Application of augmented reality for crime scene investigation training and education.

The role of the crime scene investigator is complex, and investigators need to be able to conduct multiple frequently performed tasks. Appropriate training and education are critical to impart the crime scene investigator with the necessary capabilities. For a range of reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for multi-disciplinary capabilities, training and education requirements have evolved in recent times to be more flexible and accessible.

Portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the in-field screening of organic pollutants in soil and water at pollution incidents.

Environmental pollution incidents generate an emergency response from regulatory agencies to ensure that the impact on the environment is minimised. Knowing what pollutants are present provides important intelligence to assist in determining how to respond to the incident. However, responders are limited in their in-field capabilities to identify the pollutants present.

Latent fingermark detection using functionalised silicon oxide nanoparticles: Investigation into novel application procedures.

Investigations into the application of carboxyl-functionalised silicon oxide nanoparticles doped with a ruthenium complex (RuBpy-doped CES-SiO NPs) for latent fingermark development on non-porous surfaces were reported in previous studies. These studies suggested that an optimised NP-based method demonstrated advantages in fingermark selectivity and sensitivity. To continue the series of research into using RuBpy-doped CES-SiO NPs for fingermark detection, the versatility and overall practicality of the optimised SiO NP-based reagent for latent fingermark detection and enhancement was evaluated.

Rapid on-site identification of hazardous organic compounds at fire scenes using person-portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-part 2: water sampling and analysis.

Building and factory fires pose a great risk to human and environmental health, due to the release of hazardous by-products of combustion. These hazardous compounds can dissipate into the environment through fire water run-off, and the impact can be immediate or chronic. Current laboratory-based methods do not report hazardous compounds released from a fire scene at the time and location of the event.

Rapid on-site identification of hazardous organic compounds at fire scenes using person-portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-part 1: air sampling and analysis.

Recent advancements in person-portable instrumentation have resulted in the potential to provide contemporaneous results through rapid in-field analyses. These technologies can be utilised in emergency response scenarios to aid first responders in appropriate site risk assessment and management. Large metropolitan fires can pose great risk to human and environmental health due to the rapid release of hazardous compounds into the atmosphere.

Latent fingermark detection using functionalised silicon oxide nanoparticles: Optimisation and comparison with cyanoacrylate fuming.

Among the different types of nanoparticles (NPs) proposed for fingermark detection, silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiO NPs) are arguably the most promising due to their unique characteristics. In this study, carboxyl-functionalised SiO NPs doped with luminescent ruthenium complex-RuBpy-doped CES-SiO NPs-were further studied to investigate their effectiveness for latent fingermark detection. A modified version of the functionalised SiO NPs with a lower amount of surface functionalisation is proposed for improved fingermark detection effectiveness.

Application of a Microfluidic Gas-to-Liquid Interface for Extraction of Target Amphetamines and Precursors from Air Samples.

The investigation of clandestine laboratories poses serious hazards for first responders, emergency services, investigators and the surrounding public due to the risk of exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in the manufacture of illicit substances. A novel gas sampling interface using open microfluidic channels that enables the extraction of VOCs out of the gas phase and into a liquid, where it can be analysed by conventional detection systems, has recently been developed. This paper investigates the efficiency and effectiveness of such a gas-to-liquid (GTL) extraction system for the extraction of amphetamine-type substances (ATS) and their precursors from the vapour phase.

Latent fingermark detection using functionalised silicon oxide nanoparticles: Method optimisation and evaluation.

The application of nanoparticles for latent fingermark detection has been reported in the literature over the past two decades. One of the nanoparticles that shows promise to become a routine technique is functionalised silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiO NPs). In a recent optimisation of the technique, the use of carboxyl-functionalised SiO NPs doped with luminescent ruthenium complex was proposed as a breakthrough for latent fingermark detection.

An FTIR method for the analysis of crude and heavy fuel oil asphaltenes to assist in oil fingerprinting.

A proof-of-concept spectroscopic method for crude and heavy fuel oil asphaltenes was developed to complement existing methods for source determination of oil spills. Current methods rely on the analysis of the volatile fraction of oils by Gas Chromatography (GC), whilst the non-volatile fraction, including asphaltenes, is discarded. By discarding the non-volatile fraction, important oil fingerprinting information is potentially lost.

Synthesis and analysis of combinatorial libraries performed in an automated micro reactor system.

This paper presents the synthesis of combinatorial libraries performed on a single-channel glass micro reactor under hydrodynamic flow control. The experiments were carried out in a non-well based micro chip and consisted of the preparation of libraries of pyrazoles by means of a Knorr reaction of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with hydrazines. The aim of this work is to investigate the capabilities of an automated micro reactor based system to synthesise sequentially multiple analogue reactions.

On-line on-chip post-column derivatisation reactions for pre-ionisation of analytes and cluster analysis in gradient micro-liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry.

A system is presented that demonstrates the principle of on-line and on-chip post-column derivatisation reactions in micro-high-performance liquid chromatography (micro-HPLC) hyphenated to electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOFMS). In this micro-HPLC-chip-MS set-up, the analytes are separated using gradient micro-HPLC and subsequently derivatised on-chip and detected. One of the major limitations of MS detection is its dependency on the degree of ionisation, which is widely variable and compound-specific.

Characterisation of electroosmotic flow in capillary electrochromatography columns.

Currently available capillary electrochromatography (CEC) instrumentation using UV-Vis detection dictates the use of duplex columns. Due to discontinuities (electric field strength and conductivity) that arise at the boundary between the packed and open sections in these columns, the determination of the electroosmotic flow (EOF) is complicated. Thiourea has been found to be an accurate EOF marker under the conditions employed in this study.

Microchip-based synthesis and analysis: control of multicomponent reaction products and intermediates.

A miniaturised-SYNthesis and Total Analysis System (mu SYNTAS) was used for the solution-phase synthesis and on-line analysis (TOF-MS) of Ugi multicomponent reaction (MCR) products. This approach provides an unusually high degree of control of the MCR and delivers detailed, novel information on reaction intermediates in real-time. Specifically, the Ugi 4 component condensation (4CC) involving the reaction of an amine, acid, aldehyde and isocyanide species was performed at room temperature in a controllable fashion.

On-line isotachophoretic sample focusing for loadability enhancement in capillary electrochromatography-mass spectrometry.

The use of isotachophoretic (ITP) sample focusing to improve the detection limits for the analysis of charged compounds in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) is described. A coupled-column set-up was used with a 220-microm inner diameter capillary, in which counterflow ITP focusing was performed, connected via a T-junction to a 75-microm inner diameter CEC capillary. As is illustrated, the use of ITP focusing resulted in a dramatic reduction of the sample concentration detection limits.