CENTENNIAL HONORS COLLEGE
Western Illinois University
Undergraduate Research Day 2016
PosterPresentation
AnalysisoftheDifferencebetweenConiferousForestandPondEdgeSoilsUsingForensic
Chemistry
JoyceGerdulo
FacultyMentor:AndreaAlveshere
Chemistry
The objective of this research was the analysis, characterization and the comparison between two
samplesofdifferentlocalsoils:onefromaconiferousforestandtheotherattheedgeofanearbypond,
both in West Central Illinois. The analyses that were performed were pH, Conductivity, Oxidation /
Reduction,SettlingRate(spectrophotometer),microscopy,andFTIR,toidentifyauniquesignaturefor
eachsamplethatmightbecomparedinthefuturewithunknownsamplesforapossibleuseinforensic
soil identification. This project also helps to verify which tests are most appropriate to perform the
characterizationofthestudiedsites.
The results that were obtained in these tests were analyzed and compared. The results obtained by
differentscientifictechniquescantellusalotaboutthesitethatwearestudying,allowingustoidentify
theiruniquesignatures.Thiskindofcharacterizationcancontributetodevelopmentofnewmethodsto
beusedinforensicsoilanalysis.