Scientists at the Dutch Forensic Institute have worked out a way to date fingerprints, in what could be a major breakthrough in crime investigations.

‘It’s not quite the Holy Grail of fingerprinting, but it’s a very important discovery,’ Marcel de Puit, NFI fingerprint researcher, told news agency AFP on Wednesday.

‘Being able to date the prints means you can determine when a potential suspect was at the crime scene or which fingerprints are relevant for the investigation.’

Fingerprints are made up of sweat and grease and these chemicals can be analysed. ‘Some disappear over time and it’s the relative proportions of these chemicals that allow us to date a fingerprint,’ De Puit told AFP.

The technique takes temperature into account but the scientists can now date prints to within one or two days, if they are younger than 15 days. The NFI is now hoping to begin testing the technique at real crime scenes and start creating a data base.

In the meantime, De Puit and his team are working on another technique: analysing fingerprint chemicals to determine a suspect’s drug or food intake, AFP says.

More on this (Dutch)