Ultraviolet 365 as an Alternative Light Source for Detection of Blood Serum

Abstract

The use of alternative light sources (ALS) in bloodstain analysis has focused on dried (whole) blood, while information on detection of blood serum is lacking. Serum detection by ALS could provide valuable information at a crime scene, as serum may become separated from blood during clotting and cast off, especially in cases where the victim is moved. Additionally, a perpetrator may concentrate on the removal/scouring of dried blood with small amounts of serum going unnoticed, as it dries relatively clear on certain objects. In this report, the detection of human blood serum was evaluated using ultraviolet (UV) light at two different wavelengths. These results show that ultraviolet (UV) at 365 nm (UV365) was effective in the detection of even small amounts of blood plasma and serum, compared with UV at 395 nm, which was not. UV365 was also found to be useful in distinguishing blood imprints from clotting blood which had been transferred to material versus blood that had been added directly. Taken together, these results demonstrate that UV365 may be utilized as a simple, nondestructive method for blood serum detection.