Journal of Forensic Research

Dust and soot samples collected from air filters of motor cars and motor boats from three localities, namely Darjeeling, Murshidabad and the Sundarbans, West Bengal, India, each with its own characteristic vegetation type, were analysed for pollen and spore content to investigate their potentials as palynological traps. Pollen grains from high altitude vegetation (Alnus nepalensis, Ilex sp., Pinus sp., Primula sp., Rhododendron sp., Pteris sp., Asplenium sp., Duabanga sp.) were recovered from cars driven through Darjeeling to Kalimpong while pollen grains of mesophytic plants (Mangifera indica, Cocos nucifera, Borassus flabellifer, Parthenium hysterophorus, Azadirachta indica, Lantana camara) and mangroves (Sonneratia apetala, Avicennia sp., Acanthus ilicifolius, Bruguiera sp., Rhizophora mucronata, Heritiera fomes, Phoenix paludosa, Nypa fruticans) were recovered from the vehicles in the Murshidabad district and motor boats in the Indian Sundarbans respectively. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) revealed that pollen spectra from different vegetation zones form distinct groups, while dust/soot samples from areas of similar vegetation zone form a single group while Correspondence Analysis (CA) demonstrates that the dust/soot samples from a distinct vegetation zone and the recovered palynotaxa from these dust/soot samples from a single group. Palynoassemblage analysis, together with PCA and CA data, suggests that dust and soot from air filters of motor vehicle engines may be a reliable trap for palynomorphs, which may help to trace the localities through which vehicles in question have travelled.

Within the forensic identification the study of animal hair has remain limited to cross-species comparisons from the same family but there is also considerable changes in those animals like scale layer differentiation growth pattern, tensile strength, granulation and elemental profile of the animal hair. Here a rapid method is described for assessing a variety of morphological characteristics for identification of species that could be easily used by forensic investigators to identify the hairs from different species by just a fraction of single hair sample using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Hair samples from 90 animals of Felidae family, 30 from each Panthera leo persica (lion), Panthera paradus fusca (Leopard) and Panthera tigris tigris (Tiger) were examined for their cuticular scale layer difference pattern and measurements were taken using SEM annotations. Significant differences were observed in scale layer pattern differences/difference in overlapping of each scale in hair which can be used in identification of the species. The difference between each layer was observed as 6.72431 ± 0.4, 7.869655 ± 0.38 and 9.592897 ± 0.5 μm for Panthera Leo persica, Panthera tigris tigris and Panthera pradus fusca. Elemental analysis for all the three species from Felidae family have been evaluated using Energy Dispersive Spectrum coupled with SEM for analysis of Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and Sulfur. Significant results were obtained are can be further used to establish a concordance with the species identification.

Poisoning is a major problem in the pediatric population. The offending substances used vary from place to place. Although the clinical outcome of these exposures is usually favorable, deaths do occur. The present study was undertaken to determine in children the major offending agents, their seasonal distribution, mortality associated with them and change, if any in the type of poison by comparing data with previous studies available. This prospective study was carried out at King George Medical College and it’s associated Gandhi smarak hospitals, Lucknow. A total of 100 pediatric patients of <15 years of age made the material of the following series. 62% were under 5 years of age and 70% male. Incidence was also more common in urban areas (55%) as compared to rural (45%) and rainy season was found to be the most vulnerable period for poisoning. Kerosene and snake bite were the most common offending agents, both accounting for 31% cases each. Mortality of 4% was reported. Mortality due to poisoning in children has remained high over the last five decades (2.9%-4.7%). Kerosene has remained the single largest contributor to childhood poisoning (51.5% in the 1960s vs. 52.8% in the 1990s).