Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify the combination of wavelength and filter that best detects tooth and bone, and to determine which biological materials (enamel, dental root or bone) have highest fluorescence intensity when exposed to an alternate light source (ALS). Tooth and bone samples were lighted with ALS and photographed. Adobe Photoshop™ and ImageJ™ softwares were used for image analysis. Data obtained by measuring the photograph pixels were subjected to analysis of variance. The mean values of significant effects were compared by the Tukey test. In all tests, the significance level was set at p≤0.05 and the values calculated by the SAS system. The results showed that the best combination for detecting tooth and bone is an illumination wavelength of 455 nm with an orange filter. The fluorescence of dental root is greater than that of enamel, which in turn is greater than that of bone. The biological material had markedly higher fluorescence than the inert material. This knowledge can help the forensic expert to screen and detect biological materials, for example in situations where there are fragmented teeth and small bones, both at the scene and in the laboratory.
Highlights
The alternate light source (ALS) is a simple method that can be used to locate biological evidence in crime scenes [1,2]
The fluorescence of the dental root was the greatest followed by the enamel and the bone
A similar result was reported in a previous study [5], but the authors of that study did not evaluate the difference in brightness between the biological material and the background
Summary
The alternate light source (ALS) is a simple method that can be used to locate biological evidence in crime scenes [1,2]. ALS is effective, non-invasive, non-destructive, and may detect biological fluids [3], human remains [4], teeth and bones [5] and other types of evidence. The use of an ALS may be helpful when searching for human bones, teeth and other remains [5]. Not all substances show fluorescence, and besides, each fluorescent material requires excitation by a specific range of wavelengths. Light with a wavelength outside this range does not contribute to the excitation of the sample. To detect a specific material, it is important to know the best combination of wavelength and filter
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