Luminol in the forensic science
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20873/jbb.uft.cemaf.v3n4.rogiskisilvaKeywords:
luminol, chimiluminescence, crime scene, occult blood, criminalistics, blood stainAbstract
In a crime scene, the collection of evidence and a subsequent laboratory analysis compose the fundamental steps to allow the expert to reveal the truth for the final verdict in a jury and to bring back the comfort to the victim’s family. Bloodstains are usually found and sent to laboratories as a vestige to unravel the origin of the material. However, some scenes are modified in order to conceal the real culprit for the criminal act. For these cases, the luminol reagent can be useful. This test is very often used to visualize occult blood. Luminol is considered the most sensitive test once it can identify the blood presence in scale of nanograms. When this reagent comes into contact with blood,the light emission occurs through a phenomenon known as chemiluminescence. This luminescence can be produced by other interfering compounds, leading to a misinterpretation for the presence of blood. Despite this shortcoming, the present review article highlights the indispensability of the reagent luminol on a crime scene.
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