Hello there lovely people! Welcome back to STEM on the Streets and this is part two of Chemical Paint! Click on the button to read the previous blog!
Also if you have not read Chemical Paint I this Chemical Paint II will not make sense so click on the other button to read that.
(✿◡‿◡)CAI: Hey, Aiza, do you think I can do the writing part?
Haha- no, you lack the creative spark.
<(＿ ＿)>CAI: That is not nice, Aiza.
I could say the same when you said that Iron Man was better than Batman.
(►__◄)CAI: PEOPLE CAN HAVE OPINIONS!!!
Well, you should keep them to yourself.
(►__◄)CAI: Fancy for you to say- you called an old lady 'mean-faced'.
I WAS SEVEN!!!
CAI, we should probably continue cause people don't want to hear us arguing.
(✿◡‿◡)CAI: Fair enough. Do I still get to do the poll?
Sure.
(T.W. Murder)
Case #1: Chemical Paint
Dr Emily Kendrick, an expert in toxicology, led the forensics team. She wore a white wrinkled, plastic forensic overall with bulky goggles and what seemed like a heavy respirator. She had been told that the room stunk of paint with a slight scent of bitter almonds; some poisons may have been involved. She had been given the crucial information by Detective Maxwell on arrival. There were hints of foul play behind the mysterious death of John Hayle. Dr Kendrick put on a few other pairs of gloves and left the police and Detective to question Mrs Hayles.
Carefully, they entered the room with the corpse inside. It was brightly lit with mesmerising portraits hiding the water damage on the yellow walls. The room was messy with easels, paintbrushes and water cups all over the place. There were six tube lights on the ceiling, and one was fused. The floor was made of wood with dried paint and dried water stains on it.
John Hayle lay limp, in the middle of the room, on a wooden chair his head resting on the half-painted canvas next to a closed window. He wore brown worn-out overalls, his chest bare and heavily stained with different shades of reds, blues, purples and many other colours. His hair was brown and messy; his haircut was terribly uneven. His hands, covered in paint, still, hung at his sides. The index finger, of his right hand, was decorated with a shiny and polished copper ring with colourful gemstones in the order of a blue one, then a red one, then a deeper and darker blue one, then a green one, then a clear one with hints of orange and an orange one.
Dr Kendrick and her lead forensic medical examiner, Ed Thompson, analysed the body while the rest looked around for other forms of evidence. His hands had burns¹ on them. Slowly they flipped over the stiff body², his face and neck were flushed (cherry) red³ and in some places on his face, where he had come in contact with the paint, there were burns. His eyes were closed. Dr. Kendrick took a cotton swab and took a sample of the mixed paint on his chest and carefully placed it into a tube which was then placed into a plastic bag inside another plastic bag.
Thompson carefully peeled open John’s eyelids and shone a light into them, his eyes were red like a ruby and his pupils were dilated ⁴.
(Interruption)
Forensics scientists look for many different forms of biological evidence (fingerprints, hair strands and bodily fluids)- you know what, CAI, can you please take over?
╰(*°▽°*)╯CAI: Writing?!
No, the part where you talk about different methods to detect fingerprints.
<(＿ ＿)>CAI: ok...
Lovely! See you in some time!
(✿◡‿◡)CAI: A fingerprint is a unique pattern at the tips of somebody's fingers and toes, no two individuals have fingerprints which are alike. There are different ways to detect and lif fingerprints:
Physical Methods
**Powder Dusting:**
This is a process where fine powder (like black, white, or fluorescent powder) is applied with a brush or magnetic applicator to stick to any leftover oils and moisture from fingerprints on surfaces. Different powders are used based on surface texture and colour to make fingerprints more visible. This method is quick and effective for surfaces like glass, metal, and plastic.
Chemical Methods
**Ninhydrin:**
This is a chemical reagent that reacts with amino acids in fingerprints, creating a purple or pink colouration.
**DFO (1,8-Diazafluoren-9-one):**
This is used to bring out latent prints on porous surfaces (like paper and cardboard) by reacting with components of the print.
**Physical Developer:**
This method is suitable for porous and non-porous surfaces, and it deposits silver onto the print, making it visible.
Advanced Techniques
**Cyanoacrylate Fuming (Super Glue Method):**
With this method, objects are placed in a sealed chamber with heated superglue (cyanoacrylate). The fumes react with the moisture and oils of fingerprints, creating a white residue that can be treated with a dye stain or powder for visibility. It's effective on a wide range of surfaces and can develop prints that are old or faint.
Laser Techniques
**Laser Ablation:**
A laser is used to remove material from the surface of an object, revealing the fingerprint underneath.
