A Comprehensive Method for Forensic Soil Evidence Collection and Analysis in Post-Blast Investigations

A Comprehensive Method for Forensic Soil Evidence Collection and Analysis in Post-Blast Investigations | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Comprehensive Method for Forensic Soil Evidence Collection and Analysis in Post-Blast Investigations D KUMAR This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9130038/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Forensic soil evidence plays a crucial role in post-blast investigations, offering valuable insights into event reconstruction and establishing connections between individuals, locations, explosives, and devices. This study presents a comprehensive method for forensic soil evidence collection and analysis, focusing on the identification of nitrate ions in inorganic explosives. The methodology involves a systematic survey of the blast scene, sample collection from various locations, and proper documentation to maintain the chain of custody. Visual examination, physical and chemical analyses, and statistical validation were performed to characterize the soil composition and identify traces of explosive materials. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ion Chromatography (IC) were employed to differentiate soil samples and provide insights into their matrix effect for qualitative and quantitative analysis of trace explosive elements. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method across three scenarios: the effect of soil matrix on nitrate recovery, post-blast soil analysis from pyrotechnic debris, and field simulation under adverse environmental conditions. The results highlight the importance of optimizing soil sample mass, timely collection, and a multi-modal analytical approach combining chemical spot tests, FTIR confirmation, and IC quantification. The findings underscore the challenges posed by environmental factors and emphasize the need for standardized protocols and capacity building in regional forensic laboratories. This research provides actionable insights to enhance forensic outcomes in criminal and anti-terror investigations, contributing to the advancement of forensic soil analysis in post-blast scenarios. Soil Evidence collection Crime scene Explosive residues Forensic soil analysis Post-blast Investigation Soil Sample Collection Protocols Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9130038","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":606400112,"identity":"e0921ac9-6cab-4f09-8634-6af86ab8c7f3","order_by":0,"name":"D KUMAR","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA4klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDCCM1CavYG58QGQ5uEjWgvPAcZmAxDNRoqWNgkQg6AWvjNnTDf83MMgz8N/sK3ya46dDBsD88NHN/BokTzbY3az5xmDYY9EYttt2W3JQIexGRvn4NFicJ7H7AbPAYYEewnGttuS25iBWnjYpAlpufkHqAXksGLJbfVEaAE67DbIFh6GxDbGj9sOE9YieeZY2W2ZAxIgvzRLM247zsPGTMAvfGeSt918c8AGGGKHD378ua3anp+9+eFjfFqgABwjDMw8YJKwcgRg/EGK6lEwCkbBKBgxAADGi0blwajH+gAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6555-4657","institution":"Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"D","middleName":"","lastName":"KUMAR","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-15 16:30:42","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9130038/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9130038/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104795591,"identity":"7edb9250-e122-4075-8310-2f0b68c30482","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-17 09:27:47","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1411515,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"AComprehensiveMethodforForensicSoilEvidenceCollectionandAnalysisinPostBlastInvestigation.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9130038/v1_covered_ee64ed44-33d4-4683-a913-562ae492971d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Comprehensive Method\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003efor Forensic Soil Evidence Collection and Analysis in Post-Blast Investigations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Soil Evidence collection, Crime scene, Explosive residues, Forensic soil analysis, Post-blast Investigation, Soil Sample Collection Protocols","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9130038/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9130038/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eForensic soil evidence plays a crucial role in post-blast investigations, offering valuable insights into event reconstruction and establishing connections between individuals, locations, explosives, and devices. 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