INTERPRETATION

OF
RESULTS
WHAT WOULD BE NOTED IN THE
INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS:

TIME REACTION
-Number and characteristic of blue and
minute specks
-the location and character of the blue
specks
-distribution and location
DIFFERENT NAME OF THE TEST:
-Lunge’s Test
-Diphenylamine Test
-Dermal Nitrate Test
-Gonzales Test
Is there any means of removing
these nitrates from the hands?

How long will they stay in the

pores?
ANSWER:
-none
-ordinary washing will not remove the
nitrates from the pores of the skin.
-usually, gunpowder nitrates that are
embedded on the skin stay for 72
hours.
-that is why paraffin test casting should
be conducted within the specified
period.
SUBSTANCES GIVING FALSE POSITIVE
RESULTS:
1. Fertilizers
2. Explosives
3. Tobacco
4. Urine
5. Certain cosmetics
6. Food samples
7. Cigarette
Will these substances not give
positive result for paraffin
test?
ANSWER:
-if the hands of the subject person are
contaminated with nitrates other than
from gunpowder, one will expect to
find smudges or just a smear of blue
color or a conglomeration of blue
specks.
-but nitrates from gunpowder appear as
blue specks with tailings, because
these particles were embedded into
the hands with force.
IS PARAFFIN TEST RESULT A
CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE?
WHY?
ANSWER:
-no
-it is just a corroborative evidence which
intends to support the testimony of
eyewitness/es.
-there are instances wherein a person
who actually discharged a firearm
would still give a negative result to the
paraffin test because of several factors.
WHAT ARE THESE
FACTORS:
ANSWER:
1. types of the caliber ammunition
2. Use of gloves
3. Length of the barrel
4. Age and efficiency of the gun
mechanism
5.Direction of firing
6. Wind direction and velocity
7. Humidity/percentage moisture in air
8. Lapsed of 72 hours
TYPES OF CALIBER OF AMMUNITION
 a hand discharging a revolver is more likely

to give a positive result for gunpowder

nitrates compared to that of a hand
discharging a pistol.
 in an automatic pistol, the chamber is an

integral part of the barrel, whereas in the

revolver, the chamber is located in the
cylinder and separated from the barrel with
airspace.
 thus, leakage of powder in a revolver is more

likely to occur.
FALSE POSITIVE RESULT
 contamination or transfer of gunshot

residue to the body by mishandling, or

when the body is heavily contaminated
with GSR from previous shooting.
 washing of hands where samples are

collected
 type of ammunition such as riffle and

shot gun
LENGTH OF BARREL
 a weapon of 2 inch barrel will deposit residue

over a larger area than a weapon of 5 inch barrel

(even if they are discharged from the same
distance with the same type of ammunition)
 in a longer barrel, the hand is farther away from

the muzzle end of the gun .

 it takes a bullet to travel in more time, thus

using up/burning up more, if not all, of the

nitrates
 In a short barrel, the bullet travels through the

barrel in less time leaving behind a greater

amount of unburned particles
AGE OF THE GUN/EFFICIENCY OF
MECHANISM
 complete combustion or the
conversion of all nitrates into its end
product is more likely to occur in new
weapon compared to an old one.
 besides, leakage of gunpowder is

more likely to happen in the old

weapon where the breech mechanism
is no longer tightly fitted.
WIND DIRECTION
 in high velocity (strong wind), the

powder residues will be blown in the

direction of the wind.
 one is more likely to be positive for

gunpowder nitrates if there is no

wind, or the wind direction is towards
the shooter.
HUMIDITY/PERCENTAGE MOISTURE IN
AIR
-humidity lessens the extent of
combustion yielding more gunpowder
nitrates.
False positive Reaction
-smear of blue color or a
conglomeration of blue specks on both
dorsal and palm aspects of the hand.
-Failure to find traces of the nitrate on
the hand of the person does not mean
he/she didn’t fire a gun.
-also founding a actual traces of the
nitrates at the hands of the subject
does not conclusively determine that
he or she has discharged a firearm.
GUNPOWDER RESIDUE TEST ON
FIREARMS
-DPA reagent is also applied to cotton
swabbing of the barrel and chambers of
the guns to determine if the firearm
was discharged.
-deep blue color resulting from the
reaction of nitrates with the reagent
indicates presence of gunpowder
residue.
ESTABLISHED FORENSIC RULES:
a.The forensic chemist on case shall be
the one to conduct the GPR
examination without any delay.
b.after the conducted examination, the
firearm shall be returned to the
representative of the requesting unit if
the request is solely for GPR
examination, or submitted to the
FIREARM IDENTIFICATION DIVISION
(FAID) if ballistic examination is
required.
 AMPING
TA
SA
KANUNAY…..