Unlocking Hidden Clues: Car Cabin Air Filters as a Novel Source of Forensic DNA Evidence

Publication Date

4-6-2026

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences

Volume

58

Issue

sup1

DOI

10.1080/00450618.2026.2617331

First Page

S143

Last Page

S146

Abstract

This proof-of-concept study investigated car cabin air filters as a novel source of forensic DNA evidence. Four vehicles, operated under normal driving conditions and fitted with seven UV-sterilized filters, were sampled at various time points for up to two months, yielding 104 samples in total. Amplifiable human DNA (≥0.03 ng/μL) was detected in 51% of samples, with total yields ranging between 1.75 ng and 251.5 ng. Among these, 96% produced STR profiles: 38% complete, 43% partial, and 15% very partial, with profile quality generally improving over extended sampling periods. Mixture analysis showed that 17.7% of profiles were single-source, 74.5% contained at least two contributors, and 7.8% had three or more, with DNA contributions from both drivers and passengers. These findings demonstrate that car cabin filters act as time‑integrated collectors of forensically interpretable human DNA and can complement surface sampling, especially when traditional traces are limited or absent.

Keywords

activity level reporting, DNA transfer, environmental DNA, Forensic DNA analysis

Department

Justice Studies

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