Abstract
Forensic Chemistry applies the principles and techniques of chemical science to forensic analysis of evidences. This includes, but not limited to, seized drug analysis, alcohol analysis, fire debris, and post-blast residue analysis and other analysis wherein the chemical identity of material is explored to strengthen its evidentiary significance. Though the field of Forensic is fascinating, it is challenging as well. For instance, changes and destruction brought by fire and explosion incidents often make it difficult for an investigator to classify whether the cause of the incident was accidental or intentional. However, by applying thoughtful analytical processes and using science involved in the fire and explosion process, origin and cause of incident can be apprehended. Accordingly, this chapter focuses on investigative aspects of fire and explosion scenes and analytical approaches followed by an investigation. In addition, testing for drugs and alcohol has become a routine part of forensic chemists over the past few decades as their abuse has been the cause of many violent as well as non-violent crimes. Therefore, the fundamentals of the analytical approach applied in their detection and identification have also been discussed in this chapter.
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Yadav, V.K., Kumar, A., Shahid, S., Nigam, K., Srivastava, A. (2023). Forensic Chemistry. In: Shrivastava, P., Lorente, J.A., Srivastava, A., Badiye, A., Kapoor, N. (eds) Textbook of Forensic Science . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-1377-0_22
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