Forensic value of pollen from ornamental indoor plants

Abstract

Pollen is deposited almost everywhere and can be gathered and analysed. This work is part of a survey dedicated to indoor pollen from a forensic point of view. Ornamental plants were introduced into a private flat. Their influence on the pre-existing pollen assemblages was documented. Results show that ornamental plants can dramatically change the pollen spectra of indoor locations. The severity of this impact strongly varies with different plant taxa. These findings are important for forensic investigations, since such an ‘artificial’ pollen spectrum leaves an unusual trace and could subsequently relate a suspect to a crime scene.

Keywords:

• pollen
• ornamental plants
• forensic palynology
• domestic dwelling
• pollen spectrum

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF-project P24771-B22). The authors want to thank Susanne Togle for excellent technical assistance, Erich Csar for the supply of Clivia pot plants as well as Silvia Ulrich, Reinhard Zetter and Susanne Sonntag.

ORCID

Philipp Nguyen http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9250-932X