Forensic Chemistry Lecture

Week 11
HAIRS and FIBERS
MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF HUMAN HAIR
Before performing the examination take note of any
foreign material on the hair and should be identified if
present in sufficient quantity. Hair should be cleaned
with a mixture of equal parts of alcohol and ether.
1. Color – a. with naked eye b. under the
microscope
Melanin – the brownish-black pigment in the hair,
skin, etc. It is the chemical responsible for the colour of
the hair. Black and brown hair differs only on the
amount of melanin. Red hair is thought to be due to
iron.
2. Length by actual measurement
3. Character of the hair – whether stiff, wiry or
soft
4. Width breath
5. Character of the hair tip if present – Tip of the
hair may show whether a hair has been cut.
Tips of body hairs become rounded from
rubbing against the cloths. Hair of human
usually shows a fine tip. Men’s hair tip is apt to
be cut off square.
6. Manner by which hair had been cut
7. Condition of root or base or bulb of hair.
8. Character of Cuticle
DNA examination will give a reliable finding as to the
origin of the hair.
Body Area Determination of Hair
The body area from which a hair originated can be
determined by general morphology. Length, shape,
size, colour, stiffness, curliness, and microscopic
appearance all contribute to the determination of
body area. Pigmentation and medullar appearance
also influence body are
identification. Hairs which exhibit microscopic
characteristics shared by different anatomical
areas are often referred to as body hairs.
These include hairs found on the upper legs,
lower abdomen and back. There is also a wide
range of interpersonal variation in head and
pubic hairs, thus the majority of work in
forensics has been in comparing and
differentiating hairs from head and pubic
regions.
Head Hairs
Head hairs are usually the longest hairs on the
human body. They characterized as having a
uniform diameter and often, a cut tip. These hairs
are subject to more alteration than hairs from
other body areas. Alteration to natural appearance
of hair includes use of hair dyes, rinses,
permanents, frosts and other chemical
applications. Environmental alterations can result
from excessive exposure to sunlight, wind dryness,
and other conditions. Because these hairs can be
affected by a number of chemical
 and environmental conditions, it is recommended that
head hair samples be obtained as soon as possible from
suspect and victims of crime. Head hair samples
obtained years after a crime are generally not suitable
for meaningful comparison purposes. Obtained at least
25- 100 full length hair strands with from different areas
of the scalp with the use of your finger and or tweezers.
Pubic Hairs
Pubic hairs are also routinely compared in a forensic
laboratory. Pubic hairs are not subject to much change
as head hairs over time, and because of this, a sample
taken a year after a
 crime may still be suitable for meaningful
comparison purposes. It recommended that a
known pubic hair sample be obtained as soon as
possible after a crime and should contain at least
25 full-length hairs taken from different areas of
the pubic region.
Pubic hairs are generally coarse and wiry
appearance. They exhibit considerable diameter
variation or buckling and often have a continuous
to discontinuous medulla. While tapered tips are
common, these hairs may also abrade or cut.
Facial Hairs
Facial hairs are more commonly called beard hairs or
mustache hairs. These hairs are coarse in appearance in
appearance and can have a triangular cross section.
Heavy shouldering or troughs in the hair are observed
under magnification. It has a wide medulla and a razor-
cut tip.
The presence of facial hairs on the clothing of a suspect or
victim may help establish contact between these
individuals. While these hairs may compared
microscopically, the significance of the association may
not be as great as head hair and pubic hair associations.
LIMB HAIRS
Hairs from the legs and arms constitute limb hairs. These
hairs are shorter in length, arc-like in shape, and often
abraded or tapered at the tips. The pigment in limb hair
is generally granular in appearance, and the medulla is
trace to discontinuous.
While limb hairs are not routinely compared in a forensic
laboratory, they can differ in appearance between
individuals. These differences, however, are not
considered sufficient to allow limb hairs to be of value
for meaningful comparison purposes. The presence of
leg or arm hairs on certain items of evidence may help to
corroborate other investigative information.
FRINGE HAIRS
These hairs originated from the neck, sideburns,
abdomen, upper leg and back. They are not
suitable for significant comparison purposes
OTHER BODY AREA HAIRS
Auxiliary, chest, eye and nose hairs are not
routinely compared. As with limb and fringe
hairs, their presence may limb to corroborate
information obtained during an investigation.
 
Sex can be determined from forcibly removed hair (with tissue), but
this is not routinely done. Definitive determination of sex can be
accomplished through the staining of sex chromatin in the cells
found in the follicular tissue, but nuclear DNA and mitochondrial
DNA tests will provide more specific information regarding the
possible origin of the hair.
The presence of artificial treatment such as dyes or rinses can be
identified through microscopical examination. In as much as head
hairs grow at the rate of one centimeter per month, the
approximate time of this treatment can be determined by
measuring the length of untreated area of the hair. A direct, side-
by-side comparison of the color of the questioned and known
artificially treated hairs is typically conducted by a hair examiner.
 
As stated previously, the condition of the root area of a
hair allows the hair examiner to microscopically
determine whether the hair was forcibly removed from
the body or shed naturally. Hairs that fall out naturally
have a club-shaped root, whereas a forcibly removed
hair will be stretched and may have tissue attached to it.
The manner in which a hair was removed can have
considerable value, especially when there is a possibility
of violent contact between a suspect and a victim. The
identification of burned, cut, or crushed hairs can also
be established through microscopic examination.
 
