New forensic tool for the identification of elephant or mammoth ivory

A new method for the analysis and the identification of elephant and mammot h ivory is reported; this fast and non-macroscopically disruptive method, b ased on the thermogravimetric analysis, is useful in the characterization o f elephant ivory which is often illegally imported, with respect to mammoth ivory which can be used with no restrictions. By the characteristic therma l profile, the nature of the analyzed sample can be easily proved; moreover , no pretreatments are required by this simple but very sensitive technique . The results are compared with those obtained by the classic method, and t he thermogravimetric method is proposed as a routine technique in forensic investigations because of its low cost and the easy-to-read diagnostic answ er. The very low quantity of ivory needed (about 2-3 mg) allows the applica tion of this technique to manufactures without any damage or loss of the an alyzed sample. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.