Abstract
The use of chemiluminescent bloodstain detection reagents to investigate crime scenes is well established, especially when detection of latent bloodstains is needed. The application instructions of commonly used luminol products recommend prompt usage of freshly mixed chemical agents for optimal visualization of highly visible and long-lasting chemiluminescent bloodstains; however, scene processing efforts can delay bloodstain examinations and immediate usage. This study was conducted with the objective of comparing the applicability of two different luminol products (Bluestar® and Lumiscene Ultra) on invisible, standardized bloodstains over a period of 7 days. The mixed luminol reagents were constantly stored at 4 °C. For the study freshly drawn blood diluted in water (1:50) were dropped from a height of 30 cm onto tiled surfaces, producing mean drop diameters of 10–12 mm. From these blood drops 10 were randomly chosen and a fine mist of luminol reagent was applied using a regular spraying distance of 100 cm. Following photo documentation of the spots, measurements of both intensity and duration of luminescence were performed using Adobe Photoshop®. Up to day 5 following application, a constant and expected bright light blue pattern of chemiluminescence could be observed despite already decreasing digitally based luminescence values. Lumiscene Ultra revealed a slightly longer duration of luminescence of unchanged intensity during the first 3 days, whereas Bluestar® resulted in earlier decrease in values of light intensity after 2 days but with longer overall duration of chemiluminescence.
Published Version
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