title: Identification of detergents for forensic fiber analysis.
abstract: Trace fibers are an important form of trace evidence, and identification of exogenous substances on textile fibers provides valuable information about the origin of the fiber. Laundering textiles can provide a unique fluorescent spectral signature of the whitening agent in the detergent that adsorbs to the fiber. Using fluorescence microscopy, the spectral characteristics of seven detergents adsorbed to single fibers drawn from laundered textiles were investigated, and principal component analysis of clusters was used to characterize the type of detergent on the fiber. On dyed nylon fibers, spectra from eight different detergent pairs could be resolved and washed validation fibers correctly classified. On dyed acrylic fibers, five different detergent pairs could be resolved and identified. Identification of the detergent type may prove useful in matching a trace fiber to its bulk specimen of origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Central Florida, 4111 Libra Drive, P.O. Box 25000, Orlando, FL, 32816-2366, USA.
authors.forename: Emily C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Heider
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Central Florida, 4111 Libra Drive, P.O. Box 25000, Orlando, FL, 32816-2366, USA.
authors.forename: Nirvani
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mujumdar
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Central Florida, 4111 Libra Drive, P.O. Box 25000, Orlando, FL, 32816-2366, USA. Andres.campiglia@ucf.edu.|National Center for Forensic Science, University of Central Florida, P.O. Box 162367, Orlando, FL, 32816-2367, USA. Andres.campiglia@ucf.edu.
authors.forename: Andres D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Campiglia
keywords: Detergent analysis; Fluorescence microscopy; Forensic fibers; Principal component analysis