title: The effects of acid and alkaline solutions on cut marks and on the structure of bone: An experimental study on porcine ribs.
abstract: Among taphonomical modifications during decomposition processes, little is known about the action of high or low pH to human tissues and bones. Moreover, acid or basic solutions are seldom used to ease decomposition and wrecking of the body. In this study a total of 60 samples of porcine bones on which two cut marks were produced before the beginning of the experiment, were put in six different solutions with different pH (1, 3, 5, 9, 12, 14) and analyzed every five days over a period of 70 days. Surveys were carried out macroscopically, with stereomicroscopy and with light microscopy on thin sections. Only the specimens exposed to extremely acid (<1) or basic (>12) pH showed evident modifications of the bone's structure, as witnessed by the analyses with stereomicroscopy as well. Many samples showed a detachment of the periosteum; cut marks became soon unrecognizable with pH 14 but still detectable in all the other samples. The information gained from the present study can be of great help in detecting the exposure of human tissues to high or low environmental pH and in understanding the effects that these solutions can exert on human bones.
authors.affiliation: LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia ed Odontologia Forense, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, V. Mangiagalli 37, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy. Electronic address: albertoamadasi@libero.it.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amadasi
authors.affiliation: LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia ed Odontologia Forense, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, V. Mangiagalli 37, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy; Unité Mixte de Recherche 5199, De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie (PACEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camici
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Tossicologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sironi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Viale Taramelli 12, Università di Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Profumo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica, Viale Taramelli 12, Università di Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merli
authors.affiliation: LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia ed Odontologia Forense, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, V. Mangiagalli 37, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mazzarelli
authors.affiliation: LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia ed Odontologia Forense, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, V. Mangiagalli 37, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Porta
authors.affiliation: Unité Mixte de Recherche 5199, De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie (PACEA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Duday
authors.affiliation: LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia ed Odontologia Forense, Sezione di Medicina Legale, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, V. Mangiagalli 37, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D023421:Models, Animal; D012272:Ribs / Q000293:injuries*; D013552:Swine; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000143:Acids
keywords: Acids; Basis; Cut marks; Forensic science; Forensic taphonomy; Light microscopy; Stereomicroscopy