The feasibility of textile fabrics for forensic evidence transport

Crime scene investigators in the forensic science field are under much scrutiny due to the variation of contamination that can occur during the collection, transportation, and processing stages of forensic analysis. This study will look at both physical and mechanical properties of five materials gathered by over one hundred different agencies around the state of Texas. The physical properties being analyzed include the weight of the material, also known as grams per square meter (GSM), and thickness. The mechanical properties that will be analyzed are tensile strength, air permeability, and absorbency. The focus of this study is on packaging materials for any biological evidence that can be collected at a crime scene. Due to high contamination rates, it is important to have a basic understanding of the materials that are being used and if they have a positive or negative influence on the item's ability to become contaminated. This research will use different mechanisms such as an Instron Tensile machine, SDL ATLAS air permeability tester, thickness gauge, GSM scale, a liquid dropper, and stopwatch. Using these instruments this study will identify five factors that contribute to the reliability and potential contamination of packaging materials crime scene investigators use daily to collect biological evidence.