Wolfram Meier‐Augenstein
Forensic stable isotope signatures: comparing, geo-locating, detecting linkage.
Meier‐Augenstein, Wolfram
Authors
Abstract
Stable isotope signatures or profiles of physical evidence such as illicit drugs,explosives or human tissue provide information on source, origin, even sample his-tory not obtainable by traditionally applied analytical techniques of forensic chemistry. The discriminatory power, calculated as random match probability, of multivariate stable isotope signatures able to distinguish two cocaine samples from different regions in Colombia can range from one in tens of thousands to one in several million if based on the stable isotope abundances of carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen or carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen, respectively. Stable isotope signatures of physical evidence have therefore at the very least great potential to provide invaluable forensic intelligence for intelligence led policing. They may even be of great evidentiary value, especially if corroborated by results from independent analytical techniques. This review aims to offer a glimpse into the fascinating world of forensic stable isotope analysis by discussing the various levels of information stable isotope signatures can provide. For reasons easily appreciated,only a select few instances of its application to criminal investigations have been reported in scientific journals thus far. The various applications of this technique presented in this review are therefore predominantly taken from peer-reviewed work published in scientific books and journals.
Citation
MEIER-AUGENSTEIN, W. 2019. Forensic stable isotope signatures: comparing, geo-locating, detecting linkage. Wiley interdisciplinary reviews: forensic science [online],1(5), article ID e1339. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/wfs2.1339
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Acceptance Date | Apr 18, 2019 |
Online Publication Date | May 8, 2019 |
Publication Date | Oct 31, 2019 |
Deposit Date | May 9, 2019 |
Publicly Available Date | May 9, 2020 |
Journal | Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Forensic Science |
Electronic ISSN | 2573-9468 |
Publisher | Wiley-VCH Verlag |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 1 |
Issue | 5 |
Article Number | e1339 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1002/wfs2.1339 |
Keywords | Forensic chemistry; Forensic intelligence; Isotope ratio mass spectometry; Stable isotope signatures; Stable isotopes |
Public URL | https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/241750 |
Contract Date | May 24, 2019 |
Files
MEIER-AUGENSTEIN 2019 Forensic stable
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Publisher Licence URL
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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