Effects of chemical & biological warfare agent decontaminants on trace survival: Impact on digital media.

Digital media are valuable assets for forensic investigations, offering essential data for reconstructing events and understanding activities. In scenarios where biological or chemical contaminants, such as hazardous pathogens or toxic chemicals, must be removed, it is important to understand how decontamination processes affect digital evidence. This study evaluates the impact on digital media of sixteen decontaminants, encompassing various chemical mechanisms and application methods, that could be used in mass decontamination scenarios.