Citation

Romão W, Vaz BG, Lalli PM, Bueno MI, Correa DN, Telles VL, de Castro EV, Eberlin MN. J. Forensic Sci. 2012; 57(2): 539-543.

Affiliation

Thomson Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry, 13084-971 Campinas, SP, Brazil. X-Ray Spectroscopy Group, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas, 13084-971, Campinas, SP, Brazil. Technical-Scientific Police Superintendency, Criminalistic Institute Dr. Octávio Eduardo de Brito Alvarenga, 05507-060, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Espírito Santo, 29060-900 Vitória, ES, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.02005.x

PMID

22150109

Abstract

  Using desorption/ionization techniques such as easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS), it is possible to analyze documents of Brazilian vehicles for authenticity, providing a chemical profile directly from the surface of each document. A method for the detection of counterfeit documents is described, and the falsification procedure is elucidated. Forty authentic and counterfeit documents were analyzed by both positive and negative ion modes, EASI(±)-MS. EASI(+)-MS results identified the presence of (bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate plasticizer and of dihexadecyldimethylammonium biocide in both types of documents. For EASI(-)-MS results, the 4-octyloxybenzoic acid additive ([M + H](+) : m/z 249) is present only in counterfeit documents. It was also found that counterfeit vehicle documents are produced via Laserjet printers. Desorption/ionization techniques, such as EASI-MS, offer therefore, an intelligent way to characterize the counterfeiting method.

Language: en