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Review Article

Advancements in Analytical Techniques for Water Source Contamination Analysis in Forensics: A Comprehensive Review

Ankit Singh, Animesh Pandey, Gunjan Saxena

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Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology 18((2 Suppl)):p 339-346, April-June 2025. | DOI: https://doi.org/10.21088/ijfmp.0974.3383.18225.36

How Cite This Article:

Pandey A, Saxena G, Singh A. Advancements in Analytical Techniques for Water Source Contamination Analysis in Forensics: A Comprehensive Review. Indian J Forensic Med Pathol. 2025;18(2 Suppl):339-346.

Timeline

Received : June 28, 2024         Accepted : June 16, 2025          Published : June 30, 2025

Abstract

An essential aspect of forensic science is the analysis of water source pollution, which offers vital insights into crimes against the environment, health-related occurrences, and the recognition of those responsible. Contamination of water sources is a major problem for forensic investigations, requiring sophisticated analytical methods for precise and prompt identification of pollutants. This review presents a variety of cutting-edge techniques, tools, and interdisciplinary approaches that have greatly improved the accuracy, sensitivity, and effectiveness of water analysis. The use of remote sensing technologies and the difficulties in applying them to forensic water analysis are given particular attention. It explores developments in chromatographic methods, such as liquid and gas chromatography (GC and LC), and explains their application and contribution to the evaluation of water quality. After that, there is a focus on sensor technologies, explaining how new real-time monitoring sensors such as electrochemical, optical, and nano sensors have emerged and how they are used in forensic settings. The review concludes by outlining the challenges of applying advanced techniques to forensic water analysis and identifies key areas for future research, underscoring the need for continued methodological innovation. This thorough investigation seeks to promote improvements in the watery field source pollution analysis by serving as a useful resource for scholars, forensic scientists, and legislators.


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Data Sharing Statement

There are no additional data available. All raw data and code are available upon request.

Funding

This research received no funding.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.

Ethics Declaration

This article does not involve any human or animal subjects, and therefore does not require ethics approval.

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the patients, their families, and all those who have contributed to this study.

Conflicts of Interest

No conflicts of interest.


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Cite this article

Pandey A, Saxena G, Singh A. Advancements in Analytical Techniques for Water Source Contamination Analysis in Forensics: A Comprehensive Review. Indian J Forensic Med Pathol. 2025;18(2 Suppl):339-346.


Licence:

Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.



Received Accepted Published
June 28, 2024 June 16, 2025 June 30, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21088/ijfmp.0974.3383.18225.36

Keywords

ContaminationAnalysisEnvironmental crimeAnalytical TechniquesChromatographic

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Received June 28, 2024
Accepted June 16, 2025
Published June 30, 2025

licence


Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.



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