P203 – Assessing the Micro- and Macroscopic Changes of Chemically Altered Human Bone and Teeth

10:49

Thursday August 20^th

Station 09

Duration: 12 minutes

03. Human identification

Shelby Feirstein

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) are household chemicals used to disfigure victims in forensic contexts due to their high availability and apparent effects, which change both the structural integrity and composition of skeletal elements. NaOH dissolves soft tissues and produces violent exothermic reactions but ostensibly fails to alter the structure and color of bone and teeth. HCl appears to be among the most destructive chemical agents utilized, causing rapid demineralization of hard tissues. Current works focus on total dissolution times, rather than on discrete changes and the potential for personal identification. This research aims to comprehensively assess the intervallic micro- and macroscopic changes occurring in chemically altered bone and teeth. Analyses were conducted to test how morphological shape, as well as surface area to volume ratios, may affect the degree of alteration and evaluate the possibility of DNA isolation and profiling.

DNA was extracted using a silica-based method (Qiagen DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit) and quantified through a human-specific qPCR methodology (Promega® PowerQuant® System) providing degradation and inhibitor ratios. In those samples rendering quantifiable DNA, 0.5 ng of DNA were used to carry out the STR profile (Promega® PowerPlex® Fusion 6C System).

The relationships between the aforementioned factors were not linear, and the results show a variable pattern of alteration and DNA yields depending on the treatment and duration of exposure. Teeth were found to be better sources for obtaining higher quality and yield of DNA compared to bones, and full STR profiles were obtained from all tooth samples. In bone, the quantity of DNA was low, leading to only one incomplete profile. Overall, this study highlights the difficulty of performing analyses on taphonomically altered remains and demonstrates the need for viable identification methods. Future research will seek to expand on these results by evaluating the protective value of soft tissue by assessing the diffusion-limited relationship between chemicals and soft tissue, the overall rate of differential decomposition in an acid environment, and the viability of successful molecular sampling in areas with greater or lesser tissue depths and joint shielding.

Authors

Shelby Feirstein (University of Montana, United States of America)
Maria Castagnola (New Jersey Institute of Technology, United States of America)
Dakota Bell (Mercyhurst University, United States of America)
Mayaas Hassan (New Jersey Institute of Technology, United States of America)
Alixs Pujols (New Jersey Institute of Technology, United States of America)
Luis Cabo (Mercyhurst University, United States of America)
Joe Adserias-Garriga (Mercyhurst University, United States of America)
Sara Zapico (New Jersey Institute of Technology, United States of America)

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P203 – Assessing the Micro- and Macroscopic Changes of Chemically Altered Human Bone and Teeth

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