Antony Dass Marie, Sherman Craig D H, van Oorschot Roland A H, Hartman Dadna, Carter Gemma, Durdle Annalisa
School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong 3220, Australia.
School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong 3220, Australia.
Forensic Sci Int Genet. 2025 Jan;74:103155. doi: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103155. Epub 2024 Oct 9.
Human environmental DNA (eDNA) application have not been fully applied or adequately considered in the fields of eDNA and forensics. Nonetheless, this technique holds great potential as a complementary tool for detecting human DNA in aquatic environments, particularly in cases involving crimes connect to such environments. However, the detectability or stability of eDNA can vary depending on several factors. Therefore, this preliminary study investigates the detection and degradation rates of human eDNA, as well as the recovery of nuclear short tandem repeat (STR) profiles and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing, using water samples from both saltwater and freshwater sources. To conduct the experiment, whole human blood was spiked into the water samples. Water samples were then filtered using a 5 µm pore size filter, and samples were collected at various time intervals up to 23 days. A human specific qPCR assay targeting HV1 region of human mtDNA was used to detect human eDNA. Results demonstrated that human eDNA remains detectable for up to 36 hours in freshwater samples and up 84 hours in saltwater samples. The limit of detection (LOD) of human eDNA, (205 copies/µl), was achieved after 60 hours in freshwater and 180 hours in saltwater samples. Partial STR profiles could be recovered up to 24 hours for freshwater and saltwater. Results from mtDNA sequencing indicate that full mtDNA profiles could be recovered from freshwater samples up to 48 hours and remained detectable up to 72 hours in saltwater. Overall, the findings of this study underscore the importance of considering and incorporating human eDNA analysis as a valuable tool in forensic practice. By harnessing the power of eDNA, law enforcement agencies can enhance their investigation capabilities, improve the accuracy of forensic reconstructions, and ultimately contribute to the resolution of cases involving aquatic environments. Further research and validation are needed to optimize and expand the utilization of eDNA techniques in forensic investigations.
人类环境DNA（eDNA）技术在环境DNA和法医学领域尚未得到充分应用或充分考虑。尽管如此，作为在水生环境中检测人类DNA的补充工具，该技术具有巨大潜力，尤其是在涉及此类环境相关犯罪的案件中。然而，eDNA的可检测性或稳定性可能因多种因素而异。因此，本初步研究使用来自咸水和淡水水源的水样，调查了人类eDNA的检测和降解速率，以及核短串联重复序列（STR）图谱和线粒体DNA（mtDNA）测序的回收率。为进行实验，将全血加入水样中。然后使用孔径为5微米的过滤器对水样进行过滤，并在长达23天的不同时间间隔收集样本。使用针对人类mtDNA HV1区域的人类特异性qPCR测定法检测人类eDNA。结果表明，人类eDNA在淡水样本中可检测长达36小时，在咸水样本中可检测长达84小时。在淡水样本中60小时后和咸水样本中180小时后达到人类eDNA的检测限（LOD）（205拷贝/微升）。淡水和咸水样本中，部分STR图谱可在24小时内恢复。mtDNA测序结果表明，淡水样本中可在长达48小时内恢复完整的mtDNA图谱，在咸水样本中可检测长达72小时。总体而言，本研究结果强调了将人类eDNA分析作为法医学实践中有价值工具加以考虑和应用的重要性。通过利用eDNA的力量，执法机构可以提高其调查能力，提高法医重建的准确性，并最终有助于解决涉及水生环境的案件。需要进一步的研究和验证，以优化和扩大eDNA技术在法医调查中的应用。
