Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T05:55:40.516Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Chemical and Morphological Study of Gunshot Residue Persisting on the Shooter by Means of Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2011

Zuzanna Brożek-Mucha
Zuzanna Brożek-Mucha*
Affiliation:
Institute of Forensic Research, Westerplatte St. 9, 33-031 Krakow, Poland Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena St. 3, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
*
Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Persistence of gunshot residue (GSR) simultaneously collected from hands, face and hair, and clothing of the shooting person was examined. Samples were collected from five shooters in nine time intervals after a single shoot with a Luger 9 mm pistol, in the range of 0–4 h and examined with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Numbers of particles, frequencies of occurrence of certain compositions of particles, and their sizes in function of the time intervals were inspected. The greatest numbers of particles were observed in samples collected from hands right after shooting, but they decrease quickly with time. In samples collected from the face smaller initial numbers of particles were found, but they lasted at a similar level longer. The estimated half-life times of particles were less than 1 h for samples taken from the hands, over 1 h for clothing and about 2–3 h for the face. In samples collected at longer intervals after shooting, there were particles present of small sizes and irregular shapes. The results demonstrate that including evidence collected from the suspect's face and hair may increase the probability of detection of GSR in cases when the suspect has not been apprehended immediately after the investigated incident.

Keywords

forensic sciencecriminalisticsgunshot residuepersistence of particles on the shooting personelemental analysisSEM-EDX
Type
Materials Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 17 , Issue 6 , December 2011 , pp. 972 - 982
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Andrasko, J. & Maehly, A.C. (1977). Detection of gunshot residue on hands by SEM. J Forensic Sci 22, 279–287.Google Scholar
Basu, S. (1982). Formation of gunshot residues. J Forensic Sci 27, 72–91.Google Scholar
Brożek-Mucha, Z. (2000). SEM-EDX study of inorganic gunshot residues from 9 mm Makarov ammunition. Probl Forensic Sci XLI, 62–89.Google Scholar
Brożek-Mucha, Z. (2002). A gunshot following the stopping of passenger car by police—Reconstruction of an event on the basis of case files and gunshot residue examinations. Probl Forensic Sci LI, 119–136.Google Scholar
Brożek-Mucha, Z. (2007). Comparison of cartridge case and airborne GSR—A study of their elemental contents and morphology by means of SEM-EDX. X-Ray Spectrom 36, 398–407.Google Scholar
Brożek-Mucha, Z. (2009). Distribution and properties of gunshot residue originating from a 9 mm Luger ammunition in the vicinity of the shooting gun. Forensic Sci Int 183, 33–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brożek-Mucha, Z. & Jankowicz, A. (2001). Evaluation of the possibility of differentiation among various types of ammunition by means of GSR examinations with SEM-EDX. Forensic Sci Int 123, 39–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brożek-Mucha, Z. & Jarosz, J. (2001). Reconstruction of a crime with the use of a firearm from the case files study and GSR examinations. Probl Forensic Sci XLV, 109–121.Google Scholar
Bydal, B.A. (1990). Percussion primer mixes. AFTE J 22, 1–26.Google Scholar
Dalby, O., Butler, D. & Birkett, J.W. (2010). Analysis of gunshot residue and associated materials—A review. J Forensic Sci 55, 924–943.Google Scholar
Garofano, L., Capra, M., Ferrari, F., Bizzaro, G. P., Ditullio, D., Dell'olio, M. & Ghitti, A. (1999). Gunshot residue further studies on particles of environmental and occupation origin. Forensic Sci Int 103, 1–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Germani, M.S. (1991). Evaluation of instrumental parameters for automated scanning electron microscopy/gunshot residue particle analysis. J Forensic Sci 36, 331–342.Google Scholar
Gialamas, D.M., Rhodes, E.F. & Sugarman, L.A. (1995). Officers, their weapons and their hands: An empirical study of GSR on the hands of non-shooting police officers. J Forensic Sci 40, 1086–1089.Google Scholar
Jalanti, T., Henchoz, P., Gallusser, A. & Bonfanti, M.S. (1999). The persistence of gunshot residue on shooters' hands. Sci Justice 39, 48–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matricardi, V.R. & Kilty, J.W. (1977). Detection of gunshot residue particles from the hands of the shooter. J Forensic Sci 22, 725–738.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miyauchi, H., Kumihashi, M. & Shibayama, T. (1998). The contribution of trace elements from smokeless powder to post-firing residues. J Forensic Sci 43, 90–96.Google Scholar
Mosher, P.V., McVicar, M.J., Randall, E.D. & Sild, E.H. (1998). Gunshot residue-similar particles produced by fireworks. Can Soc Forensic Sci J 43, 157–168.Google Scholar
Nesbitt, R.S., Wessel, J.E. & Jones, R.F. (1976). Detection of gunshot residue by use of the scanning electron microscope. J Forensic Sci 21, 595–610.Google Scholar
Niewoehner, L., Andrasko, J., Biegstraaten, J., Gunaratnam, L., Steffen, S. & Uhlig, S. (2005). Maintenance of the ENFSI Proficiency Test Program on Identification of GSR by SEM/EDX (GSR2003). J Forensic Sci 50, 877–882.Google Scholar
Niewoehner, L., Andrasko, J., Biegstraaten, J., Gunaratnam, L., Steffen, S., Uhlig, S. & Antoni, S. (2008). GSR2005—Continuity of the ENFSI Proficiency Test on Identification of GSR by SEM/EDX. J Forensic Sci 53, 162–167.Google Scholar
Niewoehner, L. & Wenz, H.W. (1999). Applications of focussed ion beam systems in gunshot residue investigation. J Forensic Sci 44, 105–109.Google Scholar
Romolo, F.S. & Margot, P. (2001). Identification of gunshot residue: A critical review. Forensic Sci Int 119, 195–211.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, M.B. & Dockery, C.R. (2008). Determining the lifetime of detectable amounts of gunshot residue on hands of a shooter using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Appl Spectrosc 62, 1238–1241.Google Scholar
Schwartz, R.H. & Zona, C.A. (1995). A recovery method for airborne GSR retained in human nasal mucus. J Forensic Sci 40, 659–661.Google Scholar
Steffen, S., Otto, M., Niewoehner, L., Barth, M., Brożek-Mucha, Z., Biegstraaten, J. & Horvath, R. (2007). Chemometric classification of gunshot residues based on energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis and inductively coupled plasma analysis with mass-spectrometric detection. Spectrochim Acta 62, 1028–1036.Google Scholar
Wallace, J.S. (1998). Discharge residue from mercury fulminate-primed ammunition. Sci Justice 38, 7–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolten, G.M. & Nesbitt, R.S. (1980). On the mechanism of gunshot residue particle formation. J Forensic Sci 25, 533–545.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zeichner, A. (2003). Recent developments of chemical analysis in investigations of firearm-related events. Anal Bioanal Chem 376, 1178–1191.Google Scholar
Zeichner, A. & Levin, N. (1993). Collection efficiency of GSR particles from hair and hands using double sided adhesive tape. J Forensic Sci 38, 571–584.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zeichner, A. & Levin, N. (1995). Casework experience of GSR detection in Israel on samples from hands, face and clothing using an autosearch SEM/EDX system. J Forensic Sci 40, 1082–1085.Google Scholar