Trace Evidence: SOIL, DUST
and DIRT
SOIL (Petrography as Applied to Crime Detection)
Petrography – is the branch of geology that deals with
the systematic classification and identification of
rocks, rocks forming minerals and soils.
Criminalist regards soil as top layer of the earth. It may
include any substance on the earth that may stick a
person’s clothing or shoes.
Types of Soil
1. Alluvial soil – formed from soil particles that were
washed, blown, or moved by gravity to the lowlands.
Earth, sand gravel, etc. are deposited by moving water
and wind.
2. Colluvial soil – formed from the decomposition of
igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, the
decomposed particles moved by gravity.
3. Sedentary soil – inactive, not migratory soil.
Collection and Submission of
Soil
1. Soil usually in form of mud is usually recovered
from shoes, slippers, clothes, tires, tools and
furniture.
2. If found on the above the soil should remain in
place and the whole submitted to the
laboratory.
3. Should be wrapped in a clean paper or filter
paper and placed in a box.
4. Known soil samples should be taken at different
places around the point or reference.
Constituents of Soil:
1. Primary Minerals
2. Clay Minerals
3. Organic constituents
Primary Minerals – includes undecomposed
rock fragments ranging from stone down
thru pebbles, sand and silt.
IMPORTANT MINERALS
1. Quartz – a form of silica. Crystalline
mineral usually colorless and transparent.
Also called quarts sands. It originates
primarily from igneous rock but much of
the soil quartz is contributed by
metamorphic and sedimentary rock.
- common mineral and an almost
universal component of soil
2. Calcite (limestone-Ca2CO3) – color white and
reacts with acid with evolution of carbon dioxide.
Occurs widely particularly in calcareous soil.
3. Feldspar (silicate of aluminum or sodium, or
barium, calcium, potassium) – their composition
gives rise to clay along with more or less soluble
salts of the metals named.
4. Dolomite – white mineral obtained from
sedimentary rock. Similar to limestone.
5. Mica – a mineral that crystalline in thin, flexible
layers, resistant to heat.
6. Other primary minerals: gypsum, talc, limonite,
magnetite
2. Clay minerals – a product of decomposition of
primary minerals. Found nearly all soils and is the
major constituents of most heavy soil. It imparts
to soil cohesiveness and plasticity and becomes
hard and adherent on heating.
3. Organic constituents – one of the most variable
of all soil constituents and is peculiar importance
in the identification of soil.
- peat and muck
soils formed from constant decay of organic
matter and contain only a small amount of
residual mineral
-humus constituents
are the most black coloring matter of soil
ANALYSIS OF SOIL
DENSITY GRADIENT APPARATUS = use in
crime laboratory
- a simple procedure of determining the identity
or non-identity of soil samples based on the
density distribution.
OTHER METHODS
1. X-ray diffraction
2. Spectrographic analysis
Thermal analysis
Application of soil analysis to scientific crime
detection
The value of soils as evidence depends
wholly upon the fact that soils differ in
various characteristics over the surface of the
earth. This difference makes possible to
establish the identity where about of a person
under investigation.
DUST and DIRT
- Described as “matter in the wrong place”.
Dust – matter which is dry and in finely divided
form
Mud – dust mixed with water
Grime – (heavy dirt) – when dust is mixed with
the sweat and grease of the human body
CLASSIFICATION OF DUST
Can be classified from their source:
1. Dust deposited from the air – extremely fine
dust particles present in the air everywhere.
Settle very slowly and ultimately deposited on
any exposed surface. Its value in crime
detection is insignificant.
2. Road and footpath dust – produced by the wear
and tear of the road surface by vehicular and
pedestrian traffic together with particles of soil
carried by the wind or rain from adjoining
regions.
3. Industrial dust – industries like cement, powdered gypsum
and plaster of paris factories, flour milling paint pigments,
involves industrial processes impart a pronounce local
character to the dust on the neighboring roads and
buildings.
4. Occupational dust – some of the finely powdered material
maybe found on the clothing and footwear of employers
engaged in such industries. Ex. Coal miners will have coal
dust on his clothes.
Collection and Submission of Dust and
Dirt
1. The whole article is packed in a clean box with proper
protection and shipped to the laboratory.
2. If the object is immovable or too big to submit as a
specimen like sofa, piano, dresser, the specimen maybe
removed by the used of vacuum cleaner is not available
the clothes maybe placed in a clean paper bag and
beaten to remove dust and dirt.
Analysis of dust and dirt
-identification of dust/dirt is usually made for
the purpose of determining the occupation of
the suspect or finding evidence that maybe
similar or identical with that found at the
scene of crime.
1. Examine the sample under the ultraviolet
light.
2. Treat a small quantity with a drop of water
on a spot plate
a. Observe color of aqueous drop with handlens.
b. Note the proportion of the solid matter which
remains in suspension and proportion which
settles rapidly.
c. Note the reaction with litmus paper.
3. Treat a small quantity with a drop of 0.1N hydrochloric
acid
a. Note the evolution of gas
b. Note the formation of precipitate
c. Note change in color
d. Note materials dissolved by acid
4. Treat a small quantity with ethanol
a. Note color of alcohol drop
b. Note the difference between the color of an
aqueous solution in procedure 2 and that in color
solution.
c. Note other changes.
