
301
9
Sample Matrices
and Collection
Specimens investigated within the diverse facets of nuclear forensic analysis have
e
ncompassed
m
any
t
ypes
o
f
s
ample
m
atrix.
T
he
h
andling,
c
ollection,
p
reservation,
a
nd
s
torage
o
f
s
amples
a
re
i
mportant
t
o
t
he
q
uality
a
nd
u
ltimate
i
nterpretation
o
f
t
he
nal
d
ata.
A
s
i
n
a
ny
f
orensic
i
nvestigation,
s
pecimens
m
ust
b
e
o
btained
t
hat
a
re
r
epresentative
o
f
t
he
q
uestioned
m
aterial.
I
nhomogeneities
i
n
s
ample
m
atrices
m
ust
be considered, and for nuclear forensic specimens, such heterogeneity may be impor-
tant clues to the origin and prior manipulations of the sample.
The
m
ost
s
ignicant
a
nalytes
f
or
n
uclear
s
ource
i
nform ...