Temperature-specific spectral shift of luminescing thermally altered human remains

Parnia Schariatmadary, Maurice C. G. Aalders, Roelof-Jan Oostra, Tristan Krap*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Human bone has shown to have luminescent properties that remain throughout the phases of cremation, with the exception of fully carbonized bone, when excited with a narrow band light source. During this research, an alternate light source (420–470nm, peak at 445nm) was used to visualize and investigate latent details relevant for forensic investigations of human remains recovered at fire scenes. As fire is a destructive force, it induces a vast variety of physical and chemical alterations to all components of the bone, making the subsequent analysis and interpretation of burned human remains challenging. A spectral shift in emission bandwidth, from green to red, was previously observed when the exposure temperature increased from 700 to 800 °C. This spectral shift was reproduced on a total of 10 human forearms, divided into 20 segments, by burning at 700 °C and 900 °C in an ashing furnace. The shift of emission bandwidth caused only by an increase in temperature was furthermore investigated by colorimetric analysis, proving the spectral shift to be significant. By easily quantifying the spectral shift, substantiation is provided for the use of this technique in practice to improve the interpretation of heat induced changes of bone.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1277-1286
Number of pages10
JournalInternational Journal of Legal Medicine
Volume137
Early online date1 May 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2023

Keywords

  • burned bones
  • alternate light sources
  • luminescence
  • heat-induced changes
  • forensic anthropology
  • chemical-changes
  • bone
  • light
  • fire

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