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Gamma Irradiation as a Biological Decontaminant and Its Effect on Common Fingermark Detection Techniques and DNA Profiling
Author(s) -
Hoile Rebecca,
Banos Connie,
Colella Michael,
Walsh Simon J.,
Roux Claude
Publication year - 2010
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.1556-4029.2009.01233.x
Subject(s) - ninhydrin , gamma irradiation , irradiation , chromatography , polymerase chain reaction , population , human decontamination , chemistry , medicine , biochemistry , pathology , physics , environmental health , amino acid , nuclear physics , gene
The use of disease‐causing organisms and their toxins against the civilian population has defined bioterrorism and opened forensic science up to the challenges of processing contaminated evidence. This study sought to determine the use of gamma irradiation as an effective biological decontaminant and its effect on the recovery of latent fingermarks from both porous and nonporous items. Test items were contaminated with viable spores marked with latent prints and then decontaminated using a cobalt 60 gamma irradiator. Fingermark detection was the focus with standard methods including 1,2‐indanedione, ninhydrin, diazafluoren‐9‐one, and physical developer used during this study. DNA recovery using 20% Chelex extraction and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction was also explored. Gamma irradiation proved effective as a bacterial decontaminant with D ‐values ranging from 458 to 500 Gy for nonporous items and 797–808 Gy for porous ones. The results demonstrated the successful recovery of latent marks and DNA establishing gamma irradiation as a viable decontamination option.