Western Illinois University

Department of Chemistry

CHEM 451G: Forensic Chemistry

Fall 2012

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Instructor: Dr. Hongxia Guan E-Mail:

Office: Currens 519B Phone: 309-298-2578

Office Hours: 1:00 – 4:00pm MW Fax: 309-298-2180

(Call in advance or contact by e-mail for other times)

Webpage

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Lecture meeting: MW 10:00-10:50am, Currens 202

Required Text: Suzanne Bell (2006) Forensic Chemistry, Pearson Prentice Hall Publishers, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458.

Textbook for lab: Clifton E. Meloan, Richard Saferstein, Richard E. James, Lab Manual - Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science, by Richard Saferstein, 9th edition, Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2007.

Additional Required Expenses: A simple scientific calculator (not a graphing calculator) is required for the course. TI-30XA is recommended.

Course prerequisite: Prerequisites: CHEM 332, 341, 370 or 374, or consent of instructor.

Course description: “Applications of Forensic Chemistry” is designed to provide graduate students with the theoretical background, practical skills, and the scientific techniques utilized in modern crime laboratories. This is accomplished through coursework heavily augmented by practical laboratory experiences and case-specific project assignment. Topics will cover quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), sample preparation, instrumentation, drug analysis, chemical analysis of physical evidence including arson, ink and paint, polymer, paper, and fiber.

Course objectives and learning outcomes:

1. Students will gain a fundamental understanding of the types of criminal evidence and the correct procedures for their collection, preservation, inventory and transportation.

2. Students will be able to understand the principles, theories and application of the appropriate analytical/biological technologies used for the analysis of forensic evidence.

3. Students will gain knowledge of how to perform meaningful interpretation of data from analytical/forensic measurements.

4. Students will gain case-specific practice of linkage between the chemical, forensic, and interpretative (or statistical) domain of forensic chemistry field.

Attendance: students are expected to attend every class possible. Attendance will be checked. Each absence will lower your class grade by 1 percentage point. for example: if you have a 90% (A) average and miss 1 class, then your final grade is an 89%, an A-. Any student who misses more than 10 minutes of class by either arriving late or leaving early, then the student will be counted as absent. Missing fewer than 10 minutes of class is a tardy. Three tardies count as one absence. If you miss more than 15 classes, you will automatically fail the class. The only exception would be a serious documented medical illness for EACH absence. If the same sickness is repeated again, then students are supposed to show a separate doctor’s note. Students who are called away from the campus to participate in university sponsored trips such as athletics or professional meeting (not sorority/frat, or other clubs) may be allowed to make up missed work, if, and only if, the student provides a signed memo from the faculty sponsor.

All students are responsible for all information and materials given in class whether you are present or not. Any student who arrives late for an exam loses that amount of time to work on the exam.

Students are responsible for his/her own travel schedule and attend lecture on time. Exceptions will be only given to WIU sponsored conferences and trips.

Exams: Three 50-min exams will cover the lecture materials presented during the regular semester. A comprehensive final exam will cover all materials for the semester. All exams will be worth 100 points each, and must be included in your final point total.

Labs: Twelve laboratory exercises are planned for this semester, and the top eleven grades will be applied to your final grade. There will be a short quiz for each lab. Each quiz will be worth 5 points, and each lab report will be worth 10 points.

No makeup exams, lab quizzes or lab experiments will be given. If it is necessary to be absent during exam, lab quiz or lab exercise, your score will be zero. DO NOT MISS MORE THAN ONE LAB. Exceptions will be made for University sponsored functions that require your presence during the class period (i.e. WIU band trips, field trips in other WIU classes, WIU athletics, etc.), military commitment, documented illnesses, documented family medical emergencies, military commitments, and other absences excused by the course instructor. Notification of the official WIU sponsored function, in the form of a signed memo from the faculty sponsor or coach, must be submitted to the instructor one week prior to the expected absence. Evidence of military commitment should be presented as soon as possible.

Research term paper:

Term paper must be on a topic of forensic chemistry relevance and must be chosen in consultation with the instructor. It is strongly encouraged that you start working on your term paper early in the semester. The topic and journal articles should be approved by the instructor by October 19th. The first draft of the paper is due by November 12th. The paper is to be approximately 10 typed, double-spaced, pages and must include no less than eight journal references with publication dates of 2000 or later. Use an Arial, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 12 points. Use an inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages. The term paper must be your own work. Sources of ideas or information must be referenced. The final version of the term paper is due November 26th. The penalty for late term paper is 1% each day; the first penalty is applied 3 days after the deadline. Term paper will not be accepted after December 5th.

Grading allotment and Grading scale:

Students will be evaluated based on homework assignments, three lecture exams, a comprehensive final exam, term paper and the labs. The grading allotment and grading scale is as below:

A / 90.0-100%
A- / 88.0-89.9%
B+ / 85.0-87.9%
B / 80.0-84.9%
B- / 78.0-79.9%
C+ / 75.0-77.9%
C / 70.0-74.9%
C- / 68.0-69.9%
D+ / 65.0-67.9%
D / 60.0-64.9%
D- / 58.0-59.9%
F / < 58.0%
10% / Homework assignments
30% / Exams I-III
20% / Final exam
7% / Term paper
33% / Lab

Note: Exam grades are based on the total number of correct answers, and all grades are final. No curve will be applied to exam grades, and no “retakes” will be allowed. No “extra point” assignments will be made or applied to grades. Students can view their individual quiz and exam scores on Western OnLine (WIU ECom is required for login). No incomplete will be given to a student with a failing grade in the course. No incomplete will be given in this course unless the student experiences a documented emergency that takes him/her away from the university for at least two consecutive weeks and/or causes him/her to miss the final exam. The student must notify the instructor of this emergency before the final exam.

