Hair left on the scene of a crime can be an important source of evidence for identifying the criminal, but there are still issues with personal identification by hair, such as the fact that mitochondrial DNA tests extracted from hair roots alone cannot completely identify individuals. Has been done.On the other hand, in modern times, the number of people who usually dye hair is increasing, and there are many cases where hair obtained at crime scenes is also dyed, so it would be useful if the hair coloring product used for dyeing could be identified. It may be investigative information.

　Associate Professor Kunimura's research group has long been researching high-sensitivity on-site analysis technology that performs high-sensitivity analysis "on the spot" using a portable analyzer.This time, by using a combination of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method and fluorescent X-ray analysis (XRF) method portable devices, hair dyed with various hair coloring products can be used individually. Attempted to obtain and identify information on coloring products.As a result, five types of commercially available hair coloring used for the sample by the analysis technology that combines the SERS method that can distinguish the difference in the components contained in the dye and the XRF method that can acquire the information of the metal element contained in the dye. It became clear that the product could be identified.

　This method is expected to be applied to forensic science as a technique that quickly obtains useful forensic information from the hair left at the crime scene on the spot and contributes to personal identification.

Paper information:[Analytical Sciences] Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering and X-ray Fluorescence Analyses of a Single Hair Colored with a Hair Dye Product