Química forense: a importância da química na investigação criminal

Abstract

Forensic chemistry is a strategic field of criminal investigation because it enables the identification, characterization, and interpretation of legally relevant material traces through scientific methods. This study aimed to analyze the importance of forensic chemistry in criminal investigation, emphasizing the contribution of chemical techniques to the identification, analysis, and interpretation of traces and assessing their efficiency, applications, and limitations in the contemporary forensic context. The research was designed as a narrative literature review based on 19 sources effectively analyzed, including scientific articles, conceptual support works, and one methodological book. The findings showed that chromatography, mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, portable near-infrared spectroscopy, and MALDI, DESI, and DART techniques expand screening, confirmation, and interpretation capabilities in different investigative contexts. Their effectiveness depends on sensitivity, selectivity, validation, quality control, suitability for the matrix, and critical interpretation of results. It is concluded that forensic chemistry plays a decisive role in crime investigation and in the production of reliable technical-scientific evidence, although it still faces challenges related to new psychoactive substances, complex forensic matrices, interpretive standardization, and specialized professional training.