Forensic analysis of soil and sediment traces by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis: an experimental investigation

Forensic Science International : Synergy
K Pye, D J Croft

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a series of experiments carried out to determine the precision of soil trace comparisons based on elemental peak height ratios determined by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXRA) in a variable pressure scanning electron microscope (VP-SEM). Experiments were conducted on 'bulk' soil aggregates, ground powders prepared from the <150 microm soil fractions and on smears of both the bulk soil and <150 microm material placed on cotton cloth. X-ray count data were obtained using area scans and spot analyses at different magnifications. The effects on elemental peak height ratios of varying the SEM chamber pressure, beam spot size, emission current and accelerating voltage were also examined. The peak height ratios for oxygen, silicon, aluminium, potassium, calcium and iron were found to show little variation as a function of chamber pressure, spot size and emission current over the ranges examined, but a strong dependency on accelerating voltage was observed. Within-sample variation in results, expressed by the percentage coefficient of variation, was found to be lowest for area scan analyses of the ground <150 microm fractions and greatest for the spot analyses of the bulk soil aggregates and the ...Continue Reading

References

Feb 18, 2004·Science & Justice : Journal of the Forensic Science Society·D J Croft, K Pye
Apr 7, 2004·Forensic Science International : Synergy·Salih CengizAytekin Sevindik

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Citations

Apr 5, 2011·Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry·Sarah C Jantzi, José R Almirall
Dec 3, 2014·Forensic Science International : Synergy·Brenda WoodsJames Robertson
Sep 1, 2015·Forensic Science International : Synergy·Monica ChimutsaT Komang Ralebitso-Senior
Nov 3, 2007·Forensic Science International : Synergy·P A BullJ Freudiger-Bonzon
Apr 16, 2015·PloS One·Neal S GranthamRobert R Dunn
Jun 25, 2020·Journal of Forensic Sciences·Samara Alves TestoniJorge Andrade Junqueira Neto
Nov 3, 2020·Analytical Methods : Advancing Methods and Applications·Preeti SangwanNeelkamal Sharma
Mar 11, 2020·Forensic Science International : Synergy·Can HuJun Zhu
Oct 23, 2019·Forensic Science International : Synergy·Hitomi S KikkawaRitsuko Sugita
May 9, 2009·Analytical Chemistry·T A BrettellJ R Almirall

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