards and guidelines related to the scientific examination and analysis of materials associated with fire and explosion investigations and the analysis of evidence that results from the deposition of or physical transfer of small or minute quantities of gunshot residue.

Officers | Members | Standards | Other Work Products

 

Officers

Brenda Christy, Subcommittee Chair, Virginia Department of Forensic Science 

Thomas (Rusty) White, Subcommittee Co-Vice Chair, Texas DPS Crime Laboratory

Kim Kunkler, Subcommittee Co-Vice Chair, Marshall University

Emily Weber, Subcommittee Executive Secretary, Hamilton County Coroner's Office 

Members

Michael Baker, Missouri State Highway Patrol

Marissa Bluestine, Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Law School (Legal Task Group representative)

Jessica Brown, Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory

Douglas Byron, Forensic & Scientific Testing, Inc.

Ryan Campbell, St. Louis County Police Crime Laboratory

Erika Chen, New York Police Department Laboratory (Terminology Task Group representative)

John Chester, Indiana State Police

Michelle Clarke, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

Andrew Cohen, University of Massachusetts, Amherst (Human Factors Task Group representative)

Lauryn DeGreeff, Florida International University 

Andreana Dimakakos, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Michelle Evans, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

David Freehling, North Carolina State Crime Laboratory

Robert Gillette, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Trevor Gillis, Santa Clara County District Attorney's Crime Laboratory

Tarah Helsel, RJ Lee Group, Inc. 

Christina Henry, Santa Clara County Crime Laboratory

Laura Hernandez, Verity Labs, Inc.

Steven Hoenig, American Public University

Mary Keehan, Virginia Department of Forensic Science

Christine Lopol, Travelers Indemnity Company

Christine Marsh, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Kristina May, Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences

Michael McCarriagher, Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Amy Motosue, Honolulu Police Department

Danica Ommen, Iowa State University (Statistics Task Group Chair)

Kyle Osborne, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL)

Koren Powers, West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory (Quality Task Group representative)

Jill Prados, Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory (Trace Materials Subcommittee affiliate)

William Randle, Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory

Kelly Wouters, Armstrong Forensic Laboratory, Inc. 

ILEGSR Affiliate List

Standards

On the OSAC Registry

  • ANSI/ASTM E1386-23 Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Solvent Extraction (added May 6, 2025)
  • ANSI/ASTM E1388-24 Standard Practice for Static Headspace Sampling of Vapors from Fire Debris Samples (added September 3, 2024)
  • ANSI/ASTM E1412-19 Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Passive Headspace Concentration with Active Charcoal (added December 1, 2020)
  • ANSI/ASTM E1413-19 Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Dynamic Headspace Concentration onto an Adsorbent Tube (added December 1, 2020)
  • ANSI/ASTM E1588-20 Standard Practice for Gunshot Residue Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (added September 7, 2021)
  • ANSI/ASTM E2451-21 Standard Practice for Preserving Ignitable Liquids and Ignitable Liquid Residue Extracts from Fire Debris Standards (added April 5, 2022)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3189-19 Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Static Headspace Concentration onto an Adsorbent Tube (added December 1, 2020)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3196-21 Standard Terminology Relating to the Examination of Explosives (added July 5, 2022)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3197-23 Standard Terminology Relating to Examination of Fire Debris (added September 3, 2024)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3245-20e1 Standard Guide for Systematic Approach to the Extraction, Analysis, and Classification of Ignitable Liquids and Ignitable Liquid Residues in Fire Debris Samples (added May 4, 2021)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3253-21 Standard Practice for Establishing an Examination Scheme for Intact Explosives (added July 5, 2022)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3284-23 Standard Practice for Training in the Forensic Examination of Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Using Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDS) (added September 3, 2024)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3309-21 Standard Guide for Reporting of Forensic Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDS) (added September 6, 2022)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3329-21e1 Standard Practice for Establishing an Examination Scheme for Explosive Residues (added July 5, 2022)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3391-24 Standard Terminology Relating to Gunshot Residue Analysis (added October 1, 2024)
  • OSAC 2021-N-0009 Standard Practice for the Collection and Preservation of Organic Gushot Residue (added December 7, 2021)
  • OSAC 2022-S-0002 Standard Practice for the Identification of Compounds Related to Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) (added January 5, 2023)
  • OSAC 2022-S-0003 Standard Practice for the Identification of Compounds Related to Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) (added January 5, 2023)
  • OSAC 2022-S-0023 Standard Practice for the Forensic Analysis of Explosives by Polarized Light Microscopy (added July 5, 2023)
  • OSAC 2023-N-0010 Standard Practice for the Collection of Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Particles from Clothing Vehicles and Other Inanimate Objects using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Stubs (added November 7, 2023)

