X-ray mapping technique: a preliminary study in discriminating gunshot residue particles from aggregates of environmental occupational origin

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. 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 and 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 spectrometry, and new standards could be considered. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.