Reevaluating the role of pH in rehydration solutions for fingerprint recovery from dried fingertips: an exploratory study

Rehydration of fingertips using rehydration solution is a commonly used method for fingerprint recovery in cases involving mummified or desiccated bodies. Chemical solutions are used for this purpose, each believed to be effective due to its effect through different mechanisms, ranging from its chemical composition to the pH of the solution. While some studies suggest that pH plays a significant role in rehydration efficacy, our findings challenge this assumption. In our study, two solutions with nearly identical alkaline pH levels yielded markedly different outcomes in tissue softening and ridge detail recovery when conducted with artificially dried tissues. This suggests that differences in chemical composition are more influential than pH in determining rehydration effectiveness.