Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40973859›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of legal medicine2026

Detection of gunshot residues using infrared photography: influence of ammunition type, surface color and blood contamination.

Joel Bottoni, Holger Wittig, Thomas Rost, Alexander Schocker, Philipp Wild, Urs Nachbur, Dominique Neuhaus, Lennart Bedarf, Kathrin Gerlach, Eva Scheurer and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of legal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Joel BottoniInstitute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-3786-2404
Holger WittigInstitute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3454-0721
Thomas RostInstitute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland.
Alexander SchockerPolizei Basel-Landschaft, Forensic Sciences, Rheinstrasse 25, Liestal, CH-4410, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1938-9311
Philipp WildPolizei Basel-Landschaft, Forensic Sciences, Rheinstrasse 25, Liestal, CH-4410, Switzerland.
Urs NachburPolizei Basel-Landschaft, Forensic Sciences, Rheinstrasse 25, Liestal, CH-4410, Switzerland.
Dominique NeuhausInstitute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1763-0661
Lennart BedarfInstitute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-8717-2458
Kathrin GerlachInstitute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9007-434X
Eva ScheurerInstitute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2742-0422
Claudia LenzInstitute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland. claudia.lenz@unibas.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5456-618X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Detecting gunshot residues (GSR) plays a crucial role in forensic science and forensic medicine by providing important insights into the shooting distance, the shooter, as well as the type of weapon and ammunition used. Detection of GSR on dark surfaces is often impossible on site, and traditional methods such as tape-lift techniques with adhesive films or scanning electron microscope tabs might destroy the GSR pattern at the crime scene during their application. Infrared (IR) photography has proven particularly effective in detecting GSR on dark surfaces, enabling the preservation of the GSR pattern before applying destructive methods. This study aimed to examine how the type of ammunition and the presence of bloodstains affect GSR detection and differentiation using IR photography. 15 types of leaded and 5 types of lead-free 9 mm Luger ammunition were fired onto white cotton fabric and dark-blue denim fabric using the same firearm model, with an additional 14 samples being stained with blood. Resulting GSR patterns varied depending on the ammunition type and fewer GSR particles were visible on denim fabric, even in IR photography, compared to white cotton fabric, but still achieving reliable results comparable to the standard tape-lift method. In addition to the known ability of IR photography to detect GSR from leaded ammunition on clean surfaces, our findings demonstrate for the first time that GSR from lead-free ammunition, as well as GSR on blood-contaminated surfaces can be reliably visualized. In conclusion, IR photography provides a robust, easy-to-use and non-destructive tool for GSR detection, with the distinct benefit of allowing immediate on-site visualization of GSR patterns prior to any laboratory processing. With the use of the custom-made Python script (openly accessible on Github), a quantitative evaluation of GSR comparable to the tape-lift method is a further enhancement in this aspect.

Indexed as

Blood StainsFirearmsForensic BallisticsInfrared RaysPhotographyColorHumansLeadWounds, GunshotLeadBlood contaminationGunshot residuesInfrared photographyLeaded ammunitionLead-free ammunition

Identifiers

PMID40973859
PMCPMC12808259

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.