Background
The background of the abduction event such as exact time, location, and other details were not provided to this analyst. The approximate time of the event was circa late 2003. After the abduction, areas of her body were noted to fluoresce when exposed to a UV lamp. Five samples (four skin scrapings from various areas and one set of fingernail clippings) were submitted for analysis of the material responsible for the fluorescence.
Conclusions
1.) Skin samples were on mending tape, which caused considerable interference with the analysis. One foreign material is present and is speculated to be an alkyl aryl sulfonate. This material would fluoresce. However, it is probably a contaminant. This material is commonly used in laundry detergent.
2.) The fingernail clippings could easily be plucked from the mending tape adhesive before analysis. Therefore, with less tape interference two foreign materials were detected. One is possibly alkanolamide, which is commonly used where detergent properties are required. The other is identified as cellulose nitrate. This material has many uses, such as ”fast –drying automobile lacquers, high explosives, collodion, rocket propellant, print ink base, flashless propellant powder, coating bookbinding cloth, leather finishing, manufacture of “Celluloid.” Both of these components could be contaminants.
3.) The identity of the material causing the fluorescence is not proven. This is not surprising, because it generally only takes a few ppm (part per million) of material for observance of fluorescence or to produce color in a sample. So without a concentration procedure the material is probably at such low concentration to render it undetectable by most tests.
4.) The information provided in this analysis will be compared to residues found after other abductions. This laboratory is already examining other samples from similar events. Perhaps more resolved spectral data will be generated and compare to some of the data suggested in this analysis. It is hoped a pattern will emerge which will provide more information on abductions; perhaps even purpose.
5.) It is suggested that, if possible, any future samples be submitted as scrapings on a glass slide, a razor blade, aluminum foil, or other small glass containers rather than mending tape. The tape severely contaminates the samples to the extent that it is probably at least 100-fold higher in concentration than that the actual fluorescing material. Other sampling techniques are being investigated to isolate/concentrate the fluorescing material for identification. Possibly even swabbings of the skin with various solvents may be employed.
The Analysis
This post was published on November 7, 2016