The assaying of haemoglobin using luminol chemiluminescence and its application to the dating of human skeletal remains

Abstract

The luminol chemiluminescence reaction has, for some time, been used as a tool for the detection of haemoglobin at crime scenes. More recently, the luminol test has been suggested as a possible tool for estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI) of skeletal remains. The preliminary results from the following study indicate that the chemiluminescent luminol test is a relatively easy and economical method for distinguishing between remains of medico-legal (< or =100 years) and historical (>100 years) interest. The femur was the preferred bone for PMI measurements using the luminol test, due to its robustness and relative resistance to diagenesis. Initial results suggest that bone that was historical in nature, produced a demonstrably weaker reaction than that of medico-legal interest. These results suggest that the luminol test is a promising technique, albeit with some limitations, for the assessment of skeletal material that may be potentially of medico-legal interest.