Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Mäkelä, Tuukka
• Huhtala, Sami
• Lindqvist, Mimmi A.
• Bucht, Rebecca

Titel

The current status of environmental forensic science in the member institutes of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI)

Ist Teil von

• Forensic science international, 2023-07, Vol.348, p.111593-111593, Article 111593

Ort / Verlag

Ireland: Elsevier B.V

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Elsevier ScienceDirect Journals Complete

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey carried out by The Forensic laboratory of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-FL), aiming to get an overview of the current status of environmental forensic science (EFS) and environmental crimes investigation in the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI). A questionnaire was sent out to 71 ENFSI member institutes and the response rate was 44%. The results of the survey indicate that the issue of environmental crime is taken seriously in most participating countries, but a need for improvement in the approach to the issue was identified. Countries define environmental crime differently and have different law structures regarding what kind of actions are considered environmental crimes. The most frequently mentioned actions were waste dumping, pollution, inappropriate handling of chemicals and hazardous waste, oil spills, illicit excavation and wildlife crime and trading.The different roles of the authorities involved in the investigative process seem to be somewhat unclear in several countries. Most institutes participated on some level in the forensic processes related to environmental crime cases. The most common tasks performed in forensic institutes were the analysis of environmental samples and interpretation of the results. Only three institutes had case coordination services related to EFS. Participation in sample collection was rare but a clear developmental need was identified. A majority of the respondents acknowledged a need for increased scientific collaboration and education in the field of EFS. ●The definitions of criminalized actions that affect the environment vary.●Environmental forensic science (EFS) is a small discipline.●The roles of the institutes vary but are often limited.●Only some institutes have designated EFS personnel.●Interest for improving expertise and collaboration in EFS was clearly observed.