ODM has investigated numerous cases where mineral contamination or tampering was suspected including:

 

• Gold grains added to crushed rock samples (e.g. Bre-X).

• Gold and silver grains precipitated from solution.

• Gold grains added to soil sample sites.

• Windborne drill, mine and smelter dust in soil and humus samples.

• Mine, mill, smelter and industrial waste in stream sediments.

• Silver contamination from diamond drill bits.

• Inter-sample contamination in mineral processing laboratories.

 

Our laboratory techniques are so sensitive that, on one occasion, we traced minute silver particles to a client's field geologist who wore a silver ring while collecting sediment samples.