Paper Packaging
Definition
The standard packaging material for biological evidence. Paper is gas-permeable: residual moisture evaporates through the packaging after sealing, preventing the humid microenvironment that drives microbial colonisation. Contrast with plastic, which is airtight and traps moisture.
- Property
- Gas-permeable
- Use case
- Biological evidence packaging
- Effect
- Allows residual moisture to evaporate
- Contrast material
- Plastic, which is airtight
Common questions
Why is plastic packaging actively harmful for biological evidence rather than just suboptimal?+
Plastic traps moisture against the item, creating a humid, sealed microenvironment that accelerates bacterial and fungal growth, which can degrade DNA and destroy the evidentiary value of blood, tissue, or other biological stains before analysis.
Does paper packaging remove the need for drying evidence before storage?+
No. Items should still be air-dried before packaging where practical; paper packaging manages ongoing moisture during storage and transport but does not substitute for drying a wet item first.
Related terms
- Chain of Custody
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- Cold Chain
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- Deoxyribonuclease (DNase)
- An enzyme that cleaves the phosphodiester bonds in the DNA backbone, fragmenting double-stranded DNA into shorter pieces. Bacteria and fungi produce extracellular...
- Partial DNA Profile
- A DNA profile in which results were obtained at fewer loci than the full STR panel used. Partial profiles arise from degraded...
- Q10 Rule
- The empirical observation that most chemical and enzymatic reaction rates roughly double for every 10-degree Celsius increase in temperature. Applied to DNA...