CENTENNIAL HONORS COLLEGE
Western Illinois University
Undergraduate Research Day 2016
PosterPresentation
ForensicChemistrySoilAnalysisandComparisonsofCreekBankandDeciduousForestSoils
AlexMedel
FacultyMentor:AndreaAlveshere
ForensicChemistry
Samplesofsoilfromtwoadjacentlocations,thebankofacreekandadeciduousforest,werecollected
and soil chemistry tests were conducted. These samples were examined using various forensic
chemistrymethodsincluding:FTIR,HPLC,pH,oxidation/reduction,settlingrates,andconductivity.The
sampleswerealsoviewedunderamicroscopeinanattempttobeabletodifferentiatebetweeneach
sample.Theinitialsampleswereallobtainedduringthefallseasonandsampleswerealsocollectedthe
followingspringseason.Thepurposeofthiswastocomparesamplesfromthesamelocationsbutfrom
differentseasonstoseeifthesoilchemistryprofileswoulddifferbyseasonaswellasbylocation.The
overall purpose for this particular experiment was to test and improve upon methods of forensic soil
analyses used by law enforcement agencies. These studies will help soil analysis to become a more
reliable source of evidence as well as aid in the accuracy of determining what type of environment a
specificsamplemayhavecomefrom.