Forensic examination of plastic drinking straws based on their physical characteristics and manufacturing marks
This work highlights the evidential value of examining plastic drinking straws to establish linkages between multiple sources for forensic intelligence, investigative or prosecution purposes. Plastic drinking straws are commonly encountered in drug cases, either as inhalational paraphernalia or as p...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2020-01-01
|
| Series: | Forensic Sciences Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20961790.2019.1595353 |
| _version_ | 1797762757996576768 |
|---|---|
| author | Alaric C.W. Koh Suat Ping Oh Shing Min Lim Sok Yee Yew Jean Chen Vicky Y.S. Chow |
| author_facet | Alaric C.W. Koh Suat Ping Oh Shing Min Lim Sok Yee Yew Jean Chen Vicky Y.S. Chow |
| author_sort | Alaric C.W. Koh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work highlights the evidential value of examining plastic drinking straws to establish linkages between multiple sources for forensic intelligence, investigative or prosecution purposes. Plastic drinking straws are commonly encountered in drug cases, either as inhalational paraphernalia or as packaging material. However, to the best of our knowledge, systematic studies on the evidential value of straws have not previously been carried out. In this study, over 80 packets of clear and colourless straws—most of which were visually similar—were purchased from various commercial outlets in Singapore. Some physical characteristics (viz., polarizing patterns, thickness, circumference and mass per unit length) and the manufacturing marks of these straws were examined to assess their potentials for discriminating straws from different packets. Comparison of polarizing patterns yielded a discrimination of approximately 69%, while thickness, circumference, and mass per unit length measurements resulted in lower discriminations. Comparison microscopy of manufacturing marks was found to be the most discriminating among all techniques employed herein, with a discrimination of about 95%, even among straws with similar polarizing patterns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T19:32:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eaf43744e66d417b99479a5a98f90967 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2096-1790 2471-1411 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T19:32:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forensic Sciences Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-eaf43744e66d417b99479a5a98f909672023-08-02T04:27:17ZengOxford University PressForensic Sciences Research2096-17902471-14112020-01-0151647310.1080/20961790.2019.15953531595353Forensic examination of plastic drinking straws based on their physical characteristics and manufacturing marksAlaric C.W. Koh0Suat Ping Oh1Shing Min Lim2Sok Yee Yew3Jean Chen4Vicky Y.S. Chow5Health Sciences AuthorityHealth Sciences AuthorityHealth Sciences AuthorityHealth Sciences AuthorityHealth Sciences AuthorityHealth Sciences AuthorityThis work highlights the evidential value of examining plastic drinking straws to establish linkages between multiple sources for forensic intelligence, investigative or prosecution purposes. Plastic drinking straws are commonly encountered in drug cases, either as inhalational paraphernalia or as packaging material. However, to the best of our knowledge, systematic studies on the evidential value of straws have not previously been carried out. In this study, over 80 packets of clear and colourless straws—most of which were visually similar—were purchased from various commercial outlets in Singapore. Some physical characteristics (viz., polarizing patterns, thickness, circumference and mass per unit length) and the manufacturing marks of these straws were examined to assess their potentials for discriminating straws from different packets. Comparison of polarizing patterns yielded a discrimination of approximately 69%, while thickness, circumference, and mass per unit length measurements resulted in lower discriminations. Comparison microscopy of manufacturing marks was found to be the most discriminating among all techniques employed herein, with a discrimination of about 95%, even among straws with similar polarizing patterns.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20961790.2019.1595353forensic sciencesdrug packagingplasticsmanufacturing markstool marksstraw discrimination |
| spellingShingle | Alaric C.W. Koh Suat Ping Oh Shing Min Lim Sok Yee Yew Jean Chen Vicky Y.S. Chow Forensic examination of plastic drinking straws based on their physical characteristics and manufacturing marks Forensic Sciences Research forensic sciences drug packaging plastics manufacturing marks tool marks straw discrimination |
| title | Forensic examination of plastic drinking straws based on their physical characteristics and manufacturing marks |
| title_full | Forensic examination of plastic drinking straws based on their physical characteristics and manufacturing marks |
| title_fullStr | Forensic examination of plastic drinking straws based on their physical characteristics and manufacturing marks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Forensic examination of plastic drinking straws based on their physical characteristics and manufacturing marks |
| title_short | Forensic examination of plastic drinking straws based on their physical characteristics and manufacturing marks |
| title_sort | forensic examination of plastic drinking straws based on their physical characteristics and manufacturing marks |
| topic | forensic sciences drug packaging plastics manufacturing marks tool marks straw discrimination |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20961790.2019.1595353 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alariccwkoh forensicexaminationofplasticdrinkingstrawsbasedontheirphysicalcharacteristicsandmanufacturingmarks AT suatpingoh forensicexaminationofplasticdrinkingstrawsbasedontheirphysicalcharacteristicsandmanufacturingmarks AT shingminlim forensicexaminationofplasticdrinkingstrawsbasedontheirphysicalcharacteristicsandmanufacturingmarks AT sokyeeyew forensicexaminationofplasticdrinkingstrawsbasedontheirphysicalcharacteristicsandmanufacturingmarks AT jeanchen forensicexaminationofplasticdrinkingstrawsbasedontheirphysicalcharacteristicsandmanufacturingmarks AT vickyyschow forensicexaminationofplasticdrinkingstrawsbasedontheirphysicalcharacteristicsandmanufacturingmarks |