Encyclopedia of Analytical Science Chapter by Microtrace Scientists

The third edition of the Encyclopedia of Analytical Science was released in February 2019. The work features a chapter on Forensic Microscopy, which was co-authored by three Microtrace scientists: Chris Palenik, Skip Palenik, and Ethan Groves. In the chapter, the authors examine the ways in which careful microscopical analysis of evidence can assist criminal investigations.

“The field of forensic microscopy is based upon Edmond Locard’s Exchange Principle, which states that when two objects come into contact, a transfer of material will result. Although the amount of material that is transferred in a contact may be minute, microscopical examination can often reveal a great amount of information regarding the materials that came into contact and the way in which they made contact. This article illustrates the way in which forensic microscopy can capitalize on this transfer of material to aid in establishing the facts within a criminal investigation, describe the types of problems that are addressed, the types of materials encountered, and the analytical approach used to extract information from trace evidence. Finally, a practical example that illustrates the extent to which microscopic evidence can influence the outcome of a case will be described.”

Palenik, C. S.; Palenik, S.; Groves, E. (2019). Microscopy | Forensic Microscopy. In Worsfold, P., Poole, C., Townshend, A., Miró, M., (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Analytical Science, (3rd ed.). vol. 7, pp 57–64, Elsevier.

For more information of the Encyclopedia of Analytical Science, please click here.

Encyclopedia of Analytical Science

The third edition of the Encyclopedia of Analytical Science is a definitive collection of articles covering the latest technologies in application areas such as medicine, environmental science, food science and geology. Meticulously organized, clearly written and fully interdisciplinary, the Encyclopedia of Analytical Science provides foundational knowledge across the scope of modern analytical chemistry, linking fundamental topics with the latest methodologies. Articles will cover three broad areas: analytical techniques (e.g., mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, atomic spectrometry); areas of application (e.g., forensic, environmental and clinical); and analytes (e.g., arsenic, nucleic acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), providing a one-stop resource for analytical scientists.

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