Published by a Standards Developing Organization (SDO); [Pending Evaluation & OSAC Acceptance for Registry]

At an SDO for Further Development & Publication

  • ASTM E1412-2x Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Passive Headspace Concentration with Active Charcoal
  • ASTM E1413-2x Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Dynamic Headspace Concentration onto an Adsorbent Tube
  • ASTM E1618-2x Standard Test Method for Ignitable Liquid Residues in Extracts from Fire Debris Samples by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • ASTM E2881-2x Standard Test Method for Extraction and Derivatization of Vegetable Oils and Fats from Fire Debris and Liquid Samples with Analysis by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • ASTM E2997-2x Standard Test Method for Analysis of Biodiesel Products by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • ASTM E3189-2x Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Static Headspace Concentration onto an Adsorbent Tube
  • ASTM WK72526 Guide for Opinions on the Interpretation of Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDS)
  • ASTM WK72856 Practice for the Collection, Preservation, and Analysis of Organic Gunshot Residue
  • ASTM WK73117 Forensic Explosives Analysis Training Program
  • ASTM WK73482 Practice for Reporting Results and Opinions of Ignitable Liquids Analysis 
  • ASTM WK73484 Practice for Reporting Results and Opinions of Explosives Analysis
  • ASTM WK75150 Practice for Training in the Forensic Examination of Fire Debris
  • ASTM WK80705 Relating to Gunshot Residue Analysis
  • ASTM WK81724 Classification for Ignitable Liquids Encountered in Fire Debris Analysis
  • ASTM WK85367 Practice for the Identification of Compounds Related to Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)
  • ASTM WK85368 Practice for the Identification of Compounds Related to Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
  • ASTM WK88832 Practice for The Collection of Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Particles from Clothing, Vehicles, and Other Inanimate Objects using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Stubs
  • OSAC 2021-N-0009 Standard Practice for the Collection and Preservation of Organic Gushot Residue (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry)
  • OSAC 2022-S-0002 Standard Practice for the Identification of Compounds Related to Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry)
  • OSAC 2022-S-0003 Standard Practice for the Identification of Compounds Related to Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry)
  • OSAC 2022-S-0023 Standard Practice for the Forensic Analysis of Explosives by Polarized Light Microscopy (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry)
  • OSAC 2023-N-0010 Standard Practice for the Collection of Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Particles from Clothing Vehicles and Other Inanimate Objects using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Stubs (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry)

Under Development

  • OSAC 2025-S-0019 Standard Practice for the Characterization of Solid Oxidizer and Fuel Explosive(s)

Other Work Products

Reference Documents

Research & Development Needs

Standards Development Maps

Discipline-Specific Bibliographies and Bibliographic References 

These documents may contain information to help forensic scientists, judges, lawyers, researchers, and other readers better understand the nature, scope, and foundations of the individual disciplines as currently practiced. The identification of these documents does not represent an endorsement by OSAC or NIST. Only standards that are posted on the OSAC Registry and Technical Guidance documents, are endorsed by OSAC. The referenced documents may be subject to copyright. Note: Subcommittee position statements or responses to data collections by the subcommittee do not necessarily represent the position of OSAC or NIST.

Historical References:

Resources:

TWGFEX: Fire Debris Training:

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Module 4

Module 5

Module 6

Module 7

Module 8

Module 9

Module 10

Module 11

Module 12

Module 13

Module 14

Module 15

Module 16

Module 17

Gunshot Residue