Under The Microscope: Under Our Eye

 

One of the most important aspects of forensic palynology is the collection of palynomorph samples. Ideally, these forensic samples should be collected by either a competent palynologist or an investigator trained in such forensic collecting techniques. Collected samples need to be maintained contamination-free throughout the duration of the case. Accurate records of the collecting procedures as well as the provenance of each sample during each stage of the investigation, in addition to their later utilization throughout the case, should also be preserved. When forensic palynology is deemed advantageous for particular samples or a specific case, one must first consider what kind of material is available for analysis. This consideration indicates how the material should be collected as well as what palynological processing procedures are to be utilized after collection. Of the sample types applicable to forensic palynological investigation, the best results are from the dirt, mud/soil, and dust associated with a crime scene, victim, or suspect. Sources for this type of sample may be clothing, shoes, vehicles, skin, or even appliances bearing an electromagnetic source. In conditions where dirt and mud have been dried on objects, one should use a soft, clean, fine brush to first clean the surface before collecting the material. This removes the possibility of surface contamination of palynomorphs that may have adhered to the mud or dirt after it had dried. Collection of each forensic sample should consist of picking up the samples or gently scraping them from the surface with a clean instrument. Once collected, each sample should be placed in a sterile plastic container, sealed and marked for provenance. In certain environmental conditions it may be necessary to use new paper envelopes to maintain sample integrity and stability. In the case of minimal sample availability, one may use transparent cellophane tape for collection purposes. This is especially useful in the collection of dust samples. The tape used in sampling should be folded and stuck back onto itself to maintain the integrity of the sample and reduce the possibility of outside contamination and each tape piece placed in a labeled sterile plastic container. Once in the laboratory, the forensic palynologist can use solvents to free the collected material from the tape. Cloth and other such woven items are also useful in the trapping and ultimate collection of palynomorphs. Micellular particles such as dust, spores, and pollen are constantly settling on exposed surfaces. If one doubts this premise, view the light source in any movie theater to see this micellular material floating in the subtle air drafts around the theater. Woven articles left exposed to these subtle air drafts of the atmosphere will ultimately become coated with this micellular material. Comprising this micellular material the forensic investigator will find, in addition to the palynomorphs, micro fibers and biological elements such as shed skin cells which become trapped in the fibers of such material. Woven articles exposed to the “palynomorph rain” of an area may be excellent indicators of place of origin or usage. For example, rugs become indicators of the micro-niche in which they were placed, and baskets often contain palynomorphs in the spaces between their weave. If an item is to be recovered for palynomorph investigation, the entire article should be collected for examination if possible. Once back in the lab, the forensic palynologist can remove the pollen by thoroughly rinsing the item or item fragment in a solution of hot, soapy, distilled water. Distilled water should always be used, since many municipal water systems, though free of microbes, are rarely free of spores and pollen. When a suspect item cannot be maintained for later examination, the cellophane tape method of palynomorph collection may be used, even though it may be a less effective technique. An excellent and often overlooked vehicle for palynomorph entrapment is hair. Wind blows through hair and palynomorphs in the air become trapped in the spaces between the hair strands. Natural oils produced by the individual aid in the palynomorphs’ adherence to the hair strands. The collection of palynomorphs need not be restricted to humans. Often companion animals will carry a similar palynomorph assemblage as their owners. Stock animals might be traceable to their original owners. Hair on fur coats, hats, and other such personal items are excellent palynomorph traps from which evidence may be extracted. Such evidence can indicate the owner’s association with a crime scene as well as his or her association with narcotics such as marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. Additionally, humans often use cosmetic applications, sprays, and other cosmetics that apply a sticky coating to the hair shaft, which aids in the entrapment of airborne palynomorphs. A simple washing of the hair with warm distilled water and mild detergents will loosen the trapped palynomorphs. The resulting effluent can be collected and stored in sterile plastic containers for later examination.

 

Nonetheless, as all marijuana plants produce copious amounts of pollen, personnel, clothing, furniture, appliances, dust, dirt, as well as everything coming into and out of such a closed environment will bear the pollen of the marijuana being produced inside. This would also be true of the air-exchange system, its filters, as well as effluents coming from the facility. It is therefore an easy task to connect individuals and materials with a known or suspected marijuana-producing facility, as everything their pollen grains come into contact with will be contaminated. In rare instances is any portion of the production of heroin or cocaine confined to an enclosed facility. The initial methodology in the production of heroin is the collection of flowing sap induced by incising the outer surface of the immature seed pod of specific species of the poppy plant, whereas the beginning of cocaine production is the collection of substantial measures of the leaves of the coca plant. The sticky sap of the poppy plant is generally allowed to dehydrate in the open, as are the leaves of the coca. Both the dehydrated poppy sap and dried coca leaves are usually further processed in the open. Because most of these processes generally occur in a single locale, pollen from other indigenous plants in the area is incorporated into both the heroin and cocaine samples. This representation of indigenous palynomorphs will be reflected in every part of the refined heroin and cocaine from the point of origination to the point of consumption. Just as heroin and cocaine contain pollen indicative of their respective points of origin and processing, so will their packaging materials, vehicles, and personnel. All will contain traces of a similar palynoflora. Fibrous as well as woven packaging materials have many of the palynomorph trapping propensities, as does hair. It is also not uncommon for the paper money associated with such illegal drug transactions to be a source for the collection of said palynofloras and aid in the tracing of drug transactions. Forensic researchers in New Zealand have even advocated the collection of palynomorph samples in association with investigations of human remains. Dallas Mildenhall recommends the collection of samples from the stomach, small intestine, and colon areas during autopsy, as well as the scraping of nasal/sinus passages for later palynomorph analysis. An examination of these recovered palynomorphs may produce clues to where a victim had been just prior to death as well as where he or she ate her last meal. In the case of a struggle, palynomorphs may indicate the locale of the assault and ensuing encounter. Samples collected from the clothes and remains of a victim may be tied to locale, as well as to the clothes of the suspect who was also involved in the assault. In instances where skeletal or severely decomposed remains are recovered, forensic palynomorph samples should still be collected. Samples beneath and protected by the position of the victim may yield indications as to the season when the victim’s remains were concealed. Palynomorphs recovered from the victim’s hair or clothing may yield indications of the time of year the offense occurred, as well.

 

 

It should be understood by the investigator that laboratory extraction of palynomorphs is a destructive process — that is, in an effort to remove, refine, and concentrate palynomorphs it is typically necessary to alter, dissolve, or destroy all of the non-palynomorph waste. As such, the study of palynomorphs is often referred to as the study of acid resistance microfossils/forms. What this means to the case investigator is that material from which palynomorph recovery is attempted will generally not be available later for other types of forensic testing. For this reason, forensic palynology should be performer last. Equally as important is the maintenance of forensic protocol for testing and transferring evidence. Utilization of these standard forensic practices significantly reduce and substantially negate the possibility of contemporaneous palynomorph contamination. Extraction procedures of palynomorphs may vary due to the type of material being processed, however, of key importance is the sample size available for processing. When ample material is available, standard palynomorph extraction vessels, procedures, and chemicals such as Hcl, HF, and potassium hydroxide usually suffice. Often, though, there is little material to process, and therefore, qualified acid-resistant vessels are needed as well as modifications in standard palynomorph processing techniques. It should also be understood that the techniques used in the extraction process are predominantly targeted at the disintegration, dissolution, or otherwise removal of the non-palynomorph portion of the sample, which often results in a concentration of the recovered palynomorphs. These palynomorphs are then collected and mounted on glass microscope slides for later analysis and storage.

 

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