Abstract
DURING the continuation of an investigation1 into the factors affecting the resistance of paper to attack by atmospheric pollution, we found that fingerprints were affecting our results. Further investigation suggested that a method for detecting fingerprints on paper could be developed. Fuller details are to be published shortly; but in essence the method consisted of exposing the sample of paper to radioactive sulphur dioxide at a concentration of about 10 p.p.m., followed by autoradiography. Sulphur dioxide was picked up preferentially in the regions contaminated by the fingers, and this caused a greater darkening of the X-ray film. An example of one of the prints obtained is shown in Fig. 1. The specific activity of the sulphur dioxide was about 1 mc./m.mole, the time of exposure about 12 h and the time for autoradiography one week.
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References
Hudson, F. L., and Milner, W. D., Paper Tech., 2, (2), 155 (1961).
Godsell, J., J. Forensic Sci. Soc., 3 (2), 79 (1963).
Sakaguchi, M., et al., Second U.N. Conf. on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, 1958, A/Conf. 15/P 1342.
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GRANT, R., HUDSON, F. & HOOKEY, J. Detecting Fingerprints on Paper. Nature 200, 1348 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/2001348a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2001348a0
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