Skin surface debris as an archive of environmental traces: an investigation through the naked eye, episcopic microscope, ED-XRF, and SEM-EDX.

ABSTRACT: Traces from bodies can be of various nature, for example of biological or inorganic origin. Some of these historically have received more consideration than others in forensic practice. Samplings of gunshot residues or biological fluid traces are commonly standardized, whereas macroscopically invisible environmental traces are usually ignored. This paper simulated the interaction between a cadaver and a crime scene by placing skin samples on the ground of five different workplaces and inside the trunk of a car. Traces on samples were then investigated through different approaches: the naked eye, episcopic microscope, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF). The purpose is to provide the forensic sc

SUBMITTER: Merelli V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10772008 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature