Development of Latent Fingerprints on Surfaces Immersed in Aquatic Environments using Cyanoacrylate Fuming and Basic Yellow 40.

Criminals often aim to avoid leaving any traces at the crime scene, which complicates the efforts of investigators as evidence may be submerged in aquatic environments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of cyanoacrylate fuming and Basic Yellow 40 on nonporous surfaces that were submerged for varying time intervals in different aquatic environments. The study aims to provide insight into the usefulness of common friction ridge development techniques on evidence recovered from aquatic environments. Latent fingerprints were deposited on glass, aluminum, and plastic surfaces, and submerged in fresh water or seawater for a period of 1, 3, 7, or 14 days. In this study, identifiable latent fingerprints were recovered after 14 days of submersion in either water sample and on all three surfaces. Notably, better outcomes were found in those samples submerged in seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]