Detection of metallic elements from paraffin-embedded tissue blocks by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Received 19 November 2009; received in revised form 11 December 2009; accepted 11 December 2009. published online 28 January 2010.

Abstract

Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDX) enables rapid, non-destructive, multi-elemental analysis. Using EDX, lead and some other metallic elements were detected in paraffin-blocks in which skin samples from a gunshot wound were embedded. Lead was not identified in control samples from non-injured cases. These findings indicate that EDX is a useful method for rapid non-destructive analysis of paraffin-embedded blocks. This technique can provide scientific evidence for identification of a firearm even after storing the sample for a long time.

Keywords: Element analysis, Paraffin-embedded tissue block, Gunshot wound, Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

a Department of Legal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan

b Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan

Corresponding author. Address: Department of Legal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan. Tel.: +81 798 45 6578; fax: +81 798 49 3279.

PII: S1344-6223(09)00387-3

doi:10.1016/j.legalmed.2009.12.003

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