The ATF approach to post-blast explosives detection and identification

Abstract

Abstract The majority of all criminal bombings in the United States are investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Processing the bomb scenes and examining the physical evidence in the laboratory are both performed using teams of highly trained specialists. This paper discusses the team approach to bomb scene processing. The analytical schemes employed by laboratory staff for the post-blast identification of explosives and bomb component is also described.