DETECTION OF FIREARMS DISCHARGE RESIDUES ON THE HANDS - A STATE OF THE ART REPORT

• NCJ Number: 61652
• Journal: International Criminal Police Review Issue: 329 Dated: (JUNE/JULY 1979) Pages: 170-173
• Author(s): C R MIDKIFF
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: International Criminal Police Organization
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: France
• Note: TALK GIVEN AT THE SYMPOSIUM ON WAYS OF IDENTIFYING PERSONS AND FINDING EVIDENCE HELD AT ST CLOUD, FRANCE, FROM 30TH NOVEMBER TO 2ND DECEMBER 1976

Annotation

SAMPLE COLLECTION MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES AND ANALYSIS METHODS FOR DETECTION OF FIREARMS DISCHARGE RESIDUES ON THE HANDS ARE DESCRIBED.

Abstract

WHILE AN ACID-MOISTENED COTTON SWAB IS THE COLLECTION MEDIUM PREFERRED BY INVESTIGATORS IN ANALYZING FIREARMS DISCHARGE RESIDUES ON THE HANDS, A SAMPLE COLLECTION MATERIAL RECEIVING GREAT INTEREST IS TRANSPARENT ADHESIVE TAPE SUCH AS USED FOR FINGERPRINT LIFTING. IN ADDITION TO ITS AVAILABILITY AND LOW COST, TAPE ALLOWS THE SAMPLE TO BE EXAMINED BY EITHER OPTICAL MICROSCOPY OR ELECTRON MICROSCOPY. TAPE IS ALSO CONVENIENT IN THE FIELD AND CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO THE LABORATORY WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT SAMPLE LOSS OR CONTAMINATION. TAPE IS NOT WELL-SUITED TO ROUTINE USE WHEN SAMPLES ARE TO BE ANALYZED BY ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY. FLAMELESS ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY (FAAS) IS THE MOST COMMONLY USED INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUE FOR ANALYSIS OF PRIMER RESIDUES IN HAND SAMPLES. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE FEW LABORATORIES USING NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS, A RECENT STUDY COMPARING THIS METHOD WITH FAAS SHOWED RESULTS OF THE TWO TECHNIQUES TO BE EQUIVALENT IN SAMPLES CONTAINING BARIUM AND ANTIMONY. OF THE TECHNIQUES UNDER DEVELOPMENT THE MOST ADVANCED IS THE USE OF SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (SEM) TO DETECT AND ANALYZE PARTICULATE RESIDUES. WHILE THIS METHOD OFFERS THE POTENTIAL FOR A STATEMENT BY THE INVESTIGATOR THAT 'THE PRESENCE OF FIREARMS DISCHARGE RESIDUE WAS DETECTED ON THE HANDS OF . . . 'RATHER THAN 'RESIDUES INDICATIVE OF GUNSHOT RESIDUE WERE FOUND,' THE ANALYST WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STATE THAT THE SUBJECT FIRED A GUN. THE MOST SERIOUS LIMITATIONS OF SEM ARE ITS HIGH COSTS AND SLOW ANALYSIS TIME. OTHER METHODS OFFERING PROMISE FOR THE DETECTION OF FIREARMS DISCHARGE RESIDUES AT LOWER COST AND HIGH PERFORMANCE ARE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY, INORGANIC LUMINESCENCE, POLAROGRAPHY, RING OVEN ANALYSIS, AND THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)