Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to probe artificial dye degradation on hair buried in multiple soils for up to eight weeks
Abstract The discovery of clandestine burials poses unique challenges for forensic specialists, requiring diverse expertise to analyze remains in various states. Bones, teeth, and hair often endure the test of time, with hair particularly exposed to the external environment. While existing studies f...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57147-2 |
| _version_ | 1797247360610336768 |
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| author | Aidan P. Holman Mackenzi Peterson Emily Linhart Dmitry Kurouski |
| author_facet | Aidan P. Holman Mackenzi Peterson Emily Linhart Dmitry Kurouski |
| author_sort | Aidan P. Holman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The discovery of clandestine burials poses unique challenges for forensic specialists, requiring diverse expertise to analyze remains in various states. Bones, teeth, and hair often endure the test of time, with hair particularly exposed to the external environment. While existing studies focus on the degradation of virgin hair influenced by soil pH and decomposition fluids, the interaction between artificial dyes on hair and soil remains underexplored. This paper introduces a novel approach to forensic hair analysis that is based on high-throughput, nondestructive, and non-invasive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and machine learning. Using this approach, we investigated the reliability of the detection and identification of artificial dyes on hair buried in three distinct soil types for up to eight weeks. Our results demonstrated that SERS enabled the correct prediction of 97.9% of spectra for five out of the eight dyes used within the 8 weeks of exposure. We also investigated the extent to which SERS and machine learning can be used to predict the number of weeks since burial, as this information may provide valuable insights into post-mortem intervals. We found that SERS enabled highly accurate exposure intervals to soils for specific dyes. The study underscores the high achievability of SERS in extrapolating colorant information from dyed hairs buried in diverse soils, with the suggestion that further model refinement could enhance its reliability in forensic applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:57:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bdaf39c4c5c549cb919c3df99a75a1c8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:57:28Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-bdaf39c4c5c549cb919c3df99a75a1c82024-03-24T12:17:54ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-03-011411910.1038/s41598-024-57147-2Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to probe artificial dye degradation on hair buried in multiple soils for up to eight weeksAidan P. Holman0Mackenzi Peterson1Emily Linhart2Dmitry Kurouski3Department of Entomology, Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Entomology, Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M UniversityAbstract The discovery of clandestine burials poses unique challenges for forensic specialists, requiring diverse expertise to analyze remains in various states. Bones, teeth, and hair often endure the test of time, with hair particularly exposed to the external environment. While existing studies focus on the degradation of virgin hair influenced by soil pH and decomposition fluids, the interaction between artificial dyes on hair and soil remains underexplored. This paper introduces a novel approach to forensic hair analysis that is based on high-throughput, nondestructive, and non-invasive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and machine learning. Using this approach, we investigated the reliability of the detection and identification of artificial dyes on hair buried in three distinct soil types for up to eight weeks. Our results demonstrated that SERS enabled the correct prediction of 97.9% of spectra for five out of the eight dyes used within the 8 weeks of exposure. We also investigated the extent to which SERS and machine learning can be used to predict the number of weeks since burial, as this information may provide valuable insights into post-mortem intervals. We found that SERS enabled highly accurate exposure intervals to soils for specific dyes. The study underscores the high achievability of SERS in extrapolating colorant information from dyed hairs buried in diverse soils, with the suggestion that further model refinement could enhance its reliability in forensic applications.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57147-2Raman spectroscopySERSHairHair dyesSoils |
| spellingShingle | Aidan P. Holman Mackenzi Peterson Emily Linhart Dmitry Kurouski Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to probe artificial dye degradation on hair buried in multiple soils for up to eight weeks Scientific Reports Raman spectroscopy SERS Hair Hair dyes Soils |
| title | Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to probe artificial dye degradation on hair buried in multiple soils for up to eight weeks |
| title_full | Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to probe artificial dye degradation on hair buried in multiple soils for up to eight weeks |
| title_fullStr | Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to probe artificial dye degradation on hair buried in multiple soils for up to eight weeks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to probe artificial dye degradation on hair buried in multiple soils for up to eight weeks |
| title_short | Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to probe artificial dye degradation on hair buried in multiple soils for up to eight weeks |
| title_sort | using surface enhanced raman spectroscopy to probe artificial dye degradation on hair buried in multiple soils for up to eight weeks |
| topic | Raman spectroscopy SERS Hair Hair dyes Soils |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57147-2 |
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