Most gunshot residue, or GSR, testing is a simple positive or negative response to the presence of GSR. There are not many techniques that easily give qualitative and quantitative data of GSR limiting the information that can be used. We used ICP-OES in an attempt to quantify four elements in different brands of ammunition. Seven brands of ammunition were differentiated using ICP-OES to quantify and find ratios of iron, lead, barium, and zinc. The ammunition was all fired from the same gun and was thus of similar type. The data was collected from freshly fired ammunition, and prepared for measurement on ICP-OES by dissolving the residue in nitric acid. Ratios and ranges of Fe:Ba:Pb:Zn, with iron set to one were created for each of the seven different brands of ammunition. The seven brands were found to have statistically relevant differences (95% certainty) in the Fe:Br:Pb:Zn ratio.  Additional elements are currently being tested and a broader range of elements may be reported. In addition we would like to test gunshot residue left on the hand of a person shooting the gun to determine whether we can tell the type of ammunition used by the above ratios.  Ideally, this technique could be applied in a criminal forensic laboratory setting as an evidence processing method that could aid investigations.<br/>

Differentiation of ammunition by ICP-OES analysis of gunshot residue

254th National Meeting (2017)

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