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A Reaction that
Revolutionizes the
Gathering of
Evidence.
By:
DARREN JAMES D. MOLINA
Aquinas University of Legazpi Extension School
Tuguegarao City
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ABSTRACT
Finding a concrete evidence to prove someone elses participation to a crime is a never
ending battle for litigation lawyers. The favorable decisions to which they seek to attain are
Justice for their clients as well as to them.
Justice is word created by fiction of Law to which a person attains fairness and just in its
case. It is said that Justice is a matter of rightness to something parties wishes to attain, and in the
field of Law, one who seeks Justice must do so thru evidence to prove whatever claim they may
have. It is so painful for some to miss that Justice just because of impossibility for very important
evidence to be seen in the naked eye. That thru which, they could have attain a favorable
decision.
Evidence is a general term used, because anything that you present to support an
assertion is an evidence perse, but the question of does it conform to the law, is it admissible to
the court? these are just the questions asked whenever a thing is presented before the court as
Evidence to assert your claim. Evidence vary in the Rules of Court of the Philippines, it is either
Object Evidence or Documentary Evidence as the case may be.
In its simplest definition, when we speak of Object Evidence, these are things presented
before the court that affects to the senses, on the other hand, when we speak of Documentary
Evidence, these are the things that consist of anything in writing or containing letters, words,
etc... Or any mode of written expression as the case may be.
This paper is a comprehensive study on the use of a chemical that revolutionizes the
gathering of object evidence that is impossible for the naked eye to see. The fact that, this tool
was used in our everyday life, that we might not even know its use and purpose in the field of
Forensic Science and how it changed experts notion in gathering evidences that are not visible to
the naked eye. Its a tool so small but having a big impact to the field of Law and Forensic
Science. The chemical referred to here is Luminol.
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INTRODUCTION
Chemiluminescence is a chemical reaction (exothermic reaction) that as result releases
energy, and that energy produces light. There are two phase reactions when we are talking of
Chemiluminescence:
1. Liquid-Phase Reaction- which is the Luminol Test. The Luminol Reaction in this
instance is luminal + H2O2 3-APA[] 3-APA + light. Luminol in an alkaline
solution with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of iron copper or an auxiliary
oxidant, produces chemiluminescence.
2. Gas- Phase Reaction- one of the oldest known chemiluminescent reaction is that of
elemental white phosphorus oxidizing in moist air, producing a green glow. This is a
gas-phase reaction of phosphorus vapor, above the solid, with oxygen producing the
excited states (PO)2 and HPO.
Another gas phase reaction is the basis of nitric oxide detection in commercial
analytic instruments applied to environmental air-quality testing. Ozone is combined
with nitric oxide to form nitrogen dioxide in an activated state.
NO+O3 NO2[]+ O2
The activated NO2[] luminesces broadband visible to infrared light as it reverts
to a lower energy state. A photomultiplier and associated electronics counts the
photons that are proportional to the amount of NO present. To determine the amount
of nitrogen dioxide, NO2, in a sample (containing no NO) it must first be converted to
nitric oxide, NO, by passing the sample through a converter before the above ozone
activation reaction is applied.
The ozone reaction produces a photon count proportional to NO that is
proportional to NO2 before it was converted to NO. In the case of a mixed sample that
contains both NO and NO2, the above reaction yields the amount of NO and
NO2combined in the air sample, assuming that the sample is passed through the
converter. If the mixed sample is not passed through the converter, the ozone reaction
produces activated NO2[] only in proportion to the NO in the sample. The NO2 in
the sample is not activated by the ozone reaction. Though unactivated NO2 is present
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with the activated NO2[], photons are emitted only by the activated species that is
proportional to original NO. Final step: Subtract NO from (NO + NO2) to yield NO.
The Liquid-Phase Reaction or the Luminol is the very chemical that changes in gathering
evidences as we speak. It is in this chemical that caught my very interest, for it opened an avenue
for Forensic Scientists to undergo rigorous tests that would give them an edge against criminals.
Crimes that have been done, so long, that visibility to the naked eye of evidences is impossible at
that stage.
Luminol is a reagent that gives a way better understanding about spectra of evidence
gathering. The idea that from this simple tool of forensics give so much in matters helpful for
prosecutors to prosecute victims of underlying circumstances brought by forces of evil.
Luminol is a presumptive test for the presence of blood. It does not identify the source of
the blood, rather it suggest that a suspect pattern or stain may originate with blood-based
compounds. While luminol is a law enforcement tool often utilized during the investigation of
fresh homicides, it is a very useful instrument in cold case homicide investigation. Interestingly
enough, while some law enforcement agencies have used this tool extensively, others have not
heard of it.
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The reaction of luminol on aged bloodstains is more pronounced due to the oxidation
process that has occurred during the intervening time period. That older, dried blood exhibits a
stronger luminescence than fresh blood holds true today. In 1942, the luminol test was further
recommended for use in forensic blood detection. Further investigative experimentation
continued into the 1970s, when its forensic application became somewhat more common.
USE
The most common uses of luminol in cold cases homicide are:
Vehicle interiors, including dashboards, floor mats, and other coverings such as
seats, trunk carpet, and so forth;
Cracks and crevices in floors and walls, in areas in which suspected cleaning has
occurred
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Wall surfaces
Furniture
Blood Tracks
Drag marks
Hand Impressions
Swipes
Bloodspatter impacts
APPLICATION
Luminol is prepared at the scene or in the laboratory by a qualified, experienced analyst.
When mixed with distilled water, premeasured quantities of sodium perborate and sodium
carbonate must be shaken well before application. The solution is applied as an aerosol mist from
a spray container.
Prior to application, however, a controlled sample of known blood must be sprayed to test
the mixture. Luminol has minimal shelf life and should be applied immediately after it is mixed.
The longer the time span between its mixture and application, the weaker the reaction of
luminescence. Practically speaking, degradation could begin to occur within 24 hours. A fresh
amount s be prepared for each days use.
The application of luminal involves a number of procedures. These include:
To facilitate and reveal the luminescence, application is most often accomplished under
darkened conditions. The analyst does not concentrate on the luminescence, but rather on the
pattern that cannot be seen with the naked eye. While many objects will glow, a pattern will not
be present on items such as metal rivets on a pair of jeans, cleansers used to clean toilet bowls
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and bathroom sinks, certain plant material with iron in the pulp, as well as some other substrates.
In cold case homicide investigation, an advantage of luminol is that it gives off a more
intense luminescence when applied to aged blood stains. This does not mean, however, one can
determine the age of the bloodstains from the intense chemical luminescence that occurs from
older blood.
References:
1.
Rauhut, Michael M. (1985), Chemiluminescence. In Grayson, Martin (Ed) (1985). Kirk-Othmer Concise
Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (3rd ed), pp 247 John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 0-471-51700-3
2.
3.
4.
Ibid,pp 478
5.
Ibid,pp 479
6.
Ibid,pp 480
7.
Ibid, pp 481
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