Forensic science:

Non-destructive nature along with simultaneous multielemental analysis in small amount of sample by NAA has proved to be a boon in forensic studies. Some marker elements such as Ba, Sb, Cu, Ag, Fe, Br, Zn and K are analyzed depending on the type of sample. A typical case of multiple murders involving arsenic poisoning in USA has been solved by NAA. Positive detection of Ba and Sb in the firearm discharge residue swapped from the hands has proved to be of great importance in criminal cases. NAA has been used by forensic experts to find the muzzle distance of bullet fire and differentiate entry and exit hole in certain cases.  Most important elements from forensic point of view are As, Hg and Pb whose analysis may help in deliberate poisoning or accidental ingestion cases. Another area of application of NAA in forensic science is the possibility of trace element characterization of specimens to establish probability of source correspondence.