Electrochemical Detection of Gunshot Residue for Forensic Analysis: A Review

Current demands for detection of Gunshot Residue (GSR) require a reliable and rapid decentralized detection system with high sensitivity and specificity. This article reviews the use of electrochemical devices for GSR detection over the last 35years and highlights recent advances associated with the demands of GSR field detection such as portability, speed, cost and power. Anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) has been widely implemented for the detection of the metallic components of GSR at a variety of working electrodes. Efforts toward the detection of the organic components of GSR have also been reported using cyclic- and square-wave voltammetry. The simultaneous detection of both organic and inorganic GSR constituents has recently been examined to increase the overall information content in a single voltammetric scan. As well as this, exploitation of screen-printing fabrication allows replacement of conventional electrochemical cells with easy-to-use sensor strips Sampling methods for electrochemical GSR analysis are also advancing from acid washes or swabs to simpler abrasive methods which integrate sampling and analysis obviating the need for intermediate processing steps. The latest direction of electrochemical detection of GSR involves chemometric treatment to evaluate data allowing for more objective conclusions and increasing the automation of the system. These advances indicate great promise for investigating firearm-related crimes, and bring significant changes to the detection of GSR making electroanalysis a powerful tool for decentralized forensic analysis.