161 - Sampling and analysis of chemical attribution signatures of forensic value
Audrey N Martin1, amartin@llnl.gov, Adam H Love2, Armando Alcaraz1. (1) Forensic Science Center, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, United States, (2) Johnson Wright, Inc., Lafayette, CA 94549, United States
Obtaining information about the synthetic origin of a chemical used in a terrorist event is crucial for forensic attribution. Threat chemicals can be synthesized via various pathways, leaving chemical attribution signatures in the form of reaction by-products, side-reaction products, unreacted starting materials, and impurities. The presence, absence, and relative concentration of chemical attribution signatures may indicate the synthetic route used to synthesize the product. Therefore, a systematic approach for understanding these signatures, as well as their degradation and interaction with surfaces is needed. Efforts made to characterize the chemical attribution signatures of several threat agents will be discussed. Results on the interaction of these signatures with surfaces will be presented. Multivariate analyses were used to predict the synthetic pathway of threat chemicals synthesized in-house.
This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.
Monday, March 22, 2010 08:00 PM
Sci-Mix (08:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
Location: The Moscone Center
Room: Hall D
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