A model study into the effects of light and temperature on the degradation of fingerprint constituents

Belén González Amorós; M de Puit

doi:10.1016/j.scijus.2014.04.006

A model study into the effects of light and temperature on the degradation of fingerprint constituents

Sci Justice. 2014 Sep;54(5):346-50. doi: 10.1016/j.scijus.2014.04.006. Epub 2014 May 23.

Authors

Belén González Amorós¹, M de Puit²

Affiliations

¹ Netherlands Forensic Institute, Laan van Ypenburg 6, 2497 GB, The Hague, The Netherlands.
² Netherlands Forensic Institute, Laan van Ypenburg 6, 2497 GB, The Hague, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.de.puit@nfi.minvenj.nl.

PMID: 25278196
DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2014.04.006

Abstract

Determining the order of events in a criminal investigation can be crucial in many ways. Although the use of fingermarks is one of the most important forensic tools as a modality of individualisation, placing them in time is a long lasting difficulty. In the study presented in this paper we describe the effects of light and the temperature on depositions of standard solutions containing squalene and cholesterol on paper. The results obtained give a clear view on what type of processes take place during a temperature and a light influenced degradation of the two materials in this study. Using well known methods for the determination of reaction constants it was determined that the degradation mechanism of cholesterol is following a radical route, where the decay of squalene is more affected by temperature.

Keywords: Age determination; Fingerprint.