Find out more about self-funded PhD projects in areas of forensic and investigative sciences where we already have supervisors active and engaged in the research topic in our School of Life Sciences.
Forensic & Investigative Sciences Research Group
Forensic Analysis, Fire investigation
We are currently investigating, in collaboration with Essex, West Yorkshire and London Fire and Rescue Services, the increased flammability of clothing soaked in paraffin based skin care products, after a number of fatalities linked with the use of skin emollients. We also have support from the British Burns Association and British Association of Dermatologists, who are strong advocates of the value of this work. There has been a lot of recent media coverage on a number of accidental deaths attributed to the use of skin care ointments. These products are applied quite liberally on large areas of skin and consequently soak into clothing and if these are not changed or re-worn, the amount of the paraffin based ointment builds up.
Our recent results using standard methods for the testing the flammability of textiles, have shown shorter ignition times when clothing is soaked in such products and increased flame heights. This supports our hypothesis that the clothing is behaving as a wick and is able to generate enough vapours to increase the potential for ignition, increase flammability and burn time. This is of concern if a source of ignition such as cigarette or cooker lighters, matches or a lit candle, are available and if the person is elderly or immobile and not able to react in a timely manner before serious injury or death occurs.
We have previously published a joint UG study on the increased flame height of clothing when soaked in skin care ointments at a conference and want to continue with our research in the following areas:
This research will result in us and our collaborators offering valuable advice on the safer use of such skin emollients and other paraffin based care products. This could include guidance on how to wash clothes soaked in such products; in particular when used by the elderly, infirm or disabled.
The overall aims of this research is public awareness and highlighting the safer use of paraffin based ointments by distributing it initially to and via organisations that represent those with skin problems and care for the elderly and disabled. By increasing the awareness of the potential fire risks of paraffin based ointments and other related products, when soaked in clothing, it is hoped that we can change routines in their application, especially targeting groups who are at potential risk. We also hope to pass our findings on to the relevant regulatory authorities as call for a change of policy in public awareness of the risk of such products when soaked into clothing.
This project is self-funded.
Details of studentships for which funding is available are selected by a competitive process and are advertised on our jobs website as they become available.
If you wish to be considered for this project, you will need to apply for our Forensic & Investigative Sciences PhD. In the section of the application form entitled 'Outline research proposal', please quote the above title and include a research proposal.
Forensic & Investigative Sciences Research Group
Crime Scene and Evidence, Forensic Analysis
Background: A novel adsorbent has been developed at Anglia Ruskin University that has been proved to recover a good range of ignitable liquid residues (ILRs) from hard surfaces in a fire scene. We have found that different methods and ad-hoc materials are used to recover ILRs when direct sampling is difficult. However, these methods are unable to recover all target compounds for the positive identification of ILRs and therefore, are not fit for purpose and could lead to the misinterpretation of evidence in court. Our novel adsorbent works for a large range of ignitable liquids, is inexpensive, doesn’t interfere with investigative processes or analysis, inert, easy to use at scene and therefore could be adopted by fire investigators. The investigation of the recovery ability was carried out using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Auto Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry using an international standard method and has also been successfully tested using blind trials at a cold fire scene in collaboration with Cambridgeshire and Essex’s Fire and Rescue Services. The research has been presented at international conferences, resulted in a successful completion of a PhD and has been published in the Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis.
We are now currently wishing to develop this research area by using the novel adsorbent we have developed to sample suspects hands for the presence of ignitable liquids. Some initial research has been carried out on porcine skin to investigate the recovery of ILRs to mimic human skin. We are now want to investigate the adsorbents use on human hands. This is in light of the need for a simple, easy and cheap sampling method when compared to the current methods being used. Our method using the novel adsorbent doesn’t require heating or the suspect to be transported to the laboratory. Therefore it does not exhibit problems when trying to collecting vapours and the loss in sample/evidence and therefore could also provide increased detection sensitivity when compared to some current techniques.
Main goal: Investigate the use of a developed novel adsorbent for sampling the presence of ignitable liquids from hands. There are three main objectives:
Methodology: Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Auto Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry, plus research via blind cold scene trials.
Outcomes: The Police and Fire and Rescue Services have already contacted us (Head of Forensic Science at triforce, Essex’s Fire and Rescue), with interest in such an area. As when arriving at a fire and walking through onlookers or either interviewing suspects, they often smell an odour of petrol or ignitable liquid. Therefore, they wish for a method to be developed that is safer, cheaper and easier to use which is beneficial to the service providers and is harmless to the suspect. Therefore this research will provide a standard easy to follow protocol with an easy to use sampling kit. In addition, not only will be published in academic journals but will be disseminated to service providers at conferences and meetings.
This project is self-funded.
Details of studentships for which funding is available are selected by a competitive process and are advertised on our jobs website as they become available.
If you wish to be considered for this project, you will need to apply for our Forensic & Investigative Sciences PhD. In the section of the application form entitled 'Outline research proposal', please quote the above title and include a research proposal.
Forensic & Investigative Sciences Research Group
Crime Scene and Evidence, Forensic Analysis
The proposed project will focus on applying analytical chemistry knowledge for the simultaneous detection of drugs of abuse and pharmaceutical compounds from human hair. This complements our current research on DFSA using the spiked beverages.
By the time DFSA cases are reported, drugs are cleared from our body resulting in their non-detection. Using hair in such cases serves as an ideal matrix as hair retains the drug use history, not only for days and weeks, but also for months and years.
In order to increase conviction rates, the selected student would be engaged in the method development for the detection of DFSA drugs using hair samples.
This project is self-funded.
Details of studentships for which funding is available are selected by a competitive process and are advertised on our jobs website as they become available.
If you wish to be considered for this project, you will need to apply for our Forensic & Investigative Sciences PhD. In the section of the application form entitled 'Outline research proposal', please quote the above title and include a research proposal.