**Laser-Induced Fluorescence:**
Laser light is used to excite fluorescent dyes or chemicals applied to the surface, making the fingerprint glow and enhancing visibility.
Digital Imaging
**Photography:**
High-resolution photography with proper lighting and angle can capture latent fingerprints visible under certain lighting conditions.
**UV and IR Photography:**
Using ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) light can reveal fingerprints that are not visible to the naked eye under normal lighting.
Thanks, CAI, my turn to take over. Most of the time, investigations take weeks, months and possibly years.
(✿◡‿◡)CAI: Is that all you have to say?
CAI, I AM THE ONE WHO HAS EYE BAGS AND HAS THE INABILITY TO CONSUME COFFEE!!
(✿◡‿◡)CAI: So?
So I shall write how much I wish to besides I wrote the entire Chemical Paint case!!!
Case I: Chemical Paint
After weeks of investigation, it was still unclear who killed John Hayle. It had been unlikely that it was a suicide, according to Mrs Hayle. There were no other fingerprints other than John Hayle’s in the room nor were there signs of aggression or breaking in. There is speculation that Hayle was involved with some sort of cult or such but that is still not confirmed. The ring he wore had no receipt or any document to confirm that Hayle himself bought the ring. It contained the gemstones in this order:
Sapphire
Imperial topaz
Lapis Lazuli
Emerald
Nifontovite
Topaz
One sure thing is that his paint had calcium cyanide dissolved within them.
¹, ⁴, ³ (underlined bits) As previously mentioned there was a cyanide salt dissolved into the paint, which was also one of the reasons why the victim was exhibiting such symptoms. If we were to go further into it would come under pathology however we are doing toxicology.
² (check underline bit): the stiffness of the muscles is known as rigor mortis which is when, after death, the muscles stiffen up. This usually occurs 2-4 hours after death and is at peak after 24 hours. Cyanide poisoning may lead to an earlier onset of rigor mortis.
How Cyanide is Detected
Hey, CAI, mind doing this one?
(✿◡‿◡)CAI: Yeah sure.
Paint Sampling: Gather a representative sample of the paint, which may involve scraping a dried paint section or collecting a liquid sample if the paint is still wet.
Sample Preparation: Ready the sample for analysis by potentially homogenizing it to ensure uniformity and breaking down the paint matrix to release cyanide.
Cyanide Extraction:
Acid Treatment: Treat the sample with acid to convert cyanide compounds (e.g., sodium cyanide or potassium cyanide) into hydrogen cyanide gas (HCN).
Distillation: Subject the sample to a distillation process to collect hydrogen cyanide gas. Typically, the gas is trapped in a solution, often a basic solution like sodium hydroxide, to convert it back into a detectable cyanide ion.
Analytical Detection Methods:
Colourimetric Techniques: These involve forming a coloured complex with cyanide ions that can be measured spectrophotometrically.
Prussian Blue Test: Cyanide reacts with ferrous sulfate under acidic conditions to form a blue complex, which can be quantified.
Pyridine-pyrazolone Method: A reaction with chloramine-T and pyridine-pyrazolone forms a red-colored compound.
Ion-Selective Electrodes: These electrodes can specifically measure cyanide ions in solution, providing a direct and sensitive measurement.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS): This method separates cyanide gas in a chromatographic column and detects it by mass spectrometry. It is highly sensitive and specific.
Headspace GC-MS: This technique analyzes the gas phase above the sample, reducing interference from the paint matrix.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC): This method separates cyanide from other components in the paint and detects it with high sensitivity.
Microdiffusion Technique: In this method, cyanide is converted to hydrogen cyanide in a sealed container and then absorbed into a trapping solution for quantification.
Confirmatory Tests:
Cyanide-Specific Enzyme Assay: Enzyme-based assays can provide highly specific detection of cyanide.
Spectrophotometric Analysis: Measures the absorbance of the coloured complex formed in colourimetric tests to determine cyanide concentration.
Steps in Forensic Testing:
Preliminary Screening: Utilize quick colourimetric tests to identify the potential presence of cyanide.
Quantitative Analysis: Employ more precise methods like GC-MS or HPLC to determine the exact concentration of cyanide.
Confirmatory Testing: Repeat tests or utilize different methods to confirm the presence and concentration of cyanide for accuracy and reliability.
Anyways, lovely people, that is all for today! If you somehow made it to the end of this lengthy blog give yourself a pat on the back. Also, none of the Chemical Paint is a real case, it is a theoretical one.
This marks the end of the toxicology series if you have any more things or crime cases you'd like me and CAI to cover please let us know!
This is Aiza Jamil signing out!
I am a forensics sleuth, what's your mystery to solve?
Do you think John Hayle's death was a murder or su!c!de?
Murder
Su!c!de