Environmental Forensics is one of the most prolific type of investigations globally. Environmental forensics can be understood as activities to improve the detection, analysis and interpretation of a wide variety of environmental pollutants using a multidisciplinary approach. This module will explore these activities and provide you with the knowledge and skills to undertake your own environmental forensic analysis. The extent of environmental crime means that you will learn about crime scene analysis involving land, air and water and will explore the range of contaminants that may be present.

Environmental crime can be both criminal and civil and you will learn the difference between the two whilst understanding the types of crime this involves. You will learn the techniques for fingerprinting contaminants using a range of analytical approaches and through case studies, field work and laboratory examination of mock cases, you will learn the evaluative techniques used by environmental scientists to answer key questions for the courts. You will learn how to document and investigate environmental crime scenes including the use of drones for aerial mapping. You will also be part of unique field and laboratory-based activities where you will sample for an emerging contaminant (eg. microplastics) at a designated water site, conduct environmental crime scene documentation, recover and analyse the contaminants in the lab and interpret this data as part of a larger scale research study being conducted.

You will explore a wide range of environmental crimes including, but not limited to, oil spills, hazardous cargos, heavy metal contamination, illegal waste dumping, microplastic pollution and wildlife crimes.

The current issues relating to Wildlife Crime in the UK and in other countries will be explored, including badger baiting, dog fighting, stealing bird eggs and illegally smuggling, trading in wild animals and protected species and the role of the Wildlife Crime Officer. Documentation of a wildlife crime cases, search, recovery and analysis of evidence of an animal origin will be investigated.

This module will be part delivered by Staffordshire University’s Forensic Fibre and Microplastic Research Group (@StaffsMicro) that works internationally on environmental forensic work and has led many studies and expeditions around the world. We are the first department in the world to apply forensic science approaches to microplastic pollution; you will learn these techniques and how to apply your existing forensic knowledge to this form on environmental investigation. You will be introduced to new cutting-edge research and work being conducted around the world in the fight against pollution and improvement in environmental forensics approaches through the research groups partnerships and collaborations. This module is hands-on and will involve practical and field-based activities to learn about environmental crime scenes and how we investigate them.

This module is assessed by
1/ a negotiated output that describes and critically evaluates the results and outcomes of the environmental pollution investigation activity [LO 1, 2 and 3]

The assessment will involve the setting of a small group challenge which by the means of assessment negotiation will produce an output as chosen by the students. By negotiating their assessment students will gain an opportunity to develop clearer understandings of themselves as learners and their own learning processes within their own cultural and professional environment. Guidance as to required content will be given as to ensure Los are met.
Examples of outputs that could be submitted include;

Scientific report
Oral Presentation (this could be in the form of a seminar or workshop)
Website contents

In addition to the above output, each team will submit their data from the investigation. This data will be part of a larger study and the aim will be to publish the results with all students as contributors. This is a rare opportunity for students at this level to be part of a large scale study and publications as part of a module; this will be excellent for their career in forensic science.

The negotiated assessment will be discussed with module tutors and the assessment process agreed ensuring all learning outcomes are met.

A diverse range of learning strategies will be used including case-based analysis and experiential learning. Research in this area being conducted by the Forensic Fibre and Microplastic Research Group will be embedded into learning and teaching activities. Guest lectures from global leaders in environmental forensics will be integrated into the module delivery. Learning will be delivered via lectures, tutorials and practical based activities using Staffordshire University’s extensive facilities and laboratories. Fieldwork based activities will enable you to put your new skills to use; these activities will include an environmental crime scene at a designated water environment where students will document and recover samples for a contaminant which will subsequently be analysed in a laboratory using a variety of methods.

This is a practical based module with 40 hours of practical based activities and 24 hours of tutor led lectures and tutorials.
136 hours of independent study will be used to research background information related to the delivery of the core material, to work on the assignment and engage in informal teamwork.

1. DEMONSTRATE PRACTICAL ABILITY IN THE USE OF A WIDE RANGE OF FORENSIC METHODS IN ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

Application
Problem solving

2. DISPLAY ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE OF THE TECHNIQUES USED BY ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSIC SCIENTISTS AND UNDERSTAND THEIR USE IN ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS.

Knowledge and understanding
Enquiry

3. CRITICALLY EVALUATE ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSIC METHODOLOGIES AND DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE TECHNIQUES USED

Analysis

Lecture room and appropriate laboratories. Specialist equipment including drones, water sampling equipment, analytical equipment, microscopy equipment, crime scene kits, forensic reference sets.
Supplied course packs of readings; ebooks and e-journals, relevant websites.
Blackboard VLE
Computer with internet access; students’ own textbooks

Bailey. D (2016) Practical Veterinary Forensics, CABI publishing
Huffman.J.E and Wallace.J.R (2011) Wildlife Forensics Methods and Applications - Developments in Forensic Science, John Wiley and Sons
Langford.A (2018) Practical Skills in Forensic Science - Practical Skills, 3rd edition, Pearson.
Petrisor. I.G (2014) Environmental Forensics Fundamentals: A Practical Guide, CRC Press
Quinn. B and Crawford. C.B (2017) Microplastic Pollutants, Elsevier Press.
Robert D. Morrison and Brian L. Murphy (2005) Environmental Forensics: Contaminant Specific Guide: Academic Press
Robertson, J. Roux.C and Grieve, M. (Eds.) (2017) Forensic Examination of Fibres (3rd edn). London: Taylor and Francis.
Robinson, P. C. and Bradbury, S. (1992) Qualitative polarized-light microscopy. Oxford: Oxford University press and the Royal Microscopical Society.
Murphy.B, Morrison.R (2014) Introduction to Environmental Forensics, 3rd Edition, Academic Press
Wagner.M, Lambert.S (2020) Freshwater Microplastics: Emerging Environmental Contaminants?, The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, volume 58, Springer.