This report describes a research project with the goal of developing a protocol to use the elemental profile obtained by a portable Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument to sort and reassociate commingled human remains.
This research report describes a study that evaluated the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) as a useful tool for sorting commingled remains. The goal was achieved in two parts: the design of a classification to optimize the sorting of commingled remains obtained at the FOREST facility; and the comparison of the elemental approach with traditional methods of sorting remains. The report describes the project design, methodology, and results; discusses implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United States; and cites scholarly products that resulted from this project as well as sources referenced throughout the project report. The report confirms the project’s successful application of handheld LIBS to classify human remains, based on their elemental signature, with an accuracy higher than 90 percent using Linear Discrimination Analysis. The report also confirms that LIBS can be applied in the field thanks to its portability, and that it does not require classification algorithms, such as artificial neural networks, that can be computationally intensive and prevent portability; the analysis is also demonstrated to be minimally invasive for the bone, allowing for further analysis by anthropologists and archaeologists.