THE PROBLEM:

Dust appearing on cars parked in a neighborhood was blamed on a nearby foundry, and the neighbors sued. The case centered on whether or not the dust originated from the foundry.

THE ANALYSES:

Samples of the offending dust were examined utilizing polarized light microscopy (PLM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDS). The analyses indicated that the particles making up the dust were not the metal and metal-rich particles normally expected from a foundry. In fact, the dark spots appearing on the cars were composed primarily of fungus.

THE OUTCOME:

The suit was dropped, saving the foundry thousands of dollars in legal expenses.