To glove or not to glove? Investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches

The handling of cultural heritage objects has become a highly debated topic in the last decade. The work and outcomes described in this paper are aimed to provide objective data to assist in making appropriate decisions as to whether or not wearing gloves is appropriate in a given situation. The for...

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Main Authors: van der Pal, Karin J., Popelka-Filcoff, R.S., Smith, G.D., Van Bronswijk, Bill, Lewis, Simon
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86605
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author van der Pal, Karin J.
Popelka-Filcoff, R.S.
Smith, G.D.
Van Bronswijk, Bill
Lewis, Simon
author_facet van der Pal, Karin J.
Popelka-Filcoff, R.S.
Smith, G.D.
Van Bronswijk, Bill
Lewis, Simon
author_sort van der Pal, Karin J.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The handling of cultural heritage objects has become a highly debated topic in the last decade. The work and outcomes described in this paper are aimed to provide objective data to assist in making appropriate decisions as to whether or not wearing gloves is appropriate in a given situation. The forensic fingermark development techniques of 1,2-indandione and single metal deposition II were used to investigate the efficacy of handwashing and glove use to improve the information available when deciding whether to use gloves when handling paper objects. It was found that fingermarks did not permeate through polymer glove types but could through cotton gloves. It was also shown that the amounts of observable fingermark residues were greater 5 min after handwashing than if handwashing had not occurred, undermining previous arguments for not wearing gloves if hands could be washed before object handling.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-866052021-12-03T06:33:59Z To glove or not to glove? Investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches van der Pal, Karin J. Popelka-Filcoff, R.S. Smith, G.D. Van Bronswijk, Bill Lewis, Simon Conservation Cultural heritage Fingermarks Gloves Handling Handwashing The handling of cultural heritage objects has become a highly debated topic in the last decade. The work and outcomes described in this paper are aimed to provide objective data to assist in making appropriate decisions as to whether or not wearing gloves is appropriate in a given situation. The forensic fingermark development techniques of 1,2-indandione and single metal deposition II were used to investigate the efficacy of handwashing and glove use to improve the information available when deciding whether to use gloves when handling paper objects. It was found that fingermarks did not permeate through polymer glove types but could through cotton gloves. It was also shown that the amounts of observable fingermark residues were greater 5 min after handwashing than if handwashing had not occurred, undermining previous arguments for not wearing gloves if hands could be washed before object handling. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86605 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2021.100160 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ fulltext
spellingShingle Conservation
Cultural heritage
Fingermarks
Gloves
Handling
Handwashing
van der Pal, Karin J.
Popelka-Filcoff, R.S.
Smith, G.D.
Van Bronswijk, Bill
Lewis, Simon
To glove or not to glove? Investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches
title To glove or not to glove? Investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches
title_full To glove or not to glove? Investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches
title_fullStr To glove or not to glove? Investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches
title_full_unstemmed To glove or not to glove? Investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches
title_short To glove or not to glove? Investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches
title_sort to glove or not to glove? investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches
topic Conservation
Cultural heritage
Fingermarks
Gloves
Handling
Handwashing
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/86605