Evaluation of plasma cleaning as an approach for the preparation of soil minerals for forensic comparison by photon and electron microscopy

Abstract

Soil, for forensic purposes, is earthen material, accidentally or deliberately collected, with some association with the matter under investigation. One way to characterize this soil is by its inorganic mineral content. The naturally occurring inorganic portion of soil is the product of the physical disintegration of bedrock by ice, water, winds, and gravity, and the chemical changes of hydrolysis, carbonation/decarbonation, hydration/dehydration, oxidation/reduction, and the formation of salts and crystals. Soil therefore varies geographically and regionally. Variation in inorganic components may also be due to anthropogenic actions (such as agriculture, building,