Sampling clothing examination

Bo tiles or containers found near victim, even if em pty Exam inatio n of cloth ing if stained orifodoursaie noted Antemortem examination ofbbod or urine samples Postmortem examination oflungand brain specimen , also vitreous humour, espe daily if the body is decomposed... 

The primary sample types used for field spiking were freshly prepared soapy distilled water (soapy water), air filter cassettes set up with 2.0 L/min. of air flow, and foil-backed patches of underwear cloth with a cover flap of coveralls cloth. The spiking solution was applied to the underwear material and the coveralls patch was then folded down to cover the spiked area. The patch was then exposed to air and sunlight for the duration of the trial in an area upwind from the trial site. The washwater samples for spiking consisted of 50-mL samples of soapy water prepared by putting on latex examination gloves and washing with Ivory soap in deionized water prior to the trial in the same way the operator would wash his hands. 

Weigh and record the amount of powder in each cartridge case, blend carefully and spread on a clean cloth for examination. If no signs of deterioration are noted, take a sufficient sample for all the stability tests and destroy the rest... 

Pollution of the atmosphere is a frequent cause of trouble thus in 1929 the cattle dipping truck yards at Julia Creek, Queensland, were removed owing to contamination of the town atmosphere, dust samples from which disclosed 10 to 12 parts of arsenic per million.3 Chronic poisoning has also resulted from the inhalation of the fumes liberated on burning mosquito incense made from orpiment and sawdust.4 A systematic clinical and X-ray examination of furnace workers at the arsenic works at Freiberg, Saxony, revealed that the majority suffered from pustular and eczematous conditions of the skin and 80 per cent, showed ulceration and perforation of the septum of the nose, in spite of the provision of sponge respirators and protective clothing 5 arsenic was present in the hair and nails. 

Mass spectrometry on its own is not suitable for FDR work because generally speaking pure compounds must be analyzed. Samples for FDR examination taken from skin and clothing surfaces are complex mixtures containing many unpredictable contaminants from occupational and... 

The sequence of events associated with FDR examination is usually as follows the initial incident, apprehension of suspects, transporting of suspects to police station, sampling of suspects at police station (swabs of hands, face, head hair, and seizure of clothing), submission of items to the laboratory, sampling of clothing at the laboratory, sample preparation, analysis of samples, interpretation of results, preparation of statement of witness report, and the presentation of forensic evidence in court. 

Suction sampling of clothing for FDR examination has been used by this laboratory since 1979. As discussed previously, the suction sampling apparatus described was modified from that previously used to increase its efficiency and to make it compatible with explosive residue examination. Such sampling is efficient and easy to use but suffers from the disadvantage that the Deldrin filter holder is too expensive to be regarded as disposable. 

The remainder of the book details chemical aspects of forensic firearms casework with particular emphasis on the detection of gunshot residues (GSR)/firearm discharge residues (FDR)/cartridge discharge residues (CDR) on a suspect s skin and clothing surfaces. The development of an analytical method to routinely examine samples from terrorist suspects for both firearms and explosives residues is described. 

Forensic chemistry is concerned with the application of the principles of chemistry and related sciences to the examination of physical evidence collected at scenes of crimes, e.g. blood stains, paint fragments, bomb residue, clothes, drug samples and hair. The samples could provide conclusive evidence linking a suspect to a crime. Results from chemical analysis are usually conclusive and can be used to support eye witness testimony especially when trials take place many months or even years after the offence. 

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