TY - JOUR
T1 - The recovery of latent fingermarks from evidence exposed to ionizing radiation
AU - Colella, Michael
AU - Parkinson, Andrew
AU - Evans, Tegan
AU - Lennard, Chris
AU - Roux, Claude
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Continual reports of illicit trafficking incidents involving radioactive materials have prompted authorities to consider the likelihood of forensic evidence being exposed to radiation. In this study, we investigated the ability to recover latent fingermark evidence from a variety of substrates that were exposed to ionizing radiation. Fingermarks deposited on common surfaces, including aluminum, glass, office paper, and plastic, were exposed to doses ranging from 1 to 1000 kGy, in an effort to simulate realistic situations where evidence is exposed to significant doses of radiation from sources used in a criminal act. The fingermarks were processed using routine fingermark detection techniques. With the exception of glass and aluminum substrates, radiolysis had a considerable effect on the quality of the developed fingermarks. The damage to ridge characteristics can, in part, be attributed to chemical interactions between the substrate and the components of the fingermark secretions that react with the detection reagents.
AB - Continual reports of illicit trafficking incidents involving radioactive materials have prompted authorities to consider the likelihood of forensic evidence being exposed to radiation. In this study, we investigated the ability to recover latent fingermark evidence from a variety of substrates that were exposed to ionizing radiation. Fingermarks deposited on common surfaces, including aluminum, glass, office paper, and plastic, were exposed to doses ranging from 1 to 1000 kGy, in an effort to simulate realistic situations where evidence is exposed to significant doses of radiation from sources used in a criminal act. The fingermarks were processed using routine fingermark detection techniques. With the exception of glass and aluminum substrates, radiolysis had a considerable effect on the quality of the developed fingermarks. The damage to ridge characteristics can, in part, be attributed to chemical interactions between the substrate and the components of the fingermark secretions that react with the detection reagents.
KW - fingerprints
KW - forensic sciences
KW - ionizing radiation
UR - http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/uws:30855
U2 - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01016.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01016.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0022-1198
VL - 54
SP - 583
EP - 590
JO - Journal of Forensic Sciences
JF - Journal of Forensic Sciences
IS - 3
ER -