CANBERRA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Forensic scientists are exploring environmental DNA (eDNA), including airborne traces left by intruders in residential burglaries, as a new tool to help solve criminal cases lacking biological evidence.
The study, led by Oslo University Hospital in Norway with collaborators at Flinders University in Australia, evaluated the possibility of finding viable evidence from 391 eDNA samples collected from air, dust and surfaces during simulated 15-minute residential burglaries, according to a statement released recently by Flinders University.
The research found evidence of human intruder eDNA from air samples collected under controlled conditions, although recovery varied depending on factors including air temperatures, humidity, dust and existing household DNA.
Researchers said the brief nature of burglaries, offenders' efforts to avoid detection and the difficulty of identifying where DNA traces were deposited may result in limited or absent biological evidence.
"Human eDNA can accumulate at a crime scene through passive shedding and dispersal throughout the environment, including in airborne particles and dust, where it may persist despite cleaning efforts," said Mariya Goray, a senior lecturer at Flinders University, co-author of the study published in Forensic Science International: Genetics.
The researchers said airborne DNA, combined with evidence from dust and surfaces, could help reconstruct recent and established occupancy patterns.
They added that standardized sampling, analytical and interpretation procedures, and further validation under longer post-event delays and wider environmental conditions could improve the reliability of results. ■
