Assessment of Persistence of Gunshot Residues Produced by Firearms from Criminal Cases in the Republic of Kosovo
Source abstract
Abstract
Gunshot residue (GSR) is a material formed during firearm discharge with a specific spheroidal/noncrystalline morphology and chemical composition. The examination of gunshot residue by SEM/EDS is an important tool in forensic studies and presents supporting evidence in criminal investigations. This study is aimed at exploring the number of particles characteristic of GSR identified by SEM/EDS as a function of time, gun caliber, the number of shots, and weather conditions. Firearms typically used in criminal cases in Kosovo were studied, and the experiments were conducted outdoors in the summer and winter seasons. Nine people made different numbers of shots from one to nine and followed a common office routine. An optimized and validated SEM/EDS protocol was applied with a sensitivity of 95%, a bias of −5%, a repeatability of 2% (RSD), a within-lab reproducibility of 2% (RSD), and an expanded uncertainty of the number of GSR particles of 6% at coverage factor k = 2. The results showed that GSR particles could be identified by SEM/EDS five to seven hours after shooting, depending on the weapon used and number of produced shots. The results will benefit forensic scientists by providing a supportive tool for hypothesizing the time interval between firearm discharge and GSR sampling.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Forensic and Genetic Research · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Autopsy Techniques and Outcomes
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Kosovo Agency on Forensic, “Bill Klinton” Blvd., Zona Industriale 1, 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo
Analytical Chemistry Department, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 “St. Kl. Ohridski” Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria
Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Blvd. D. Mangeron 71, 700050 Lasi, Romania
Technical Sciences Academy of Romania, Dacia Blvd. 26, 030167 Bucharest, Romania
Romanian Inventors Forum, Str. Sf. P. Movila 3, 700089 Iasi, Romania
National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection INCDPM, Splaiul Independentei 294, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Funding
TUIASI from the University Scientific Research Fund (FCSU)
References (27)
Show source-provided references
1. Fay, J.J., and Patterson, D. (2018). Managing Investigations. Contemporary Security Management, Butterworth-Heinemann—Elsevier. [4th ed.].10.1016/B978-0-12-809278-1.00013-X ↗
2. Time periods of GSR particles deposition after discharge-final results10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.09.127 ↗
3. Fate and Behavior of Guns10.1111/1556-4029.13555 ↗
4. Survey of gunshot residue prevalence on the hands of individuals from various population groups in and outside Europe10.1016/j.forc.2021.100308 ↗
5. Characterisation of gunshot residues from non-toxic ammunition and their persistence on the shooter’s hands10.1007/s00414-020-02261-9 ↗
6. Determining the Lifetime of Detectable Amounts of Gunshot Residue on the Hands of a Shooter Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy10.1366/000370208786401473 ↗
7. Evaluation of persistence of gunshot residue (GSR) using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) method
8. Particle Analysis for the Detection of Gunshot Residue (GSR) in Nasal Samples Using Scanning Laser Ablation and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (SLA-ICPMS)10.1111/1556-4029.14278 ↗
9. (2010). Standard Guide for Gunshot Residue Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (Standard No. ASTM E1588-10).
10. European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (2022, July 15). Guidelines for the Single Laboratory Validation of Instrumental and Human Based Methods in Forensic Science; ENFSI. Available online: https://enfsi.eu/docfile/guidelines-for-the-single-laboratory-validation-of-instrumental-and-human-based-methods-in-forensic-science-2/.
11. European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) (2022, July 15). Best Practice Manual for Chemographic Methods for Gunshot Residue Analysis; ENFSI-BPM-FGR-01; ENFSI. Available online: https://enfsi.eu/docfile/best-practice-manual-for-chemographic-methods-in-gunshot-residue-analysis/.
12. A study of the effect of working parameters and validation of SEM/EDS method for determination of elemental composition of commonly encountered GSR samples in shooting events in Kosovo10.1111/1556-4029.14803 ↗
13. Proposed practices for validating the performance of instruments used for automated inorganic gunshot residue analysis10.1016/j.forc.2020.100252 ↗
14. Identification of GSR on the Shooters Hands Using Energy Dispersive Experiments
15. The persistence of gunshot residue on shooters’ hands10.1016/S1355-0306(99)72014-9 ↗
16. On the prevalence of gunshot residue in selected populations—An empirical study performed with SEM-EDX analysis10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.01.020 ↗
17. Investigating airborne GSR particles by the application of impactor technology10.1016/j.forc.2018.02.005 ↗
18. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis for Chemical and Morphological Characterisation of the Inorganic Component of Gunshot Residue: Selected Problems
19. Wallace, D.A.M. (2010). Transfer and Persistence of Gunshot Residue Particles. [Master’s Thesis, West Virginia University].
20. An experimental investigation of the indirect transfer and deposition of gunshot residue: Further studies carried out with SEM–EDX analysis10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.10.023 ↗
21. BIPM, IEC, IFCC, ILAC, ISO, IUPAC, IUPAP, and OIML (2022, July 15). International Vocabulary of Metrology|Basic and General Concepts and Associated Terms (VIM). Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology, JCGM 200:2012. (3rd edition). Available online: https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/2071204/JCGM_200_2012.pdf/f0e1ad45-d337-bbeb-53a6-15fe649d0ff1.
22. A Mixture model for the number of gunshot residues found on suspects’ hands10.1111/1556-4029.14310 ↗
23. Khakee, A., and Florquin, N. (2022, August 25). Kosovo and the Gun: A Baseline Assessment of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Kosovo. UNDP/ISAC. Available online: https://reliefweb.int/report/serbia/kosovo-and-gun-baseline-assessment-small-arms-and-light-weapons-kosovo.
24. A Recovery Method for Airborne Gunshot Residue Retained in Human Nasal Mucus
25. Evaluation of parameters influencing GSR’s retention on shooter’s hands
26. Current perspectives in the interpretation of gunshot residues in forensic science: A review10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.09.003 ↗
27. Scientific Working Group for Gunshot Residue (SWGGSR) (2022, July 15). Guide for Primer Gunshot Residue Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry. Available online: https://www.swggsr.org/publications.