Abstract

MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF EXTRACTED HUMAN TEETH IN THREE DIFFERENT ACIDS AS AN AID IN FORENSIC IDENTIFICATION

*Dr. Jagriti Gupta, Dr. KK Gupta, Dr. Arpita Kabiraj, Dr. Fahad M Samadi, Dr. Rishiraj S Karki, Dr. Shivam Yadav

Abstract

Background: The mode of crime has been changing now days, which is becoming unbelievingly cruel. The victims of acid crime usually pose identification problem when the body is completely mutilated. The present study was conducted to know how teeth can help in identification of a totally mutilated body. Aim and objectives: The aim of the study was to know the strength and type of acid most likely to be used in acid crime with the objective to observe the morphological changes on teeth and time taken by various acids to produce the same. Materials and method: Natural human teeth were taken and placed in 50 ml of 3 types of acids viz. hydrochloric acid (HCl), nitric acid (HNO3), sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and were observed periodically to notice the morphological changes occurring in the tooth. Results: The study revealed that the tooth could be completely dissolved in nitric acid in approximately 16 hours after immersion whereas hydrochloric acid takes 270 hours to completely dissolve the teeth specimen. Immersion of teeth in sulphuric acid showed precipitation of tooth within 232-240 hours after immersion. The mean time taken for HNO3 to dissolve the teeth specimen was 24.3000, in HCl was 189.3500 and it was found to be maximum in H2SO4 group i.e. 266.7500. Conclusion: It was concluded that all three acids produced observable morphological changes in the tooth, among which nitric acid was found to be the fastest and most dangerous.

Keywords: Acid crime, Forensic, Dissolution, Precipitation.