Morphology and Multi-elemental Analysis Leading to Detection of Gunshot Wounds

Present authors report the morphology and elemental analysis of gunshot wounds. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to study the morphology of the samples and compared with the control. The scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of gunshot entry wounds show coagulation of skin tissues. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDX) has been used to carry out multi-elemental analysis of gunshot residues. Using EDX, lead, barium and some other metallic elements were detected in skin samples from a gunshot entry wound. Lead and barium were not identified in control samples from non-injured cases. These findings indicate that EDX is a useful method for rapid non-destructive elemental analysis of gunshot residues. This technique can provide scientific evidence for identification of a firearm wounds even after storing the sample for a long time in formalin.