ORCID Profile
0000-0002-7345-3401
Current Organisations
Forensic Foundations International
,
University of Lausanne
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.FORSCIINT.2017.12.020
Abstract: The use of vacuum metal deposition (VMD) for fingermark detection has been known for almost 40 years. The technique is applicable on a wide variety of substrates and on wetted items. Several publications compare the relative efficiency of VMD (conventionally based on a successive vaporization of gold followed by zinc) with other detection techniques, or its ability to detect marks on difficult substrates, but few are known about the application of monometallic VMDs and about the impact of immersion on the detection performances. This study aims at partially filling that gap by offering a quantitative and qualitative glance at three VMD processes (i.e., gold/zinc, silver, and sterling silver) applied to dry and wetted substrates. The impact of immersion on the detection process has been studied by using split marks (one half kept dry, the other one wetted). On immersed substrates, a modification of colour shades has been observed with monometallic VMDs (on all substrates considered) and of contrast with conventional VMD (on polyethylene). In terms of ridge details, a relatively good resistance of secretion residue towards immersion has been emphasized (in regards with VMD). This study provides original data, which will hopefully help getting a better understanding of the VMD detection mechanism.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-05-2019
DOI: 10.1002/WFS2.1338
Abstract: Fingermark detection is a very active field of research in forensic science, with many different strategies currently investigated to always improve detection rate. However, each new technique has first to be optimized, assessed and validated with many fingermarks from multiple donors across a wide variety of substrates before being included into laboratories operating procedures. This process often requires the collaboration of research groups and operational laboratories from different countries, and it takes several years for a new method to be applied routinely in casework. One particular challenge that makes the process from R& D to operations complicated is the significant intrinsic within‐ and between‐source variability of fingermarks. Many studies partially addressing fingermark variability have been reported but a comprehensive approach to the problem is yet to be found. This review describes the factors of fingermark variability and provides an extensive overview of various strategies implemented to control it. The use of artificial fingermarks or simulants, containing some of the most abundant compounds found in fingermark residue has been investigated by some research teams. However, most of these formulations are too simplistic and can only be used to assess a restrictive number of detection techniques, such as amino acid reagents. Practical applications of artificial fingermarks such as test strips and proficiency testing are reviewed. The advantage and challenges of using artificial fingermarks in the first stages of fingermark detection research are presented. This article is categorized under: Forensic Chemistry and Trace Evidence Fingermarks and Other Marks
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.FORSCIINT.2021.111166
Abstract: Fingermark variability is a critical parameter. To mitigate the effects of this variability, synthetic secretions in the form of simple mixtures of target compounds found in eccrine sweat have been described in the literature, but they are usually reactive towards only a minimal range of detection techniques. If this approach is acceptable for the production of single-technique test strips, such artificial secretions cannot be considered as reliable fingermark simulants because they do not reproduce the complex matrix that makes up real secretions. Research has shown that sebaceous and eccrine compounds are probably present simultaneously in fingermark residue in the form of an emulsion. This paper is the first part of a research project that aims at producing realistic artificial fingermarks containing an extensive range of eccrine and sebaceous compounds. This first study aimed to reproduce and compare two synthetic fingermark residues formulations and assess their potential to be used as fingermark simulants. Spot tests of the artificial secretions were deposited on paper substrates, and their reactivity with four common detection techniques was tested: 1,2-indanedione-zinc, ninhydrin, oil red O, and physical developer. Both formulations showed very good results when processed with the two amino acid reagents, as well as oil red O, and no obvious differences were observed between the two versions. The results obtained with the physical developer were inconsistent and demonstrated that the fundamental working principle of physical developer needs to be further understood. The results were extremely promising as they showed the potential of such reproducible artificial secretions to be used to assess an extensive range of detection techniques, which would be highly beneficial to guarantee better research and quality control in fingermark detection. The use of spot tests to deposit the simulant was shown to be unreliable and a more controllable and reproducible deposition method using an inkjet printer will be presented in the second part of this research.
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Romain Steiner.