Until now it wasn’t possible to see fingerprints after the print itself has been removed, say in the instance of a fired bullet. But with a new technique developed by Alex Goddard and a team of scientists from the University of Leicester, it may have just been made possible. Studying the chemical and physical interaction occurring between the metal and the fingerprint sweat deposit, the scientists believe the fingerprints can be noticed even after the bullet is fired.
Goddard explains,
Once a finger has touched the metal surface, a residue remains behind, this starts to react with the metal and an image of the fingerprint can be developed by use of elevated temperature and humidity, with the resultant image becoming a permanent feature on the surface of the metal.
A useful finding for forensic experts for whom the fingerprint recovery from bullets is very low as of now, but with the use of advanced surface imaging technology using an Atomic Force Microscope and nanoscale observations of fingerprinted brass samples, the probability of recovery could be increased with the natural enhancement of the fingerprints.
Via: Press Release
