Chemical methods for tracing the origin of wood
We are completely dependent on external documents and tags to trace the origin of wood. Unfortunately, these can be falsified. That is why Laura Boeschoten of the WUR is researching a method in which she uses the wood itself to trace the origin. This is an essential step to stop the illegal timber trade. Moreover, it can help sustainable traders to prove that they really work with well-managed forests.
In the wood, Laura investigates differences between locations in terms of elemental composition (ICP-MS) and four stable isotope ratios (EA-IRMS). In this way, she develops a kind of 'fingerprint' of each location, with the aim of being able to verify the documentation of the wood in a forensic context.
FHI editor Dimitri Reijerman spoke with Laura about the method for determining the origin of wood.
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