Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T08:46:09.809Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Application of Radiocarbon Dating to Forensic Investigation and Evaluation of Formaldehyde Influence on Radiocarbon Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2017

Wan Hong ,
N-E Chung ,
G Park ,
K H Sung ,
J G Lee  and
J-P Park
Wan Hong*
Affiliation:
Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), 124 Gwahak-no, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea Department of Accelerator and Nuclear Fusion Physical Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
N-E Chung
Affiliation:
National Forensic Service (NFS), 10 Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
G Park
Affiliation:
Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), 124 Gwahak-no, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea
K H Sung
Affiliation:
Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), 124 Gwahak-no, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea Department of Accelerator and Nuclear Fusion Physical Engineering, University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea
J G Lee
Affiliation:
Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), 124 Gwahak-no, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea
J-P Park
Affiliation:
National Forensic Service (NFS), 10 Ipchun-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A radiocarbon (14C) dating technique with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was applied to estimate the year of death and the year of birth of unidentified human remains. Because many of the samples have been preserved in formaldehyde, it was necessary to evaluate the influence of formaldehyde on carbon ages. Samples intentionally preserved in formaldehyde during the known period were measured, and their Δ14C values were compared with results obtained from fresh samples. The influence of formaldehyde on soft tissue was 14 times larger than that on cortical bone. Unfortunately, an effective method for removing the influence of formaldehyde has not yet been found. 14C ages could be obtained only from the samples not preserved in formaldehyde. The years of birth were determined by the ages of the dentin samples, while the years of death were determined by the ages of the bone and soft tissue samples. Multiple sampling from a body provides an advantage in determination of one of two possible ages of a sample obtained using the bomb peak. Victims of the Korean War were ascertained by the year of death. The year of death and the age at death of unidentified bodies were also determined for forensic investigation.

Keywords

forensicsradiocarbon datingyear of deathyear of birthformaldehyde
Type
Anthropogenic Impacts and 14C Applications
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 59 , Special Issue 2: Proceedings of the 22nd International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 1 of 2) , April 2017 , pp. 271 - 280
Copyright
© 2017 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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.)

Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 2015 Radiocarbon Conference, Dakar, Senegal, 16–20 November 2015

References

Cardoso, HFV, Puentes, K, Soares, AM, Santos, A, Magalhaes, T. 2012. The value of radiocarbon analysis in determining the forensic interest of human skeletal remains found in unusual circumstances. Journal of Forensic Legal Medicine 19(2):97–100.Google Scholar
Cook, GT, Dunbar, E, Black, SM, Xu, S. 2006. A preliminary assessment of age at death determintation using the nuclear weapon testing 14C activity of dentine and enamel. Radiocarbon 48(3):305–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fox, CH, Johnson, FB, Whiting, J, Roller, PP. 1985. Formaldehyde fixation. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 33(8):845–853.Google Scholar
Garrido-Varas, CE, Ubelaker, DH, Intriago-Leiva, MA. 2013. The use of radiocarbon analysis in a Chilean human rights commingled case. Proceedings of the 65th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences XIX:425–6.Google Scholar
Hammer, N, Loffler, S, Feja, C, Sandrock, M, Schmidt, W, Bechmann, I, Steinke, H. 2012. Ethanol-Glycerin Fixation with Thymol Conservation: A Potential Alternative to Formaldehyde and Phenol Embalming. Anatomical Sciences Education 5:225–233.Google Scholar
Hedges, REM, Clement, JG, Thomas, CDL, O’Connell, TC. 2007. Collagen turnover in the adult femoral mid-shaft: modeled from anthropogenic radiocarbon tracer measurements. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 133:808–816.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hodgins, GWL. 2009. Measuring atomic bomb-derived 14C levels in human remains to determine year of birth and/or year of death. National Institute of Justice NCJ227839. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/227839.pdf.Google Scholar
Holtkötter, H. 2011. Human age estimation in forensic science—application of biochemical techniques in dental material. Master Forensic Science Program. p 16.Google Scholar
Hong, W, Park, JH, Kim, KJ, Woo, HJ, Kim, JK, Choi, HW, Kim, DG. 2010. Establishment of chemical preparation methods and development of an automated reduction system for AMS sample preparation at KIGAM. Radiocarbon 52(2–3):1277–1287.Google Scholar
Hua, Q, Barbetti, M, Rakowski, A. 2013. Atmospheric radiocarbon for the period 1950–2010. Radiocarbon 55(4):2059–2072.Google Scholar
Kim, KJ, Southon, J, Imamura, M, Sparks, R. 2008. Development of sample treatment of silk for radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon 50(1):131–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiernan, JA. 2000. Formaldehyde, formalin, paraformaldehyde and glutaraldehyde: what they are and what they do. Microscopy Today 1:8–12.Google Scholar
Lynnerup, N, Kjeldsen, H, Heegaard, S, Jacobsen, C, Heinemeier, J. 2008. Radiocarbon dating of the human eye lens crystallines reveal proteins without carbon turnover throughout life. PLoS ONE 3(1):e1529:1–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nakamura, T, Kojima, S, Ohta, T, Nishida, M, Rakowski, A, Ikeda, A, Oda, H, Niu, E. 2007. Application of AMS 14C measurements to criminal investigations. Journal of Radioanalytical Nuclear Chemistry 272(2):327–332.Google Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Bard, E, Bayliss, A, Beck, JW, Blackwell, PG, Bronk Ramsey, C, Buck, CE, Cheng, H, Edwards, RL, Friedrich, M, Grootes, PM, Guilderson, TP, Haflidason, H, Hajdas, I, Hatte, C, Heaton, TJ, Hoffmann, DL, Hogg, AG, Hughen, KA, Kaiser, KF, Kromer, B, Manning, SW, Niu, M, Reimer, RW, Richards, DA, Scott, EM, Southon, JR, Staff, RA, Turney, CSM, van der Plicht, J. 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 Radiocarbon age calibration curves 0–50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 55(4):1869–1887.Google Scholar
Santos, GM, Torre, HUDL, Boudin, M, Bonafini, M, Saverwyns, S. 2015. Improved radiocarbon analyses of modern human hair to determine the year-of-death by cross-flow nanofiltered amino acids: common contaminants, implications for isotopic analysis, and recommendations. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 29:1765–1773.Google Scholar
Speller, CF, Spalding, KL, Buchholz, BA, Hildebrand, D, Moore, J, Mathewes, R, Skinner, MF, Yang, D. 2012. Personal identification of cold case remains through combined contribution from anthropological, mtDNA, and bomb-pulse dating analyses. Journal of Forensic Science 57(5):1354–1360.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, RE, Suchey, JM, Payen, LA, Slota, PJ. 1989. The use of radiocarbon (14C) to identify human skeletal remains of forensic science interest. Journal of Forensic Science 34(5):1196–1205.Google Scholar
Thavarajah, R, Mudimbaimannar, VK, Elizabeth, J, Rao, UK, Ranganthan, K. 2012. Chemical and physical basics of routine formaldehyde fixation. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology 16(3):400–405.Google Scholar
Ubelaker, DH. 2001. Artificial radiocarbon as an indicator of recent origin of organic remains in forensic cases. Journal of Forensic Science 46(6):1285–1287.Google Scholar
Ubelaker, DH, Parra, RC. 2011. Radiocarbon analysis of dental enamel and bone to evaluate date of birth and death: Perspective from the southern hemisphere. Forensic Science International 208:103–107.Google Scholar
Vellguth, S, Gaudecker, B, Muller-Hermelink, H-K. 1985. The development of the human spleen. Cell and Tissue Research 242:579–592.Google Scholar