From the case files of a government chemist
The School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, has run a Forensic and Environmental Analysis BSc Programme since 2001 which has approximately 80 students. Following the success of a half-day forensic event run in collaboration with the SCI’s Republic of Ireland Regional Group in 2007, a second half-day symposium in forensic science was organised for Friday 27 November 2009.
Sponsored by SCI, the second
Forensic Science Symposium, held
at the Dublin Institute of Technology
(DIT) in November 2009, was attended
by approximately 50 undergraduates
from the DIT and ten from the Limerick
Institute of Technology, along with
postgraduate students and staff from
both Colleges.
The first presentation was given by
Ms T Bashir from the Institute of Technology, Sligo, who spoke
of her work on the analysis of in medieval bone fragments
from the Ballyhanna burial site,
showing how results from trace metal
analysis using Inductively Coupled
Plasma Emission Spectroscopy
correlated with medieval diet.
This was followed by a presentation
on the changes in use and legislation
associated with modern illegal drugs
by Ms E Hughes of The Forensic
Laboratory. These included the
changes in the original 1977 Misuse of
Drugs Act in 2006, to further cover the
illegal use of psilocin and psilocyabin (magic mushrooms). More recently,
(2009) legislation has been amended
to allow control of 1-benzylpiperazine.
The next presentation was given by
Dr T Hannigan of the Forensic Laboratory
who outlined the role of the Laboratory
in explosives analysis. He outlined the
1883 Explosives Act and described the
typical inorganic and organic classes
of explosives. The approximately fifty
pipe bombs found in 2009, were
classified broadly in terms of content.
He outlined the information that
could be obtained from unexploded
devices using fingerprinting and DNA
extraction. Finally, he gave an overview
of the instrumental techniques used
to identify inorganic explosives and
organic explosives.
To finish, Dr Michael Walker, Consultant
Chemist and part-time Food
Chemist with the Laboratory of the
Government Chemist, gave a wide-ranging
presentation on the role of
the Laboratory of the Government
Chemist (LGC). Specifically, he covered
a number of case studies ranging from
the identification of remains in mass
graves from World War I at Fromelles
by DNA extraction and correlation with
DNA from relatives. He also outlined
the protocols used in food disputes
with cases of nitrofurans, as residues
from veterinary antibiotics in peanuts
that were maliciously introduced into a
peanut-free food preparation facility.
A former external examiner of the Programme, Dr Walker is one of very few to hold the Mastership in Chemical Analysis, (MChemA), in food, drugs and water. He took up the post of Chief Executive of Forensic Science, Northern Ireland in 2004.
The feedback from the audience
was so positive, that it is expected to
encourage a further lecture in forensics.
Watch this space.
John Fox and John Cassidy, SCI Republic
of Ireland Group
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