Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Analysis Of Polymer-Coated Bullets Using Spectroscopic Methods, Liana R. Albano

Student Theses

Polymer-coated bullets have gained popularity because they can reduce the user’s exposure to heavy metals in the ammunition. The synthetic jacket, which surrounds the lead core, is advantageous because it prevents metal-on-metal contact between the bullet and the bore. A challenge for firearms identification is that polymer-coated bullets do not retain unique markings that can be used to identify the gun, the way standard metal-coated bullets do. However, metal-coated bullets will result in a similar challenge if the bullet is too deformed once it is recovered. Another issue is that the composition of the polymer coating was never disclosed by …

Identification Of Different Hair Dyes In Dyed Hair Using Attenuated Total Reflectance (Atr Ft-Ir), Surface Enhancing Raman Spectroscopy (Sers) Techniques, Nicholas Lovera

Student Theses

This investigation compares the ability of Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR) and Surface Enhance Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to identify and differentiate different hair dye brands on dyed hair samples. Hair is a common type of trace evidence found at crime scenes and can provide numerous information through forensic hair analysis. Cosmetic hair treatment such as dying the hair different colors has grown and became popular, thus it can be a very common type of trace evidence. This study can provide a forensic scientist an additional method for analyzing dyed hair samples. The goal was to compare …

A Comparison Of Methods Used For The Elimination Of Organics From Soil Prior To Analysis By Ftir-Atr And Sem-Eds, Argeliz Pomales

Student Theses

This project suggests improvements to the treatment methods utilized for the sample preparation and evaluation of minerals in soil samples encountered in forensic science casework and research. The evaluation of pre-treated and post-treated soil samples were performed using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Because soil samples contain a significant amount of organic matter and water which interfere with examination of these minerals while using these instruments, pretreatment methods are necessary to isolate the mineral fraction for examination and analysis.

Soil samples were first sieved with various size stainless steel mesh …

Investigating The Mechanisms Driving Mercury Reduction And Emissions In Soil, Hamil Patel

Student Theses

The water-induced emission of mercury from soil has been studied, but a complete understanding of the mechanisms driving mercury reduction and emission in soil has not been reached. The current understanding is an immediate expulsion of soil gaseous mercury upon water treatment and an upward transport of dissolved soil ionic mercury as the water evaporates. We analyzed emissions from several types of samples using various methods to further our understanding on the mechanisms involved. Light-induced emissions from aqueous samples of humic acid (HA) spiked with mercury (II) chloride (HgCl₂) showed that at higher concentrations of HA, less mercury …

Identification And Quantification Of Classic, Prescription, And Synthetic Opioids In Hair By Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (Lc/Ms/Ms), Natalia A. Platosz

Student Theses

The current use and misuse of synthetic and prescription opioids in the US has reached epidemic status. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, every day more than 130 people in the US die after overdosing on opioids, and 2.1 million had an opioid use disorder in 2016. Hair is becoming an alternative matrix of increasing interest in forensic toxicology to investigate drug use and abuse patterns due to its long window of detection. The focus of this project was to develop and validate a method that simultaneously detects and quantifies 27 classic, prescription and synthetic opioids …

Dna Recovery From Handwritten Documents Using A Novel Vacuum Technique, Patrick M. Mclaughlin

Student Theses

Investigations of many crimes such as robberies, kidnappings, and terrorism are often associated with the recovery of a paper document which has been written by the perpetrator. Paper can provide a variety of forensic evidence such as DNA, latent fingermarks, and indented writing. The focus of this study was the collection of probative DNA profiles from the text region of a handwritten note through a vacuum suction device without altering or destroying the document. Collection of DNA evidence was carried out in two separate groups. The first group involved 11 volunteers providing a handwritten note sample with unwashed hands. The …

An Exploration Of Protein And Dna Components In Fingerprint Residue, Ashley Borrego

Student Theses

The main focus of this project was to investigate the protein and DNA components in both sebaceous and eccrine fingerprints. This study investigated the relative content of DNA and proteins in eccrine fingerprints to sebaceous fingerprints. All volunteers were instructed to wash and dry their hands prior to depositing parallel thumbprints. Twenty volunteers were instructed to touch their face to produce sebaceous prints, and 5 volunteers were instructed to wear gloves over a heat source to produce sweaty or eccrine prints. Microscopy was used to score the cellular debris of the right fingerprint on a scale of 1-4 based on …

Development Of A Screening Method For Drugs Of Abuse By Direct Analysis Of Dried Urine Spots Coupled To Mass Spectrometry, Melanie Goldstein

Student Theses

Fast and easy screening procedures are essential in any forensic toxicology laboratory to differentiate negative samples from presumptive positive cases. Immunoassay techniques, such as enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT), are routinely employed as screening procedures. However, these techniques lack specificity (only differentiate group of drugs and not individual compounds) and it is difficult to add new compounds to the panel. Direct analysis of dried urine spots (DUS) by mass spectrometry (MS) offers a novel strategy to overcome these issues. DUS offer an improved storage alternative for biological samples, reducing costs and space requirements. In this work, an original method to …

The Forensic Analysis Of Children's Temporary Tattoos, Erika Bravo

Student Theses

While children’s temporary tattoos have been produced since the 20th century, there are few scientific studies that have evaluated their physical and chemical characteristics. Therefore, this thesis is a preliminary study done to evaluate the composition of children’s temporary tattoos and consider the importance of such traces in a forensic content.

