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The impact of time, environmental conditions, and sex on the degradation of bloody fingerprints on a glass surface
Author(s) -
Czech Anna,
Szabelak Aleksandra,
Sowiński Artur,
Wlazło Łukasz,
PawlickaBeck Arleta
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.14688
Subject(s) - ridge , degradation (telecommunications) , bloody , environmental science , forensic engineering , geography , engineering , medicine , surgery , cartography , electrical engineering
Dactyloscopy is the branch of forensics that deals with identifying individuals by analyzing the configurations of the friction ridges on the fingertips. The persistence and degradation of fingerprints depends on such factors as the individual's sex and BMI (body mass index) and the duration and conditions of their preservation. There is a great deal of information on how the passage of time affects the image of fingerprints composed of sebum and sweat, but little knowledge concerning the preservation of bloody fingerprints. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of sex, the state of the blood forming the print (dry vs. fresh), environmental factors (room vs. outdoor conditions), and time on the width of friction ridge impressions in fingerprints. Fingerprints made with fresh blood were found to persist longest, while prints left by women and exposed to outdoor conditions degraded most rapidly. The ambient temperature also had a significant effect on the width of friction ridge impressions and their degradation.