HAZARD OF BENZIDINE TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL - LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS PROGRAM

• NCJ Number: 35070
• Author(s): H STEINBERG
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 22 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Commerce
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS DOCUMENT DISCUSSES THE HAZARDS INVOLVED IN THE USE OF BENZIDINE (A SUSPECTED CARCINOGEN) AND THE PRECAUTIONS WHICH CAN REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THESE HAZARDS.

Abstract

THE REPORT DEALS BASICALLY WITH TWO AREAS OF BENZIDINE USE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL: (1) AS A PRESUMPTIVE BLOOD-TEST REAGENT, AND (2) TO PREPARE FINGERPRINTS MADE IN A BLOOD BASE FOR SUBSEQUENT PHOTOGRAPHY. THE DANGER INHERENT IN THE USE OF BENZIDINE IS THAT THIS DRUG IS STRONGLY SUSPECTED OF BEING A CAUSE OF HUMAN BLADDER CANCER. IT WAS FOUND IN A QUESTIONNAIRE - SURVEY OF 276 FORENSIC LABORATORIES THAT MOST FORENSIC SEROLOGISTS AND CRIMINALISTS ARE AWARE OF THE HAZARD OF BENZIDINE IS FREQUENTLY IGNORED IN DAILY PRACTICE. FURTHERMORE, FINGERPRINT TECHNICIANS, FIELD INVESTIGATORS AND QUESTIONED DOCUMENT EXAMINERS ARE, GENERALLY, LESS AWARE OF HANDLING BENZIDINE IN THE FORENSIC LABORATORY AND IN THE FIELD ARE SUGGESTED THAT SHOULD GREATLY REDUCE THE DANGER. IN THE LABORATORY, THESE SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE THE USE OF RUBBER GLOVES, THOROUGH CLEANING AND DISPOSAL PROCEDURES, AND THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE REAGENT BE USED AND PREPARED ONLY IN NEGATIVE PRESSURE (HOODED) ENVIRONMENTS. PRECAUTIONS TO BE USED IN THE FIELD ALSO INCLUDE THE USE OF GLOVES AND WASHING TECHNIQUES WITH THE FURTHER PROVISES THAT BENZIDINE SOLUTIONS SHOULD NEVER BE PREPARED OUTSIDE THE LABORATORY AND THAT IT SHOULD ONLY BE USED IN OPEN, WELL VENTILATED AREAS. WARNING NOTICES ARE PROPOSED FOR POSTING IN LABORATORIES AND FOR PUBLICATION IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FORENSIC SCIENCE PUBLICATION. (SNI ABSTRACT)