Colored regions in children’s temporary tattoos, such as red, pink, yellow and orange, were found to fluoresce with the use of an alternative light source while the use of microscopy led to the identification of different printing patterns between temporary tattoos. However, limitations in the ability to determine the …

The Forensic Analysis Of Adult Temporary Tattoos, Paige Cooper

Student Theses

Adult temporary tattoos have become more popular, yet there is very little research on them, especially regarding their use in forensics. This poses a problem because forensic investigators may not be able to distinguish a temporary tattoo from a real tattoo, possibly hindering their investigation. In this study, various types of adult temporary tattoos were examined and analyzed in attempts to identify and distinguish them, both from each other and from permanent tattoos. Infrared spectroscopy, specifically attenuated total reflection (ATR), proved to be more useful than ultra-violet visible light spectroscopy in terms of analyzing the samples. The natural adult temporary …

Determination Of Anxiolytic And Antidepressant Medicines In New York City Wastewater Samples, Jasmine J. Gayle

Student Theses

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) provides information about a population’s exposure to certain chemical agents, such as drugs of abuse and medicines, by the analysis of human biomarkers, also known as excretion products, in wastewater samples. Although this is a growing field worldwide, mainly in Europe, Oceania, and Asia, limited data from the US are currently available. We developed and validated an analytical method to quantitatively and qualitatively determine the presence of commonly prescribed drugs to treat anxiety (alprazolam, buspirone, clonazepam, lorazepam, and propranolol) and depression (bupropion, citalopram, clomipramine, duloxetine, fluoxetine, imipramine, paroxetine, sertraline, and venlafaxine) in wastewater using liquid chromatography tandem …

The Forensic Analysis Of Skin-Safe Stamp Pad Inks, Swetha Rajagopal

Student Theses

Skin-safe stamp pad inks are currently being used at locations such as clubs, zoos and other events with the purpose of stamping individuals that visit the location. This is done in an attempt to monitor the number and activity of visitors. Ink manufacturing companies generally tend to experiment with a number of different combinations of the different components of ink, in order to obtain desirable properties. The combinations are usually proprietary and that very nature of the inks ends up making them, possibly unique and individual. The analysis, identification and possible individualization of the chemical composition of these inks could …

An Improved Method For The Analysis Of Fiber Evidence Using Polarized Light Microscopy, Samuel F. Kaplan

Student Theses

Using the basic fundamentals of polarized light microscopy, a new and improved method for identifying synthetic fibers is presented in this thesis. Using the equation of an ellipse in spherical coordinates, an EXCEL™ (Microsoft Inc., Seattle, WA) spreadsheet was developed that generated tables of data that provide a foundation for a new and more efficient method in fiber analysis. Intermediate refractive index values for each subclass of textile fibers were calculated based on the fiber's principal refractive index values. The angles of refractive index matching to known refractive index fluids vary from 0 to 90 degrees upon rotation of the …

The Quantification Of Cocaine From The Erythroxylum Coca Plant And The Comparison On High Performance Liquid Chromatography And Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy As An Analytical Method., Tuesday James

Student Theses

Cocaine is derived from the Erythroxylum coca plant, is a highly addictive stimulant abused all over the world. There are two types of Erythroxylum coca plants that produce cocaine; the E. Coca and E. Novogranatense. Cocaine exists as the salt, and the freebase which is typically referred to as “crack” due to the crackling sound it makes when heated. It is popular because it is inexpensive and easily available on the streets, mainly in poor urban areas. The purpose of this project was to determine the amount of cocaine that can be extracted from E.coca and to assess which analytical …

Detection Of Cathinone And Mephedrone In Plasma By Lc-Ms/Ms Using Standard Addition Quantification Technique, Theron W. Ng-A-Qui

Student Theses

Designer drugs are structural analogs of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Schedule I and II substances. They are synthesized to mimic the effects of illegal drugs of abuse and to bypass the provisions of drug regulations. Despite the increased availability of designer drugs, few studies have focused on specific analytical extraction techniques for their detection and quantification in biological samples. Solid phase extraction (SPE) is the most commonly used technique for sample preparation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extraction efficiency of the various SPE columns with different sorbent materials for two designer drugs, cathinone and mephedrone in …