Optimization of the pollen extraction process for improvement of identification

Abstract

Forensic palynology uses microscopic evidence that is resistant to external influences and displacement from the scene. Most suspects may overlook pollen as evidence because they do not know its importance. Pollen provides a myriad of opportunities in forensics: determining the time of year, locality, primary and secondary event venue, connecting participants in a single criminal event, etc. Pollen analysis consists of determining the species and estimating the percentage that each plant species represents in the evidence sample. All methods require preliminary preparation (pollen extraction). A couple of methods for pollen extraction are used, but they are usually either suitable for large samples or require expensive equipment. We tried to optimize some of the existing methods to improve yield. Best results have been achieved using water incubated samples combined with modified acetolysis. Further development and implementation of forensic palynology depend on the simplified procedure and involvement of forensic botanists.