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Differentiation of Twenty-One Glitter Lip-Glosses by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy

NCJ Number
228505
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 54 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2009 Pages: 1022-1028
Author(s)
Megan Zellner, M.S.; Lawrence Quarino, Ph.D.
Date Published
September 2009
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings as well as descriptions of materials and methods for an attempt to differentiate 21 glitter lip-glosses of 7 manufacturers, using pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (Py-GC/MS).
Abstract
Of the 21 lip-glosses tested, 15 could be differentiated by examining either the total ion chromatograms or through ion profiling. Three sets of two lip-glosses were analytically indistinguishable from each other, but could be differentiated from all the other lip-glosses examined. Therefore, Py-GC/MS showed its potential to be a valid, reproducible method for differentiating types of glitter lip-glosses. This research is significant, because the lip-glosses analyzed are typical of those worn by young women, who are disproportionately victims of sexual assault. By means of the process described in this study, lip-gloss evidence can establish the presence of an alleged victim at a crime scene or link the victim to a suspect whose clothing may have traces of the victim's lip-gloss. A database of Py-GC/MS findings for lip-glosses could be produced in order to enable scientists to conclude, with a reasonable degree of scientific certainty, the type of lip-gloss associated with various evidence items. One practical limitation of this study is that all test samples came directly from the lip-gloss tube rather than from a substrate, which would provide a better simulation of lip-gloss evidence in an actual investigation. The descriptions of the materials and methods address the manufacturers of the lip-glosses, the instrumentation used, the instrument preparation, and the Py-GC/MS of the lip-glosses. 6 tables, 7 figures, and 11 references