Nanocarbon powder for latent fingermark development: a green chemistry approach

Fingermark quality assessment, a transversal study of subjective quality scales

Fingermark detection research aims to improve the quantity and quality of fingermarks detected through the development of novel techniques. Subsequently, there is a need to evaluate these methods to determine the quality of the developed mark. Since the 1980's there has been a significant number of publications, which utilise a variety of different quality assessment methods. The introduction of common practice methods from the International Fingerprint Research Group (IFRG) aimed to implement a more standardised approach. Although these schemes are recommended as common practice, they are only guidelines. Consequentially, there is currently no universally accepted method to evaluate the enhancement techniques implemented in research. Therefore, this study aimed to collate and analyse the published protocols being used within fingermark detection research in order to better understand their application and how research is currently analysing and interpreting fingermark quality. This study comprised of manual and automatic searches of over 2000 published papers within the fingermark detection area. After thorough analysis of the articles, 396 published papers were found to have used a scale within the years spanning 1998-2022. The number of publications that report the use of a scale to assess quality for fingermark detection research has considerably increased over the last decade. However, whilst the number of publications utilising scales has increased, it is not proportional to the number of papers using the IFRG scales. The choice of scale is often institution specific and even more specific to their location. There are also numerous different adaptations of the IFRG recommended scales, as well as novel scales, which do not associate with the IFRG recommended versions being introduced the more research continues to grow. One such reason for this is investigated here, as different quality parameters are utilised within each individual scale. There is underrepresentation of these quality parameters within some of the IFRG scales, in particular the Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) scale. This correlates to the considerable number of tailored approaches as authors are forced to add these parameters within the descriptions. Until there is an introduction of clear guidelines surrounding all areas of fingermark quality, from definition to parameters chosen within phases, the research area will continue to face such issues. This article recommends areas of potential study, whilst also recommending procedures that may be employed to alleviate some of the issues seen with fingermark quality evaluation.

Box-Behnken design optimisation of a green novel nanobio-based reagent for rapid visualisation of latent fingerprints on wet, non-porous substrates

OBJECTIVE

Optimisation of the green novel nanobio-based reagent (NBR) for rapid visualisation of groomed fingerprints on wet non-porous substrates using response surface methodology and assessment of its stability and sensitivity were attempted for forensic applications.

RESULTS

Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated successful attachments of NBR onto the constituents of fingerprints on the substrates. The highest average quality of visualised fingerprints was attained at the optimum condition (100 mg of CRL; 75 mg of acid-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes; 5 h of immobilisation). The NBR produced comparable average quality of fingerprints with the commercially available small particle reagent, even after 4 weeks of storage (without any preservatives) in both chilled and sultry conditions. The NBR was sensitive enough to visualise the increasingly weaker fingerprints, particularly on glass slides.

CONCLUSION

The optimised novel NBR could be the relatively greener option for visualising latent fingerprints on wet, non-porous substrates for forensic applications.

Interpol review of fingermarks and other body impressions 2016-2019

This review paper covers the forensic-relevant literature in fingerprint and bodily impression sciences from 2016 to 2019 as a part of the 19th Interpol International Forensic Science Managers Symposium. The review papers are also available at the Interpol website at: https://www.interpol.int/content/download/14458/file/Interpol%20 Review%20 Papers%202019. pdf.