HUMAN HAIR IDENTIFICATION BY INSTRUMENTAL NEUTRON-ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

Nondestructive neutron activation technique was used to analyze 17 ele ments (Al, As, Au. Ba, Br, Cl, Cu, Hg, I, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Sb, Sr, V and Zn) in 75 human hair samples in 5 different locations, respectively, from 15 glassware workers. The analytical results were treated further statistically to find the elemental distribution among different huma n hairs and to identify the individual's hair. The identifying probabi lity of one's hair by the comparison of elemental concentrations is fo und to be 10(4)-10(6) times higher from the same person's than from an y other person's. The standard deviation of the elemental concentratio ns of samples taken from 5 different locations of one person is about 5 times smaller than the standard deviation for individual's hair. The se data support the possibility of using NAA of hair for human hair id entification.