부산대학교 도서관

The authors have been constructing a forensic soil database based on the heavy mineral and trace heavy element compositions of stream sediments collected at 3024 points all over Japan using high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction (SR-XRD) and a high-energy synchrotron X-ray fluorescence analyses (HE-SR-XRF) utilizing SR source of SPring-8. In the present study, we first carried out regional characterization of the soils collected from the Hokuriku region in Japan. Both heavy mineral concentration map and heavy element concentration map were prepared and compared with the geological map of the Hokuriku region. As a result, the distribution shows good correspondence with the background geology. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted using the semi-quantitative values of heavy minerals and allowed us to classify them into seven groups. Based on multiple comparison methods, we found significant differences in heavy element compositions among these seven groups. Then, since we have completed the analysis of all samples in the current fiscal year, both heavy mineral concentration map and heavy element concentration map in Japan were prepared and compared with the geological map. As a result, the distribution shows good correspondence with the background geology. Therefore, regional characterization using this database is promising. Finally, we collected test samples in the Hokuriku region in Japan and carried out the provenance estimation of these samples as an imaginary case study by comparison with the database. As a result, we could successfully estimate the provenance of these samples, indicating that this database will be useful for criminal investigation.