ABSTRACT
An incident involving Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear materials is a potential crime with a requirement for investigation, attribution and prosecution. It is essential that any response or investigation of such an incident is undertaken in such a way that the forensic integrity of the scene and any materials recovered from the scene is maintained. The possibility of smuggling and illicit trafficking of material that can be used in a radiological or nuclear event has led to the development of a new branch of science: nuclear forensic science. Nuclear forensic science investigations start after material has been seized and categorized as 'radiological material'. Technology groups being employed for diagnostic test development include real-time polymerase chain reaction, deoxyribonucleic acid and protein microarrays, and rapid antigen/antibody detection systems. Nuclear forensic science makes use of analytical techniques that were actually developed for applications related to the nuclear fuel cycle; hence appropriate and safe handling of the samples during the investigation is assured.
