Forensic Chemistry

Forensic chemistry is a field of chemistry dedicated to the analysis of various substances that might have been used in the commission of a crime. Forensic chemistry involves organic and inorganic analysis, toxicology, and serology. Every method of analysis uses specialized techniques and instrumentation. The process may be simple by setting up a density gradient column to compare soil samples or complicated as using a mass spectrometer or neutron activation analysis to characterize an unknown substance. A wide variety of laboratory techniques and instrumentation are used in forensic studies. They include visible, ultraviolet, and infrared spectrophotometry; neutron activation analysis; gas chromatography and mass spectrophotometry; HPLC; and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The techniques and instrumentation selected depends upon the type of sample or substance to be examined.