Evidence Vanished in Thin (H)air
Location
Poster Session 1 (Henderson Library)
Session Format
Poster Presentation
Your Campus
Statesboro Campus- Henderson Library, April 20th
Academic Unit
Department of Chemistry
Research Area Topic:
Natural & Physical Sciences - Chemistry
Co-Presenters and Faculty Mentors or Advisors
Grace S Blount
John C Johnson
Yarami Lopez
Dr. Shainaz Landge
Abstract
Hair is one of the easiest objects to find, it seems to be everywhere. This is because on average a person loses 50 to 100 strands per day, but how is this applicable to crime scenes? Hair is one of the most prominent types of evidence, and it can be used to identify both victims and suspects. Given hair’s ability to build a case on a suspect, many criminals attempt to destroy the hair and other evidence at the crime scene. But the real question is, how well is the evidence destroyed? By conducting solubility tests with five different solvents (acetic acid, ammonia, toluene, acetone, and dimethylsulfoxide) on six different hair types, potential changes in morphology can be observed to answer the question of how well can evidence be destroyed. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy are also being utilized to determine morphological changes. It is suspected that hair will experience morphological changes after being treated with solvent.
Program Description
Hair Analysis Forensic Chemistry
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Presentation Type and Release Option
Presentation (File Not Available for Download)
Start Date
4-20-2022 10:00 AM
End Date
4-20-2022 11:30 AM
Recommended Citation
Blount, Grace S.; Johnson, John C.; Lopex, Yarami; and Landge, Shainaz, "Evidence Vanished in Thin (H)air" (2022). GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium. 85.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2022/2022/85
Evidence Vanished in Thin (H)air
Poster Session 1 (Henderson Library)
Hair is one of the easiest objects to find, it seems to be everywhere. This is because on average a person loses 50 to 100 strands per day, but how is this applicable to crime scenes? Hair is one of the most prominent types of evidence, and it can be used to identify both victims and suspects. Given hair’s ability to build a case on a suspect, many criminals attempt to destroy the hair and other evidence at the crime scene. But the real question is, how well is the evidence destroyed? By conducting solubility tests with five different solvents (acetic acid, ammonia, toluene, acetone, and dimethylsulfoxide) on six different hair types, potential changes in morphology can be observed to answer the question of how well can evidence be destroyed. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy are also being utilized to determine morphological changes. It is suspected that hair will experience morphological changes after being treated with solvent.
