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Morphology and Multi-elemental Analysis Leading to Detection of Gunshot Wounds


Affiliations
1 Department of Forensic Medicine, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Assam, India
2 Department of Physics, Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management and Technology, Guwahati, India
     

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Present authors report the morphology and elemental analysis of gunshot wounds. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to study the morphology of the samples and compared with the control. The scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of gunshot entry wounds show coagulation of skin tissues. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDX) has been used to carry out multi-elemental analysis of gunshot residues. Using EDX, lead, barium and some other metallic elements were detected in skin samples from a gunshot entry wound. Lead and barium were not identified in control samples from non-injured cases. These findings indicate that EDX is a useful method for rapid non-destructive elemental analysis of gunshot residues. This technique can provide scientific evidence for identification of a firearm wounds even after storing the sample for a long time in formalin.

Keywords

Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Multi-elemental Analysis, Gunshot Wounds
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  • Morphology and Multi-elemental Analysis Leading to Detection of Gunshot Wounds

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Authors

Raktim Pratim Tamuli
Department of Forensic Medicine, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Assam, India
Amar Jyoti Patowary
Department of Forensic Medicine, Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati, Assam, India
Smritimala Sarmah
Department of Physics, Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management and Technology, Guwahati, India

Abstract


Present authors report the morphology and elemental analysis of gunshot wounds. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to study the morphology of the samples and compared with the control. The scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of gunshot entry wounds show coagulation of skin tissues. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDX) has been used to carry out multi-elemental analysis of gunshot residues. Using EDX, lead, barium and some other metallic elements were detected in skin samples from a gunshot entry wound. Lead and barium were not identified in control samples from non-injured cases. These findings indicate that EDX is a useful method for rapid non-destructive elemental analysis of gunshot residues. This technique can provide scientific evidence for identification of a firearm wounds even after storing the sample for a long time in formalin.

Keywords


Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry, Multi-elemental Analysis, Gunshot Wounds

References