Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

OSAC	Research	Needs Assessment Form

Title	of	research	need:

Keywords:

Submitting subcommittee(s): Date	Approved:

(If	SAC	review	identifies	additional	subcommittees,	add	them	to	the	box	above.)

Background	information:

1.	 Description	of	research	need:

2.	 Key	bibliographic	references	relating	to	this	research	need:

There	is	a	lack	of	knowledge	in	the	field	that	describes	the	mechanism	or	particle	formation	as	a	

function	of	barrel	temperature	and	pressure	(functions	of	ammunition,	weapon,	etc.).		As	a	result,	

unusual	or	unexpected	particulates	are	seen	that	are	difficult	to	understand	or	assign	sources.		A	

recent	example	are	particulates	that	contain	barium	and	aluminum	that	are	occasionally	observed	

with	shotgun	discharges.		Better	understanding	of	the	chemistry	and	physics	of	firearm-related	

particulates	would	be	valuable	in	such	cases	and	would	add	to	the	scientific	foundation	of	the	

discipline.

[1]	R.	Y.	Zhang,	G.	H.	Wang,	S.	Guo,	M.	L.	Zarnora,	Q.	Ying,	Y.	Lin,	W.	G.	Wang,	M.	Hu	and	Y.	Wang.	Formation	of	Urban	Fine	Particulate	

Matter.	Chem.	Rev.	2015,	115,	3803.

[2]	A.	Nzihou	and	B.	R.	Stanmore.	The	Formation	of	Aerosols	During the	Co-Combustion	of	Coal	and	Biomass.	Waste	Biomass	Valorization.	

2015,	6,	947.

[3]	T.	L.	Jensen,	J.	F.	Moxnes,	E.	Unneberg	and	O.	Dullum.	Calculation	of	Decomposition	Products	from	Components	of	Gunpowder by	Using	

Reaxff	Reactive	Force	Field	Molecular	Dynamics	and	Thermodynamic	Calculations	of	Equilibrium	Composition.	Propellants	

Explosives	Pyrotechnics.	2014,	39,	830.

[4]	P.	Kumar,	L.	Pirjola,	M.	Ketzel	and	R.	M.	Harrison.	Nanoparticle	Emissions	from	11	Non-Vehicle	Exhaust	Sources	- a	Review.	Atmos.	

Environ.	2013,	67,	252.

[5]	R.	Gauriot,	L.	Gunaratnam,	R.	Moroni,	T.	Reinikainen	and	J.	Corander.	Statistical	Challenges	in	the	Quantification	of	Gunshot	Residue	

Evidence.	J.	Forensic	Sci.	2013,	58,	1149.

[6]	M.	I.	Szynkowska,	A.	Parczewski,	K.	Szajdak	and	J. Rogowski.	Examination	of	Gunshot	Residues	Transfer	Using	ToF-SIMS.	Surf.	Interface	

Anal.	2013,	45,	596.

[7]	J.	F.	Moxnes,	T.	L.	Jensen,	E.	Smestad,	E.	Unneberg	and	O.	Dullum.	Lead	Free	Ammunition	without	Toxic	Propellant	Gases.	Propellants	

Explosives	Pyrotechnics.	2013,	38,	255.

[8]	H.	Ditrich.	Distribution	of	Gunshot	Residues	- the	Influence	of	Weapon	Type.	For.	Sci	Int.	2012,	220,	85.

[9]	O.	Dalby,	D.	Butler	and	J.	W.	Birkett.	Analysis	of	Gunshot	Residue	and	Associated	Materials-a	Review.	J.	Forensic	Sci.	2010,	55,	924.

Fundamental	research	into	mechanism	of	particle	formation

GSR,	particulate	formation,	lead-free	ammunition,	primer	residues

GSR 11/28/16
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

3a.	In what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	current	laboratory	capabilities?

3b.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	understanding	of	the	scientific	basis	for	the	

subcommittee(s)?

3c.		In	what	ways	would	the	research	results	improve	services	to	the	criminal	justice	system?

4.		Status assessment	(I,	II,	III,	or	IV):		

This	research	need	has	been	identified	by	one	or	more	subcommittees	of	OSAC	and	is	being	provided	as	an	

informational	resource	to	the	community.

Major gap	

in	current	

knowledge

Minor gap	

in	current	

knowledge

No	or	limited

current	research	

is	being	

conducted

I III

Existing current	

research	is	being	

conducted

II IV

This	research	will	not	impact	capabilities	directly;	rather	its	impact	will	be	on	foundational	

understanding	and	thus	general	improvement	of	practice	and	evidentiary	value.	

The	mechanism	of	particulate	formation	in	general	is	reasonably	well	understood	and	documented	

for	situations	such	as	environmental	particulates	formed	from	diesel	exhaust	and	atmospheric	

particulate	formation.		Similar	studies	are	needed	in	the	forensic	context	and	for	GSR.			

Understanding	how	GSR	forms	will	facilitate	predictive	modeling	that	can	be	used	as	primer	

formulations	change	and	evolve.		This	knowledge	will	also	assist	in	flagging	potential	false	

positives	and	false	negatives	that	could	be	ruled	out	based	on	the	fundamental	knowledge	of	

particulate	formation	in	the	context of	firearms.	

Such	knowledge	will	solidify	the	scientific	foundations	of	GSR	analysis	and	lend	greater	evidentiary	

power	to	GSR	analysis.		

I
Version	1	/	Date	of	Issue:	10.29.15	/	Issuing	Authority:	Forensic	Science	Standards	Board	(FSSB)

// Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by	majority	vote	of	subcommittee.		Once	approved,	forward	to	SAC.)

1.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	research	need?				Yes					 							No							⃝		

2.		Does	the	SAC	agree	with	the	status assessment?				Yes															No							⃝	

If	no,	what	is	the	status assessment	of	the	SAC:

Approval	date:

(Approval	is	by	majority	vote	of	SAC.		Once	approved,	forward	to	NIST	for	posting.)

11/21/16 Subcommittee

SAC

11/28/16