Up in the air: Presence and collection of DNA from air and air conditioner units.

Biological material is routinely collected at crime scenes and from exhibits and is a key type of evidence during criminal investigations. Touch or trace DNA samples from surfaces and objects deemed to have been contacted are frequently collected. However, a person of interest may not leave any traces on contacted surfaces, for example, if wearing gloves. A novel means of sampling human DNA from air offers additional avenues for DNA collection. In the present study, we report on the results of a pilot study into the prevalence and persistence of human DNA in the air. The first aspect of the pilot study investigates air conditioner units that circulate air around a room, by sampling units located in four offices and four houses at different time frames post-cleaning. The second aspect investigates the ability to collect human DNA from the air in rooms, with and without people, for different periods of time and with different types of collection filters. Results of this pilot study show that human DNA can be collected on air conditioner unit surfaces and from the air, with air samples representing the more recent occupation while air conditioner units showing historic use of the room.

Emerging use of air eDNA and its application to forensic investigations - A review.

Biological material is routinely collected at crime scenes and from exhibits and is a key type of evidence during criminal investigations. Improvements in DNA technologies allow collection and profiling of trace samples, comprised of few cells, significantly expanding the types of exhibits targeted for DNA analysis to include touched surfaces. However, success rates from trace and touch DNA samples tend to be poorer compared to other biological materials such as blood. Simultaneously, there have been recent advances in the utility of environmental DNA collection (eDNA) in identification and tracking of different biological organisms and species from bacteria to naked mole rats in different environments, including, soil, ice, snow, air and aquatic. This paper examines the emerging methods and research into eDNA collection, with a special emphasis on the potential forensic applications of human DNA collection from air including challenges and further studies required to progress implementation.