title: X-ray mapping technique: a preliminary study in discriminating gunshot residue particles from aggregates of environmental occupational origin.
abstract: The possibility of detection of lead-antimony-barium aggregates from non-firearm sources is confirmed according to the tests performed on brake pads, and firework and automobile workers. Moreover, information on particles taken from cartridge cases shows the relative feeble importance of the morphology in distinguishing gunshot residues (GSRs). Furthermore, also the presence in the spectrum of other elements (e.g., iron) is not so conclusive. In this panorama, the possibility of discriminating gunshot residue particles from other non-firearm lead-antimony-barium aggregates is investigated: the proposed method is based on X-ray mapping technique--currently applied used in Reparto Carabinieri Investigazioni Scientifiche in Rome, the forensic service of Italian Carabinieri--according to which the spatial distribution of the emission energy of each element of the sample is pictured. Gunshot residues present the same lead-antimony-barium distribution (or at least the same antimony-barium distribution with lead nodules), as some other environmental occupational aggregates do not (different plaques of lead, antimony, and barium). So, X-ray mapping technique can offer a new fundamental evaluation parameter in analysis of gunshot residues with scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive (SEM/EDS) spectrometry, and new standards could be considered.
authors.affiliation: Reparto Carabinieri Investigazioni Scientifiche di Roma, viale Tor di Quinto 151, 00191 Rome, Italy. bcardinetti@carabinieri.it
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cardinetti
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ciampini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Onofrio
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gravina
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Donatello
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Tullio
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torresi
mesh_terms: D044709:Forensic Ballistics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009790:Occupations; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot
chemical_list: D008670:Metals