An investigation of the potential of high performance liquid chromatography for the comparison of soil samples

Reuland, D.J.; Trinler, W.A.

doi:10.1016/0379-0738(81)90161-4

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This offers potential for false positive or false negative results since components acquired before, during and after a forensic event can become mixed 16−18,24−26 . Furthermore, many existing techniques require sample quantities in excess of the materials recovered from items of forensic interest, such as shoes, clothing or vehicles 5,[20][21][22]24,26 . It is, therefore, valuable to develop analytical methods that take into account these specific requirements of forensic casework 27 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These techniques are well established within forensic science since organic compounds are found in a fibres 32 , explosives 33−34 , accelerants 35 , alcohol 36−37 , drugs and poisons 37−39 . High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is a widely used analytical technique, which has been reported to be potentially useful in the analysis of forensic soil samples [20][21][22]40 , however these studies used larger sample sizes than are typically available in forensic analysis and relatively long sample preparation and analysis times, which could be problematic in a casework scenario. The purpose of this study was to develop the sample collection, preparation, analysis and interpretative approaches used in order to assess the feasibility of the use of HPLC for soil analysis in a more forensically relevant context.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

High Performance Liquid Chromatography as a valuable tool for geoforensic soil analysis

McCulloch¹,

Morgan²,

Bull

2016

Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A key issue for geoforensic analysis is the ability to discriminate between geographical locations of close proximity, often with similar underlying geology. This paper addresses the lack of empirical research into the non-mineral components of sediment samples and presents the development of a method of sediment sample characterisation by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) utilising the organic components of the sample. A sample preparation method and set of instrument parameters were developed such that the cost of the analysis could be reduced, efficiency increased and the sample amount required for analysis reduced fourfold. The re-developed method allows samples collected from different locations within the same forensically relevant site to be accurately discriminated in this study by both visual examination of the chromatography and the use of multivariate statistics. The results of the HPLC analysis were compared with those obtained by quartz grain surface texture analysis, and HPLC was found to offer better discrimination between the samples in this instance. The results of this study suggest that HPLC has the potential to offer an accurate and practical method of comparing soil samples based on characteristics that are independent of, and therefore complementary to, traditional mineralogical-based geoforensic analyses.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Performance Liquid Chromatography as a valuable tool for geoforensic soil analysis

McCulloch¹,

Morgan²,

Bull

2016

Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The incorporation of absorbance ratios into this technique has also been examined (14,17). Reuland and Trinler (15) analyzed acetonitrile extracts of soils from eight different locations and found that all samples could be distinguished either qualitatively (based on number and location of peaks) or quantitatively (based on relative peak intensities). This study also reported that samples taken 1 m apart were both qualitatively and quantitatively similar, while those taken 3 m apart were only qualitatively similar; samples taken from the same location over a 7‐week period showed no qualitative or quantitative differences.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One chromatographic method that has been used in the past to examine soil extracts is reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (14–18). Research has shown that this technique is capable of separating various fractions of soil and differentiating samples, qualitatively and/or quantitatively, depending on the extraction method used.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Forensic Soil Samples Via High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography and Ion Chromatography

Bommarito

Sturdevant

Szymanski

2006

Journal of Forensic Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Traditional forensic soil comparisons are performed via physical and/or chemical examinations of color, texture, and mineral content, leaving any organic- or water-soluble fractions unexamined. This study uses high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ion chromatography (IC) to assess the qualitative and quantitative variation in these fractions of soil. Soil samples (n=120) were collected over the course of 3 weeks from urban, suburban, and rural locations in and around Lansing, MI. Additional samples from six of these locations (two urban, two suburban, and two rural) were collected once a week for 10 weeks for temporal analysis. Nine additional samples, equally spaced over a 1 m(2) grid, from these same six locations were collected for spatial analyses. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the resultant chromatograms separated the 120 samples into 10 groups by HPLC and 23 groups by IC. This study shows that using HPLC and IC to analyze the organic- and water-soluble fractions of soil can successfully discriminate samples. Quantitative analysis of the results eliminates some false inclusions by providing further differentiation of samples. The results of this study indicate that adding HPLC and IC analyses to traditional forensic soil analysis schemes can improve overall sample differentiation. The methods used in this study were also able to detect both qualitative and quantitative variations in soil over a relatively small geographic area. This demonstration of soil heterogeneity underscores the importance of the collection of a representative known sample population when assessing a forensic soil comparison. Significant temporal variation was also demonstrated over the course of 10 weeks of sampling; however, samples were found to be consistent over shorter periods of time. Baseline levels of inorganic anions were determined via IC; these levels may be useful in assessing the significance of anions detected in soil from cases involving low explosives.

show abstract

“…However, in practice, the comparison of soils by analysis of physicochemical properties alone seldom provides reliable discrimi nation [23]. To address this problem, various sophis ticated instrumental techniques have been explored in the context of forensic soil science, mainly for studying the chemical composition of soil [24][25][26][27][28][29]. Recently, McCulloch et al [30][31][32] published several articles regarding the feasibility of highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in discriminating soils for forensic purposes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forensic Profiling of Non-Volatile Organic Compounds in Soil using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography: A Pilot Study

Lee

Ishak

Ameeta

et al. 2021

Forensic Sciences Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Soil is of particular interest to the forensic community because it can be used as valuable associative evidence to link a suspect to a victim or a crime scene. Liquid chromatography is a powerful analytical tool for organic compound analysis. Recently, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has proven to be an efficient method for forensic soil analysis, especially in discriminating soils from proximity locations. However, ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), which is much more sensitive than HPLC, has never been explored in this context. This study proposed a UPLC method for profiling non-volatile organic compounds in three Malaysian soils (red, brown and yellowish-brown soils). The three soils were analysed separately to assess the effects of individual chromatographic parameters: (a) elution programme (isocratic vs. two gradient programmes); (b) flow rate (0.1 vs. 0.2 mL/min); (c) extraction solvent (acetonitrile vs. methanol) and (d) detection wavelength (230 vs. 254 nm). The injection volume and total run time were set to 5 µL and 35 min, respectively. Consequently, each soil sample gave 24 different chromatograms. Results showed that the most desirable chromatographic parameters were (a) isocratic elution; (b) flow rate at 0.2 mL/min and (c) acetonitrile extraction solvent. The proposed UPLC system is expected to be a feasible method for profiling non-volatile organic compounds in soil, and is more chemical-efficient than a comparable HPLC system. KEY POINTS• UPLC is a chemical-efficient analytical method for profiling non-volatile organic compounds in soil. • Mobile phase rich in acetonitrile promotes separation of non-volatile organic compounds in soil. • Isocratic elution is more desirable than gradient elution in producing a high-quality chromatogram.

show abstract

An investigation of the potential of high performance liquid chromatography for the comparison of soil samples

Cited by 14 publications

References 7 publications

High Performance Liquid Chromatography as a valuable tool for geoforensic soil analysis

High Performance Liquid Chromatography as a valuable tool for geoforensic soil analysis

Analysis of Forensic Soil Samples Via High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography and Ion Chromatography

Forensic Profiling of Non-Volatile Organic Compounds in Soil using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography: A Pilot Study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About