Levin, Emma;
(2020)
The transfer and persistence of environmental trace indicators, and methods for digital data acquisition from photographs and micrographs: applications for forensic science research.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Environmental forms of trace evidence (such as mineral grains, pollen grains, algae, and sediment) can offer valuable insights within forensic casework. An issue facing forensic science as a whole, and these environmental indicators specifically, is a relative dearth of empirical research which would underpin the interpretation of such indicators when attempting forensic reconstruction. This thesis aims to address this lacuna, undertaking experiments to: (1) Explore variables which affect the rates of transfer and persistence, with specific focus upon quartz grains (a terrestrial indicator) and diatom valves (an aquatic indicator) upon footwear materials (a substrate that has been under-represented in past studies); (2) Conduct research into the effects of particle size and morphology upon transfer and persistence; (3) Develop and adapt methodologies to undertake this research. Accordingly, the outputs of this thesis are: (1) The creation of new datasets which could inform the interpretation of these trace indicators within forensic investigations and crime reconstruction scenarios and (2) The development of novel methodologies which could be employed in future research to attempt to accelerate data collection and analysis, without compromising on accuracy. This research is interdisciplinary, combining theory from forensic science, analytical techniques from the environmental sciences, and some elements of image processing and analysis. This research was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of the United Kingdom through the Security Science Doctoral Training Research Centre (UCL SECReT) based at University College London (EP/G037264/1).
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | The transfer and persistence of environmental trace indicators, and methods for digital data acquisition from photographs and micrographs: applications for forensic science research |
| Event: | UCL (University College London) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2020. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| Keywords: | environmental trace evidence, forensic science, image processing, quartz grains, diatoms |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Chemical Engineering |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10091882 |
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