Sieve Recovery
Definition
The process of collecting and dry- or wet-sieving soil and debris from the crater and innermost grid zone through 2 mm and 1 mm meshes to recover microfragments (detonator wire, circuit board traces, granular explosive residue) invisible to unaided visual search.
- Meshes used
- 2 mm and 1 mm
- Method
- Dry- or wet-sieving of soil and debris
- Zone
- Crater and innermost search grid zone
- Target evidence
- Detonator wire, circuit board traces, granular explosive residue
Common questions
Why is wet-sieving sometimes preferred over dry-sieving in post-blast recovery?+
Wet-sieving breaks up compacted or clay-rich soil that would otherwise clog a dry mesh and hide small fragments inside soil clumps, improving recovery of microfragments, though it requires care because water can dissolve or dilute some water-soluble explosive residues, so the choice depends on the residue type expected.
How does sieve recovery differ from visual search at a post-blast scene?+
Visual search finds fragments large enough to see with the unaided eye or under a hand lens, while sieve recovery systematically processes bulk soil and debris through fine mesh to catch microfragments such as fine wire strands or trace circuit board pieces that visual search alone would miss entirely.
Related terms
- Crater Glass
- Glass fragments recovered from within or immediately adjacent to the blast crater, originating from the device container or adjacent glazing; distinguished by...
- Expanding Concentric Search Grid
- The systematic spatial framework for post-blast scene searches, consisting of concentric rings at measured radii from the seat of blast, divided into...
- Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS)
- A field-deployable analytical technique that separates ions by their mobility in an electric field at atmospheric pressure. Used for trace explosive detection...
- JESIP
- Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (UK); the framework mandating co-located multi-agency command with a shared decision log from initial response, applied to...
- Paint Transfer Analysis
- Forensic comparison of paint layer sequences (primer, base coat, lacquer) on near-field surfaces against reference samples to identify the vehicle or container...
- Render-Safe Procedure
- The action taken by a qualified EOD or bomb disposal team to make a blast scene or live device safe from secondary...
- Scene Log
- The contemporaneous record of every person entering and exiting the inner cordon, with time stamps and roles; the foundational chain-of-custody document for...
- Seat of Blast
- The precise point of initiation of the detonation, identified from the convergence of crater geometry, witness-mark vectors, damage gradient, and residue concentration.
- Witness Mark
- A fragment embedded in a structural surface (wall, column, vehicle panel) at a known position and angle, providing a directional vector back...