Biological or Environmental Alteration
The microscopic appearance of hairs is affected by
natural biological fluctuations and environmental
influences. For this reason, it is important that
known hair standards are collected
contemporaneously to the deposition of questioned
hairs. Head hairs are most affected by these factors,
whereas pubic hairs are less influenced. A time
period of several months to years can detract from
a meaningful head hair comparison, whereas
several years may not severely impact on
meaningful pubic hair comparisons.
The approximate age of an individual through hair
examination
The approximate age of an individual cannot be determined
from hair examination with the degree of certainty except in
infant hairs. Infant hairs are fine, short in length, have a fine
pigment and are rudimentary in character.
Children’s hair through adolescence is generally finer and more
immature than adult but cannot be definitely differentiated
with certainty
If it is noted that the pigment is missing or starting to disappear
in the hair, it can be stated that the hair is from adult. It is
common for a relatively young person to have premature gray
or white head hair but not body hairs. The root end of hair
from an aged person may show a distinctive degeneration.
Fibers
Placing a suspect at the scene of a crime is an
important element in criminal investigation.
This can be achieved through the location of
textile fibers similar to those from the
victim’s clothing of the crime scene on the
clothing of the suspect, or through the
discovery of fibers like those in the suspect’s
clothing at the crime scene.
Textile fibers can be exchanged between two
individuals, between an individual and an object,
and between two objects. When fibers are match
with a specific source (fabric from the victim,
suspect, and/or scene), a value is placed on that
association. This value is dependent on many
factors, including the type of fiber found, the color
or variation of color in the fiber, the number of
fibers found, the location of fibers at the crime
scene or on the victim, and the number of different
fibers at the crime scene or on the victim that
match the clothing of the suspect.
Whether a fiber is transferred and detected is dependent
on the nature and duration of contact between the
suspect and the victim or crime scene, the persistence of
fibers after the transfer, and the type of fabric involved in
contact.
A fiber or filament is the smallest single unit forming the
basis of the textile yarn. A yarn is composed of numerous
fibers which are spun, twisted, or drawn together to
prepare the unit for weaving or knitting. A yarn is
sometimes called a thread by the layman. The type and
length of fiber used, the type of spinning method, and
the type of fabric construction all affect the transfer of
fibers and the significance of fiber associations.
This becomes very important when there is a possibility of
fiber transfer between a suspect and a victim during the
commission of a crime.
CLASSES OF FIBERS:
Natural Fibers:
a. Animal - fibers derived from animals such as wool (sheep),
silk, cashmere (camel’s hair), mohair, alapaca and fur.
b. Vegetable - this includes cotton, linen, jute, flax, hemp,
ramie, coir and sisal. Plant fibers serve in the manufacture
of paper and cloth. Example – cotton fiber
c. Mineral – minerals provide fibers such as fiberglass, and
asbestos. Example – wool fibers Ex. Wool fibers
Many different natural fibers originating from plants and
animals are used in the production of fabric. Cotton
fibers are the plant fibers most commonly used in textile
materials, with the type of cotton, fiber length, and
degree of twist contributing to the diversity of these
fibers. Processing techniques and color applications also
influence the value of cotton on fiber identifications.
The animal fiber most frequently used in the production of
textile materials is wool, and the most common wool
fibers originate from sheep. The end use of sheep's wool
often dictates the fineness or coarseness of woolen
fibers: Finer woolen fibers are used in the
production of clothing, whereas courser fibers are
 in carpet. Fiber diameter and degree of scale protrusion of
the fibers are other important characteristics. Although
sheep's wool is most common, woolen fibers from other
animals may also be found. These include camel, alpaca,
cashmere, mohair, and others. The identification of less
common animal fibers at a crime scene or on the clothing of
a suspect or victim would have increased significance.
The shape of a man-made fiber can determine the value
placed on that fiber. The cross section of a man-made fiber
can be manufacturer-specific: Some cross sections are more
common than others, and some shapes may only be
produced for a short period of time. Unusual cross sections
encountered through examination can add increased
significance to a fiber association. 
Fiber Color
Color influences the value given to a particular
fiber identification. Often several dyes are
used to give a fiber a desired color. Individual
fibers can be colored prior to being spun into
yarns. How color is applied and absorbed
along the length of the fiber are important
comparison characteristics. Color-fading and
discoloration can also lend increased value to
a fiber association.
Fiber Number
The number of fibers on the clothing of a victim
identified as matching the clothing of a suspect is
important in determining actual contact. The greater
the number of fibers, the more likely contact actually
occurred between these individuals.
Fiber Location
Where fibers are found also affects the value placed on
a particular fiber association. The location of fibers on
different areas of the body or on specific items at the
crime scene influences the significance of the fiber
association.
Fabrics 
How a fabric is constructed affects the number and types of
fibers that may be transferred during contact. Tightly woven
or knitted fabrics shed less often than loosely knit or woven
fabrics; fabrics composed of filament yarns shed less than
fabrics composed of spun yarns. Certain types of fibers also
tend to transfer more readily.
The age of a fabric also affects the degree of fiber transfers.
Some newer fabrics may shed more readily because of an
abundance of loosely adhering fibers on the surface of the
fabric. Some worn fabrics may have damaged areas that
easily shed fibers. Damage to a fabric caused during physical
contact greatly increases the likelihood of fiber transfer.
Fabric Source Determination
When a questioned fiber is compared to fibers from a known
fabric source, a determination is made as to whether this
fiber could have originated from the known fabric. It is not
possible to say positively that a fiber originated from a
particular fabric, although the inability to positively
associate a fiber with a source in no way diminishes the
significance of a fiber association. The wide variety of fiber
types, fiber colors, and fabric numbers can make fiber
associations very significant because the value of a fiber
association depends on the type of fiber, the color of the
fiber, the number of fibers transferred, the location of the
recovered fibers, and other factors.