Explosion Debris: Laboratory Analysis of

Abstract

The forensic scientist investigating the scene of an explosion must start with the determination of whether a bomb or some mishap caused the event. Locating pieces of the explosive device or explosive residue aids in fixing the event as a bombing. The investigator is advised that proper evidence collection requires preparation before the bombing as to how to locate the most useful evidence, how to avoid contamination, how to sift explosion debris, how to conduct the chemical analyses, and what questions he must answer in a court of law. Examples from actual bombings are given and a compendium of literature references is offered.

The Spatial Distribution of Postblast RDX Residue: Forensic Implications

“…This outcome indicates that residue can still be recovered (and actually in higher amounts) when it does not seem as readily apparent (19,25). Accordingly, this finding provides evidence to question the salience of the tradition at bomb scenes to seek residues on surfaces with visible damage (5).…”

“…Surfaces which display obvious signs of damage are thought to harbor explosive residue, but this is not always the case . Conversely, areas without visible damage may have imperceptible residue traces on them . The issue therefore is to know where to look for this residue.…”

Post-blast explosive residue – a review of formation and dispersion theories and experimental research

“…A simple and commonly used drag law valid for spherical particles is (6) where µ, ρ p , and d p denote the molecular viscosity of air, particle density, and particle diameter, respectively, whereas a and b are model constants. The coefficient Re p is the particle Reynolds number usually taken as (7) For a general drag law for spherical particles cf. Maxey and Riley (1983) 101 .…”

“…Sometimes surfaces or objects display visual signs of having been close to the explosion such as cratering or pitting damage, and these may yield residue. However if no visible signs of damage are present this does not negate the possibility of recovering residue from a particular item as explosions can leave imperceptible traces of explosive residue 6,7 . The issue therefore is to know where to look for it.…”

“…However if no visible signs of damage are present this does not negate the possibility of recovering residue from a particular item as explosions can leave imperceptible traces of explosive residue. 6,7 The issue therefore is to know where to look for it. Whilst residue sample collection and analysis procedures have been widely researched in the open literature, the scientic basis of where to locate explosive residues has not yet been established.…”