Chemical characterization of components in fingerprints

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:559836

Jarboe, S G; Asano, K G; Buchanan, M V ^[1]; Bohanan, A ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
2. Knoxville Police Dept., TN (United States)

Investigations into the chemical composition of fingerprints were initiated after it was observed that the latent fingerprints of children disappear more rapidly from surfaces than those of adults. Initial work included the use of GUMS for the identification of compounds present in fingerprints. The relative concentrations of fatty acids and alkyl esters in children and adults appear to contribute to the higher rate of disappearance of prints from the younger subjects. The presence of alkyl esters is linked to sebaceous excretions originating from the face, which increase markedly after puberty. This work has been expanded to include characterization of other classes of components, including amino acids and triacylglycerols. This research is part of an ongoing project to identify various components of fingerprints and explore possible clinical and forensic applications. Through large sampling pools, trends that can indicate personal characteristics (i.e., gender, age), habits (smoking, drug use), and health-related issues (diabetes) are being investigated.

• OSTI ID: 559836
• Report Number(s): CONF-970443--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

40 CHEMISTRY
ADULTS
AMINO ACIDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ESTERS
FINGERS
IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS