Lead-free gun crime

A gun - Lead-free gunshots challenge the forensic chemist

Source: David Bradley

US forensic chemists develop a fast and cheap method for identifying gunshot residues

Environmental and health concerns surrounding the use of lead mean that now most gun ammunition is made lead free. Because of this development, police forensic scientists cannot rely solely on standard tests for lead in gun crime scene investigations. Now, US chemists Jorn Chi Chung Yu, Garrett Lee Burleson, and colleagues in the department of forensic science at Sam Houston State University in Texas have devised an approach to sampling and analysing gunshot residues that circumvents the problem of a lack of lead and could complement conventional forensic techniques.

Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor. 

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more:

  • unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
  • teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
  • applications for funding to support your lessons

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.