Forensic scientists utilise a variety of techniques to assist in
investigations, spanning such diverse scientific disciplines as
medical pathology, ballistics, botany, serology and molecular
biology.
Chemistry is also a discipline heavily used during criminal
investigations. Here's what you need to know about the
specialisation of forensic chemistry, and how scientists look for
chemical clues to assist investigations.
What Is
Forensic Chemistry?
Forensic chemistry involves the use of analytical chemistry
techniques for legal purposes. Analytical chemistry involves the
use of instruments and methods to seperate, identify and quantify
matter.
Forensic chemists are commonly asked to enhance and visualise
crucial evidence at a crime scene as well to analyse and compare
substances taken at a scene to a sample of known origin –
either to identify what a substance is or to attempt to link a
sample to another piece of evidence.
