LUMINOL & BLUESTAR
By:
Ayesha Khawar, Catherine Lopez,
Rebecca Murphy, and Sadie Azizi
HISTORY
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Luminol is a liquid solution that is sprayed to
reveal traces of blood at crime scenes.
Several chemicals in luminol react with the
hemoglobin found on the crime scene, resulting
in a light-producing chemical reaction.
Luminol was first synthesized in 1853, but it
wasn't really useful for chemists back then.
Then, in 1928, German chemist H. O. Albrecht
found out that adding hydrogen peroxide to
luminol produces a bluish-green glow.
Specht conducted the first few experiments
HISTORY
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In 1951, Grodsky combined powders made
up of luminol, sodium carbonate, and sodium
perborate, which was mixed with distilled
water.
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The problem with this formula was that the sodium
carbonate produced a slow reaction in hemoglobin's
oxidation process, which lead to a brief duration.
Then a new formula was created in 1966 by
Weber. He used luminol, sodium hydroxide
or potassium hydroxide, and hydrogen
peroxide diluted in distilled water.
o This solution had a short lifespan. It would only show
the luminous reaction when there is complete
HISTORY CONTINUED
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BlueStar is a new reagent that detects blood.
Even though it's based on luminol, it works
more effectively than luminol.
Jean-Marc Lefebvre-Despeaux appointed
Loic Blum to find a new luminol-based
formula that didn't have the problems from
previous formulas.
The advantages of BlueStar: glows brighter
than luminol, lasts longer than luminol, and
the room doesn't have to be completely dark
HOW LUMINOL WORKS
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HEMOGLOBIN is the oxygen carrying protein in BLOOD
There is a LIGHT producing CHEMICAL reaction
between the chemicals found in luminol and the
hemoglobin in the blood
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Because the reactants have MORE energy than the
products, the excess energy is given off in the form of
visible light protons
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This light can be seen in a room that is completely dark
HOW BLUESTAR WORKS
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A relatively new, LUMINOL based visualizing agent
Usually found in tablet form and made easy to dissolve
Easy to use at a crime scene
Once Bluestar has been sprayed, the reaction occurs
immediately (similar to the luminol reaction) and can be
seen WITHOUT complete darkness
LUMINOL AND BLUESTAR CONTINUED
o Neither luminol nor Bluestar interfere with any
DNA testing of the blood
o Both are able to detect bloodstains diluted as little
as 1 in 100,000
Luminol
Disadvantages
Advantages
is not the only substance that is
• It reacts with blood without • Blood
triggered by Luminol.
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being mixed with any other
oxidizing agent.
It wears off in 30 seconds,
preventing testing
substances from glowing for
a long time period.
ability to detect trace
amounts of blood many
years old, even if the surface
was cleaned.
any area sprayed can be
photographed for permanent
evidence.
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copper, bleach, urine, and animal
blood are also possibilities.
Prevents other tests from being
performed on the item it has been
sprayed on.
o DNA can still be extracted for further
tests.
Fluorescent must be observed in a dark
room, and observation window is really
short.
Has been identified as a possible
carcinogen.
o A substance capable of causing
cancer.
BlueStar
Advantages
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Does not alter DNA and
allows DNA and ABO typing.
Sensitivity allows the naked
eye to detect bloodstains as
diluted as 1:10,000.
Easier and safer to prepare.
o tablets, kits,etc.
No alternative light source
needed.
Room does not need to be
completely dark.
Glows longer than Luminol.
Disadvantages
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Lasts for a short period of time.
o about 45-60 seconds.
Small chance of testing positive
for certain metal ions.
The lighting must be right and
not too light.
Excluding DNA, it prevents
other tests
Luminol Vs Bluestar
Cases Involving Bluestar and
Luminol
Luminol reveals substances such as blood, which allows it
to be tested for DNA, the glowing that is produced by
Luminol's reaction with the substance can leave a trace
of where the blood came from and where it went.
A case where Bluestar was used was in the case of a
South African man who, out of a jealous rage, murdered
his wife's lover. They tried to clean up the mess but the
traces of blood could not hide from Bluestar, they found
the same blood at many places in the house and in the
vehicle of the murderer.
Cases Continued..
Another case involving the use of bluestar is
that of a man that was murdered in his
apartment, his friend was allegedly asleep on
the couch and did not witness anything but
only got to say goodbye to his friend as he
died, investigators arrived and used bluestar
on the friend and found blood traces all over
his arms.
Luminol Case
One case that was very important world wide
which used luminol to help solve it was that of
the murder of Meredith Kercher, she was
murdered in Perugia, Italy in 2007 by her
roommate and her roommates boyfriend
along with a friend of the roommate. The
luminol was used to detect bodily fluids and
footprints from the two males that sexually
assaulted her and from her roommate.
Sources
http://science.howstuffworks.com/luminol1.htm
http://www.bookrags.com/research/luminol-chmc/
http://www.bluestar-forensic.com/index.php
http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-Luminol-Works-89369.shtml
http://www.bluestar-forensic.com/pdf/en/JFI_56__bluestar_luminol_comparison.pdf
http://www.tech-faq.com/luminol.html
http://www.doctorcsi.com/blue-star-forensic/
http://www.bluestar-forensic.com/gb/bluestar-chemistry.php
http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php
http://www.bluestar-forensic.com/gb/bluestar-cases.php