An Investigation into the Use of a Portable Cyanoacrylate Fuming System (SUPERfume®) and Aluminum Powder for the Development of Latent Fingermarks*

Few techniques offer ‘‘in situ’’ methods of friction ridge skin mark development. ‘‘In situ’’ development reduces mark transportation,degradation, and often cost. The effectiveness of cyanoacrylate fuming using the SUPERfume and dusting with aluminum powder for latent fingermark development on several nonporous surfaces, stored in various temperature environments for time periods up to 52 weeks, was investigated. Five thousand and four hundred latent fingermarks were deposited under controlled conditions and graded. The results suggested that cyanoacrylate fuming (SUPERfume, Foster and Freeman, U.K.) was more effective at developing latent fingermarks on textured and smooth plastic surfaces and for marks stored in temperatures of 37 C, whereas aluminum powder was more effective on glass, enameled metal paint, and varnished
wood, and for storage temperatures below 20 C. There were no significant benefits to using either technique for marks older than 24 h, but it was possible to develop fingermarks following 52 weeks of storage using both techniques.