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Determining the chronology of deposition of natural fingermarks and inks on paper using secondary ion mass spectrometry.
- Source :
- Analyst; 2014, Vol. 139 Issue 18, p4641-4653, 13p
- Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- This study thoroughly explores the use of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) for determining the deposition sequence of fingermarks and ink on a porous paper surface. Our experimental work has demonstrated that mapping selected endogenous components present in natural fingermarks enables the observation of friction ridges on a laser-printed surface, only when a fingerprint is deposited over this layer of ink. Further investigations have shown limited success on ink-jet printing and ballpoint pen inks. 51 blind tests carried out on natural, latent fingermarks on laser-printed surfaces; up to 14<superscript>th</superscript> depletion with samples aged for up to 421 days have resulted in a 100% success rate. Development with ninhydrin was found to affect the fingermark residue through mobilisation of ions, therefore sequencing determination was compromised; whilst iodine fuming and 1,2-indanedione developers did not. This implied that selected development methods affected success in fingermark-ink deposition order determination. These results were further corroborated through inter-laboratory validation studies. The adopted protocol and extensive series of tests have therefore demonstrated the effectiveness and limitations of ToF-SIMS in providing chronological sequencing information of fingermarks on questioned documents; successfully resolving this order of deposition query. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00032654
- Volume :
- 139
- Issue :
- 18
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Analyst
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 100393630
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1039/c4an00811a