Data Storage devices other than a simple scientific calculator (such as graphing calculators, cell phones, IPODs, MP3 players, and laptops) are not allowed to be used in the classroom at any time!

All hats, caps, and hoods that cover your ears are not allowed to be worn during a quiz or exam. The instructor reserves the right to assign seating for the students during exams and/or any other time deemed necessary. Your exam/test is done whenever you leave the classroom during scheduled exam/test. Also, class time is not a social hour. Please refrain from casual conversation during class time.

Study Guide: It is advisable to check WesternOnline daily to keep up on the material. Past experience suggests that going over the notes and read the textbook after each class is essential. A daily minimum of two hours of out of class work is needed to do well in this class. Write down any questions at that point. You may submit your questions by e-mail or ask in the next lecture period. It is your responsibility to get material clarified.

Statement on Ethics: Western Illinois University, like all communities, functions best when its members treat one another with honesty, fairness, respect, and trust. Students have rights and responsibilities (http://www.wiu.edu/provost/students/). Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty constitute a serious violation of University conduct regulations. Students who engage in dishonesty in any form shall be charged with academic dishonesty. Please remember that you are expected to do your own work at all times.

Emergency Preparedness: Emergency Preparedness: The WIU Office of Risk Management and Emergency Preparedness provides resources on how to respond to emergency situations. Please view the video resources at www.wiu.edu/rmep/ (Click “Resources” on the right side of the page). If the fire alarms sound and/or students are asked to evacuate the building all students should proceed immediately to the nearest exit and gather at the southwest corner of the Higgins parking lot (near the fence) until the “all clear” is given.

The following action is prohibited under the Student Conduct Code: Disorderly Conduct: Any behavior which disrupts the regular or normal functions of the University community, including behavior which breaches the peace or violates the rights of others. Any student convicted of academic dishonesty, can receive a failing grade and may be subject to further academic penalties. Web address for Academic Integrity Policy (http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php)

Please find the web address for Student Rights and Responsibilities: http://www.wiu.edu/provost/students/php

WIU Policies: It is the policy of Western Illinois University to accommodate individuals with disabilities pursuant to federal law and the University's commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any necessary accommodations at the beginning of the course. Any student with a disability requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Resource Center.

In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Resource Center (DRC) and provide it to the instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 298-2512 for additional services. The following action is prohibited under the Student Conduct Code:

Disorderly Conduct: Any behavior which disrupts the regular or normal functions of the University community, including behavior which breaches the peace or violates the rights of others. (http://sjp.wiu.edu/CodeOfConduct/index.asp)

Tentative lecture Topics:

1 / Chapter 1: Introduction
2 / Chapter 2: Statistics, Sampling, and Data Quality
3 / Chapter 3: Calibration, Method Validation, and Quality Control
4 / Chapter 4: Sample Preparation, Thin-Layer Chromatography, and immunoassay
5 / Chapter 5: Instrumentation
6 / Chapter 6: An Overview of Drugs and Pharmacology
7 / Chapter 7: Forensic Drug Analysis I
8 / Chapter 8: Forensic Drug Analysis II: Basic Drugs
9 / Chapter 9: Combustion Part I: Chemistry of Combustion And Arson
10 / Chapter 10: Combustion Part II: Forensic Analysis of Physical Evidence
Associated with Combustion
11 / Chapter 11: The Chemistry of Color and Colorants
12 / Chapter 12: Forensic Analysis of Inks and Paints
13 / Chapter 13: The Chemistry of Polymers
14 / Chapter 14: Forensic Analysis of Paper, Fiber, and Polymers

Exam schedule (tentative):

September 19 (Wednesday) / First exam
October 17 (Wednesday) / Second exam
November 14 (Wednesday) / Third exam
December 10 (Monday) / Final exam (10 am)

Laboratory Instructor/coordinator: Dr. Hongxia Guan, Currens Hall 519B,

Tel: (309)298- 2578; E-mail:

Office hours: Monday and Tuesday 2-5 pm, other times by appointment or walk-in basis.

Lab meeting place: Tuesday 2:00-4:50pm

Location: Currens Hall 419

Teaching Assistant: Jameelah Muhammad

Lab manual: Lab Manual - Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science, by Clifton E. Meloan, Richard E. James, and Richard Saferstein, Prentice Hall; 9th Ed.

General rules:

The following rules must be observed while working in the laboratory.

1. Appropriate safety glasses must be worn at all times – the use of contact lenses is also discouraged, however, if you do plan to wear lenses in the laboratory you must inform your instructor and wear safety goggles.

2. Proper dress is required - bare feet, sandals, or opened-toed shoes are not allowed in the laboratory. It is best not to wear expensive clothing as stains and holes can result from misplaced chemicals.

3. behaving appropriately – you must be aware of others around you, so be careful when carry chemicals and walk through the laboratory.

4. Know the location and operation of the safety equipment – this includes eyewash facilities, fire extinguishers, fire showers, and fire blankets. In case of fire, do not panic, clear out of the immediate area, and call your instructor for help.

5. Cleaning up – it is important that you clean your workstation upon completing your laboratory exercise.

6. Food, drinks and smoke of any kind are not allowed in the laboratory – keep all objects, such as glassware or plastic tubing, out of your mouth while in the lab.

7. No cell phone calls in the laboratory.

Pre-lab quizzes: A pre-lab quiz (5 points) will be given during the initial 5 minutes of the lab period each week. A student who is 5 or more minutes late will not be permitted to take the quiz and will receive a grade of zero.

Attendance: Attendance for ten labs is required. No makeup lab is allowed at the end of the semester.

The CHEM 451 lab reports will each be graded as followed: