ABSTRACT
Forensic science is dened as the application of science to the processes of law in order to achieve justice. As a consequence of such a broad denition, forensic science encompasses a wide variety of disciplines, from medicine to chemistry, from toxicology to genetics, from bromatology to engineering. In general, however, most of the different activities of a forensic chemist fall within one of the following categories: (a) identication and/or determination of drugs, explosives, soils, paints, ngerprints, bers, ignitable materials, biological materials; (b) comparison of the formers in order to link evidence from the crime scene to the suspect; and (c) authentication in cases of forgery (e.g., of ancient objects, questioned documents, currency).
