Human DNA contamination of mortuaries: does it matter?

With the continuing development of extremely sensitive, automated systems for the detection of human DNA from a number of cellular sources, the problem of sample contamination from scenes of crime, cadavers, and the mortuary environment has become a potentially serious issue, with implications for all involved in forensic investigations. A recent survey of 20 mortuaries identified quantifiable human DNA on mortuary work surfaces and instruments which, when amplified, produced in some cases three or more profiles from single site samples. Possible sources of DNA contamination in the mortuary are discussed, along with implications related to its presence and its avoidance during the sampling process. These observations may not be confined to forensic practice.