Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/10279
Title: Determining the chronology of deposition of natural fingermarks and inks on paper using secondary ion mass spectrometry
Authors: Attard-Montalto, N
Ojeda, JJ
Reynolds, A
Ismail, M
Bailey, M
Doodkorte, L
De Puit, M
Jones, BJ
Keywords: Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS);Fingermarks;Porous paper;Ink;Endogenous components
Issue Date: 2014
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
Citation: Analyst, 139 (18): 4641 - 4653, (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 14th 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.
Description: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence
URI: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2014/AN/C4AN00811A#!divAbstract
http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/10279
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c4an00811a
ISSN: 0003-2654
1364-5528
Appears in Collections:The Experimental Techniques Centre

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