Preliminary classification of characteristic organic gunshot residue compounds

For the first time, a classification system for organic gunshot residue (OGSR) compounds with respect to the confirmation of OGSR materials is presented. There are 136 compounds considered to be associated with OGSR that have been highlighted in the literature. Many of these compounds could be classified as being ubiquitous in the environment and thus their detection as characteristic components of OGSR could cause issues with the interpretation of chemical ballistic evidence. The proposed system aims to address this problem by classifying OGSR compounds based on their forensic relevance with respect to the confirmation of GSR materials.

Source: Science and Justice - July 5, 2016 Category: Forensic Medicine Authors: Ellen Goudsmits, George P. Sharples, Jason W. Birkett Source Type: research