The Survival of Gunshot Residues in Cremated Bone: An Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry Study

Abstract

Gunshot residue (GSR) has been sought and demonstrated on many types of material and with many techniques. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) could be a useful method on difficult substrates, but a systematic study on burnt material has never been performed. Hence, this study aims at evaluating the usefulness and reliability of this method on burnt samples. Sixteen adult bovine ribs (eight with soft tissues, eight totally skeletonized) were shot using two kinds of projectile (both 9 mm full metal-jacketed or unjacketed). Then, every sample was led to complete calcination in an electric oven. The area of the gunshot entrance wound was swabbed and analyzed by ICP-OES; the results were also correlated with a previously published parallel study by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with an SEM-energy dispersive X-ray analyzer. ICP-OES proved to be very sensitive and reliable even on degraded material and can be an appropriate nondestructive method for detecting residues on difficult and delicate substrates such as burnt bone.

An Analysis of Systematic Elemental Changes in Decomposing Bone

“…ICP-OES and related techniques such as ICP mass spectroscopy have been used as tools for the elemental analysis of archeological bone for some considerable time. While the technique has been employed forensically to determine dietary uptake of elements and ballistic residues on bone (5,22,23), our research concludes that ICP-OES elemental has further forensic potential. The concentrations of iron, sodium and potassium have been demonstrated to change over the early stages of soft tissue putrefaction (up to 500 cumulative cooling degree days) in disarticulated bone.…”

A Comparison Between Digital Radiography, Computed Tomography, and Magnetic Resonance in the Detection of Gunshot Residues in Burnt Tissues and Bone

“…A chemical control test on the same samples was performed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-OES) in another part of this study published elsewhere (30). The results demonstrated the clear presence of GSR (mainly Pb, Sb, and Ba).…”

Comparison of Different Swabs for Sampling Inorganic Gunshot Residue from Gunshot Wounds: Applicability and Reliability for the Determination of Firing Distance

“…Although they do not provide morphological information and only bulk analyses are possible, these techniques are accepted by ASTM for the analysis of IGSR . The suitability of these methods in the search for IGSR on different types of substrates has been demonstrated in the literature ; this work supports their use as a tool for the detection of IGSR and to estimate the distance from which the weapon was discharged. The determination of the amounts of IGSR‐related elements (Pb, Ba, Sb) by ICP‐OES/MS to estimate the shooting distance, although potentially subject to sources of interference such as break pad dust, fireworks, and occupational sources , increases the accuracy of the results obtainable by the sodium rhodizonate method .…”

“…As the ratio of the considered elements follows within a narrow range in the case of IGSR , this investigation may discriminate between IGSR and elements derived from human activities, such as from brake residues . Indeed, Ba/Pb, Ba/Sb, and Sb/Pb ratios occur in the range of 90–140, 1.9–2.4, and 40–60, respectively, in the case of IGSR.…”