Analytical chemistry and materials science play pivotal roles in the solution of complex issues over a wide array of sectors ranging from accident investigations to contaminated food products.
Only with reliable and timely data can investigators begin to elucidate what occurred and why. Typically, this involves close collaboration between a client and the scientists who will translate the client’s goals into actionable test plans that will ultimately generate the information necessary to understand the root cause of an issue.
In general, this process involves a multi-stage approach involving 1) the client providing a summary of an issue, 2) the development of a test plan, 3) the execution of the testing and 4) the interpretation of the results along with any necessary research in the primary literature to piece together a wholistic understanding of the issue.
In this presentation we will explore some examples of this process with example case studies.
- Did a hit and run auto accident occur or is the paint architectural?
- Why is our meat product forming white crystals at the surface?
- Why does product batch “A” smell less pleasant the batch “B?”
- Did our grapes become contaminated with diesel fuel on the way from Brazil?
The possibilities are endless as we explore the strategies and results in investigative analyses.
