International Journal of
Advanced Multidisciplinary Application

Volume 3, Issue 7

• Author(s)Ranjit Kumar, Harish Narayan Tiwari, Supriya Balakrishnan
• AffiliationDepartment of Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India Department of International Law and Human Rights, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Punjab, India School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
• Page No.102-108
• Volume, Issue & YearVolume 3, Issue 7, July 2026
• Published On2026/07/10
• JournalInternational Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Application (IJAMA)
• ISSN No.3048-9350

Abstract

The forensic identification of victims recovered from mass graves constitutes one of the most technically demanding and legally consequential applications of analytical chemistry, requiring the integration of stable isotope ratio analysis, skeletal morphology, and evidentiary chain-of-custody protocols sufficient for admissibility before international criminal tribunals and human rights courts. This study establishes regional biogeochemical isotopic reference baselines for five geographic zones within a post-conflict study region of the Western Balkans, drawing on 168 georeferenced soil, water, and faunal reference samples quantified for strontium (87Sr/86Sr), oxygen (delta18O), carbon (delta13C), nitrogen (delta15N), and hydrogen (deltaD) isotope ratios using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry protocols. These regional isotopic maps were subsequently applied to skeletal remains recovered from 42 individuals exhumed from three confirmed mass grave sites, with the objective of determining geographic origin regions and constructing forensic evidence portfolios for submission to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal. Multi-isotope analysis combining all five isotope systems achieved geographic origin assignment accuracy of 93.8% in cross-validation against known-provenance reference individuals. Collagen quality assessment confirmed preservation adequate for isotopic analysis in 38 of 42 individuals (C:N ratio 2.9-3.5 in 90.5% of samples). Sequential tooth enamel analysis provided lifetime migration histories for four individuals showing geographically distinct childhood versus adult residence signatures. The resulting forensic evidence portfolios, incorporating isotopic origin assignments, confidence intervals, and chain-of-custody documentation, were structured to meet the evidentiary admissibility standards of the International Criminal Court Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

Keywords: stable isotope analysis, mass graves, forensic identification, strontium isotopes, oxygen isotopes, humanitarian forensics, geographic origin, skeletal remains, international criminal law, biogeochemical baseline, IRMS

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