Identification of Detergents for Forensic Fiber Analysis

• NCJ Number: 252225
• Journal: Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Volume: 408 Issue: 28 Dated: November 2016 Pages: 7935-7943
• Date Published: November 2016
• Author(s): Emily C. Heider; Nirvani Mujumdar; Andres D. Campiglia
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2011-DN-BX-K553
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

Since laundering textiles can provide a unique fluorescent spectral signature of the whitening agent in the detergent that adsorbs to the fiber, this project investigated the use of fluorescence microscopy to draw from laundered textiles the spectral characteristics of seven detergents adsorbed to single fibers, and principal component analysis of clusters was used to characterize the type of detergent on the fiber.

Abstract

The study found that on dyed nylon fibers, spectra from eight different detergent pairs could be resolved and washed validation fibers correctly classified. On dyed acrylic fibers, five different detergent pairs could be resolved and identified. The study concluded that identification of the detergent type may prove useful in matching a trace fiber to its bulk specimen of origin. 24 references (Publisher abstract modified)