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The Use of Polilight ® in the Detection of Seminal Fluid, Saliva, and Bloodstains and Comparison with Conventional Chemical‐Based Screening Tests
Author(s) -
Vandenberg Nicholas,
Oorschot Roland A. H.
Publication year - 2006
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/j.1556-4029.2006.00065.x
Subject(s) - blood stains , saliva , semen , stain , chromatography , serial dilution , dried blood , chemistry , staining , medicine , pathology , biochemistry , andrology , alternative medicine
Biological stains can be difficult to detect at crime scenes or on items recovered from crime scenes. The use of a versatile light source may assist in their detection. The ability of Polilight ® to locate potential semen, saliva, and blood stains on a range of substrates and at different dilutions was tested. We also tested the use of Polilight ® in comparison with conventional chemical‐based presumptive screening tests such as acid phosphatase (AP), Phadebas ® , and luminol, often used in casework for detecting potential semen, saliva, and blood stains, respectively. The Polilight ® was able to locate stains that were not apparent to the naked eye. The color of the material on which a stain is deposited can have an effect on the detectibility of the stain. The Polilight ® was found to be comparable with the AP and Phadebas ® tests in terms of its sensitivity. In a comparative study between the AP test and Polilight ® on 40 casework exhibits, one false‐negative result was observed when using the Polilight ® . On a series of mock casework exhibits it was determined that the Polilight ® can be used successfully to locate saliva stains for DNA analysis. The sensitivity of luminol for detecting potential bloodstains was greater than that of Polilight ® ; however the Polilight ® has particular application in instances where a bloodstain may have been concealed with paint. Overall, the Polilight ® is a relatively safe, simple, noninvasive, and nondestructive technique suitable for use in forensic casework.