Quality comparison between food coloring and black powder for latent fingerprint detection on non-porous surface
Keywords:
Latent fingerprint, Food coloring, Red kingcol ponceau 4R, Black powder, Non-porous surfaceAbstract
Background : Fingerprints are common evidence at crime scenes and are used as crucial evidence in forensic investigations. Latent fingerprints are invisible and require special visualization methods. Dusting with the black powder method is commonly used on nonporous surfaces; however, it can be toxic and harmful to health.
Objective : To compare the quality of red kingcol ponceau 4R food coloring powder and black powder for latent fingerprint detection on nonporous surfaces.
Material and methods : Volunteers pressed their right thumbs onto beeswax and imprinted them on three non-porous surfaces (plastic, glass, and steel). Red kingcol ponceau 4R food coloring powder and black powder were used for latent fingerprint detection. The number of minutiae was counted using a MINI-Automated Fingerprint Identification System (MINI-AFIS). A total of 30 samples were analyzed using the paired samples t-test to assess the fingerprint quality.
Results : For latent fingerprints on plastic and glass using black powder and red kingcol ponceau 4R food coloring showed no significant difference in fingerprint quality. However, on steel surfaces, red kingcol ponceau 4R produced better results than black powder, with a significant statistical difference (p < 0.05).
Conclusion : Red kingcol ponceau 4R food coloring powder is a bright and clear powder that is readily available and inexpensive. It can be used as an alternative to black powder for collecting latent fingerprints on non-porous surfaces.
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