Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-7qhmt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-19T09:32:14.846Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Improved Application of Bomb Carbon in Teeth for Forensic Investigation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

N Wang
Affiliation:
Key Lab of Isotope Geochronology and Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
C D Shen*
Affiliation:
Key Lab of Isotope Geochronology and Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China State Key Lab of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
P Ding
Affiliation:
Key Lab of Isotope Geochronology and Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
W X Yi
Affiliation:
Key Lab of Isotope Geochronology and Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
W D Sun
Affiliation:
Key Lab of Isotope Geochronology and Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
K X Liu
Affiliation:
State Key Lab of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
X F Ding
Affiliation:
State Key Lab of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
D P Fu
Affiliation:
State Key Lab of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
J Yuan
Affiliation:
Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
X Y Yang
Affiliation:
School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
L P Zhou
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Department of Geography, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
*
Corresponding author. Email: cdshen@gig.ac.cn
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

While radiocarbon is widely applied in dating ancient samples, recent studies reveal that 14C concentrations in modern samples can also yield precise ages due to the atmospheric testing of thermonuclear devices between 1950 and 1963. 14C concentrations in both enamel and organic matter of 13 teeth from 2 areas in China were examined to evaluate and improve this method of forensic investigation. Choosing enamel near the cervix of the tooth can reduce the error caused by the difference between the sample formation time and whole enamel formation time because tooth enamel formations take a long time to complete. A proper regional data set will be helpful to get an accurate result when calculating the age of the sample (T1) by the CALIBomb program. By subtracting the enamel formation time (t), the birth date of an individual (T2) can be confirmed by enamel F14C from 2 teeth formed at different ages. Calculated enamel formation dates by 14C concentration are basically consistent with corresponding actual values, with a mean error of 1.9 yr for all results and 0.2 yr for the samples formed after AD 1960. This method is more effective for dating samples completed after AD 1960. We also found that 14C concentrations in organic matter of tooth roots are much lower than atmospheric concentrations in root formation years, suggesting that the organic material keeps turning over even after tooth formation is complete. This might be a potential tool for identification of death age to extract a proper component for 14C dating. We also observed that δ13C values between hydroxyapatite and organic matter indicate that isotopic fractionation during the biomineralization is 8–9%‰ more positive in mineral fractions than in organic matter.

Type
Methods, Applications, and Developments
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

References

Broecker, WS, Schulert, A, Olson, EA. 1959. Bomb carbon-14 in human beings. Science 130(3371):331–2.Google Scholar
Cate, AR Ten. 1998. Oral Histology: Development, Structure, and Function. 5th edition. Toronto: Mosby-Year Book. 150 p.Google Scholar
Cook, GT, Dunbar, E, Black, SM, Xu, S. 2006. A preliminary assessment of age at death determination using the nuclear weapons testing 14C activity of dentine and enamel. Radiocarbon 48(3):305–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Vries, H. 1958. Atomic bomb effect: variation of radiocarbon in plants, shells, and snails in the past 4 years. Science 128(3318):250–1.Google Scholar
Harkness, DD, Walton, A. 1969. Carbon-14 in the biosphere and humans. Nature 223(5212):1216–8.Google Scholar
Helfman, PM, Bada, JL. 1976. Aspartic acid racemisation in dentine as a measure of ageing. Nature 262(5566):279–81.Google Scholar
Hillson, S. 1986. Teeth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 376 p.Google Scholar
Hua, Q, Barbetti, M. 2004. Review of tropospheric bomb 14C data for carbon cycle modeling and age calibration purposes. Radiocarbon 46(3):1273–98.Google Scholar
Levin, I, Kromer, B. 2004. The tropospheric 14CO2 level in mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (1959–2003). Radiocarbon 46(3):1261–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, KX, Ding, XF, Fu, DP, Pan, Y, Wu, XH, Guo, ZY, Zhou, LP. 2007. A new compact AMS system at Peking University. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 259(1):23–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mays, S. 1999. The Archaeology of Human Bones. New York: Routledge. 242 p.Google Scholar
Nolla, CM. 1960. The development of permanent teeth. Journal of Dentistry for Children 27:254–66.Google Scholar
Nydal, R, Lövseth, K. 1965. Distribution of radiocarbon from nuclear tests. Nature 206(4988):1029–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nydal, R, Lövseth, K, Syrstad, O. 1971. Bomb 14C in the human population. Nature 232(5310):418–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ogino, T, Ogino, H, Nagy, B. 1985. Application of aspartic acid racemization to forensic odontology: post mortem designation of age at death. Forensic Science International 29(3–4):259–67.Google Scholar
Reid, DJ, Dean, MC. 2006. Variation in modern human enamel formation times. Journal of Human Evolution 50(3):329–46.Google Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Brown, TA, Reimer, RW. 2004. Discussion: reporting and calibration of post-bomb 14C data. Radiocarbon 46(3):1299–304.Google Scholar
Ritz-Timme, S, Cattaneo, C, Collins, MJ, Waite, ER, Schutz, HW, Kaatsch, H-J, Borrman, HIM. 2000. Age estimation: the state of the art in relation to the specific demands of forensic practise. International Journal of Legal Medicine 113(3):129–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schour, I, Massler, M. 1940. Studies in tooth development—the growth pattern of human teeth. Part II. Journal of the American Dental Association 27:1918–31.Google Scholar
Spalding, KL, Buchholz, BA, Bergman, LE, Druid, H, Frisen, J. 2005. Age written in teeth by nuclear tests. Nature 437(7057):333–4.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M, Polach, HA. 1977. Discussion: reporting of 14C data. Radiocarbon 19(3):355–63.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M, Reimer, PJ. 1993. Extended 14C data base and revised CALIB 3.0 14C age calibration program. Radiocarbon 35(1):215–30.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M, Reimer, PJ, Bard, E, Beck, JW, Burr, GS, Hughen, KA, Kromer, B, McCormac, G, van der Plicht, J, Spurk, M. 1998. IntCal98 radiocarbon age calibration, 24,000–0 cal BP. Radiocarbon 40(3):1041–83.Google Scholar
Xu, XM, Trumbore, SE, Zheng, SH, Southon, JR, McDuffe, KE, Luttgen, M, Liu, JC. 2007. Modifying a sealed tube zinc reduction method for preparation of AMS graphite targets: reducing background and attaining high precision. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 259(1):320–9.Google Scholar