Comparative Analysis of Coconut Husk and Coconut Shell Ash Powder for Latent Fingerprint Development

BACKGROUND: Conventional powder agents are compounds of chemicals that have a high potential for causing harm to the user and are also expensive for developing latent fingerprints from crime scenes. AIMS: The present study aimed to show the effectiveness of coconut ash-based powders as potential latent fingerprint development powders, determine the optimal particle size for effective visualisation, and assess the visibility of sweat pores after powder application. METHODS: The dried coconut shell and coconut husk were burnt, and its ash was ground into fine particles. The latent thumbprints of 269 participants were collected on the glass surface. The developed powders were applied to the deposited latent fingerprints. The developed prints were scored as per the 'Fingerprint Quality Assessment scale'. The powder-developed prints were then photographed using a mobile phone for documentation purposes. RESULTS: It was observed that coconut shell ash powder developed high-quality fingerprints, especially at 200 mesh size, with clear visualisation of sweat pores from the developed prints as compared to coconut husk. CONCLUSION: Thus, coconut shell ash powder proved to be the better powder for the development of clear latent fingerprint visualisation along with sweat pores at 200 mesh size from the glass surface.