  PCR-based analysis of DNA is utilized in a wide variety of fields, including
Forensic Science. Aside from the more common ample sources, material analyzed
here can refer to specimen excavated from a soil environment, or a sampling of
the soil itself to recover DNA leached into the soil from decomposing human
remains or from body fluids intermingled with the soil in an outdoor crime
scene. The common problematic of these types of sample is the presence of humic
acids, which are a component of any soil environment, and when the co-extracted
with the DNA, lead to inhibition of enzyme-based procedures including PCR.
  While a variety of methods exist for the extraction of DNA from excavated
skeletal remains, protocols for extraction of DNA from the soil directly are
usually targeting soil microorganism. To address the need for methodology
suitable for extraction of human DNA from soil, a selection of three published
protocols were adapted for this purpose, to be tested and evaluated using
standardized samples. The resulting protocols are presented here.
