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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

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

David Freehling, Subcommittee Vice Chair, North Carolina State Crime Laboratory

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

Members

Tracy Adams, Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory

Candice Bridge, National Center for Forensic Science at UCF

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

Brenda Christy, Virginia Department of Forensic Sciences

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

Kristin Crawford, North Carolina State Crime Laboratory

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

Derek Dorrien, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory

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

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, Forensic and Scientific Testing, Inc. 

Monica Joshi, West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Kim Kunkler, Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences

Christine Lopol, Travelers Indemnity Company

Christine Marsh, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Kristina May, Onondaga County Center for Forensic Sciences

Geraldine Monjardez, Sam Houston State University

Amy Motosue, Honolulu Police Department

Kyle Osborne, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory 

Koren Powers, West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory 

Jill Prados, Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory 

William Randle, Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory

Amy Reynolds, Boston Police Department Crime Laboratory

Jacqueline Ruchti, Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal

Joseph Stephens, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Kelly Wouters, Armstrong Forensic Laboratory, Inc. 

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 E2881-25 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 (added September 1, 2026)
  • ANSI/ASTM E2997-25 Standard Test Method for Analysis of Biodiesel Products by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (added September 1, 2026)
  • ANSI/ASTM E2998-25a Standard Practice for Characterization and Classification of Smokeless Powder (added September 1, 2026)
  • ANSI/ASTM E2999-25a Standard Test Method for Analysis of Organic Compounds in Smokeless Powder by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (added September 1, 2026)
  • 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 E3307-24 Standard Practice for the Collection and Preservation of Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) (added September 2, 2025)
  • 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 E3345-26 Standard Practice for Opinions on the Interpretation of Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDS) (added September 1, 2026)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3391-24 Standard Terminology Relating to Gunshot Residue Analysis (added October 1, 2024)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3423-24 Standard Guide for Forensic Analysis of Explosives by Polarized Light Microscopy (added September 2, 2025)
  • ANSI/ASTM E3497-26 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 July 7, 2026)
  • 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)

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 Standard Practice for Separation of Ignitable Liquid Residues from Fire Debris Samples by Dynamic Headspace Concentration onto an Adsorbent Tube
  • ASTM E1588-2x Standard Test Method for Gunshot Residue Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry
  • ANSI/ASTM E1618-2x Standard Test Method for Ignitable Liquid Residues in Extracts from Fire Debris Samples 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 E3309-2x Standard Guide for Reporting of Forensic Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDS)
  • ASTM WK72526 Standard Practice for Expert Opinions on the Interpretation of Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry
  • ASTM WK73117 Standard Forensic Explosives Analysis Training Program
  • ASTM WK73482 Standard Practice for Reporting Results and Opinions of Ignitable Liquids Analysis 
  • ASTM WK73484 Standard Practice for Reporting Results and Opinions of Explosives Analysis
  • ASTM WK75150 Standard Training in the Forensic Examination of Fire Debris
  • ASTM WK85367 Standard Practice for the Identification of Compounds Related to Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)
  • ASTM WK85368 Standard Practice for the Identification of Compounds Related to Organic Gunshot Residue (OGSR) by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
  • ASTM WK88832 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 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)

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 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

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