HOW LUMINOL WORKS
The blue glow of
this forensic chemical
can indicate a violent
crime has taken place
WORDS JO ELPHICK
A violent criminal may have cleaned the area, but luminol still finds traces of blood
Did you know?
Biologists use luminol to help with research
Police forensics at work on a crime scene, spraying a door handle with luminol to reveal certain substances under ultraviolet light
Police may well believe that a serious crime has taken place, but without any obvious signs of violence, their investigation could come to a grinding halt. That’s when the scene of crime officers step in to look for seemingly invisible clues. Criminals often attempt to clean up a crime scene by mopping up any spilt blood, but just because you can no longer see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there, and a quick spray of luminol can often reveal the gory details.