Forensic Clean-Up Turning Blood White?

[Ringo]

<Simon Bates>WARNING: Whenever you rent or buy a thread you want to make sure the thread you read is suitable for the audience at home. This thread contains death and gore. Thanks for listening, enjoy the thread.</Simon Bates>

Do the emergency services have a chemical which turns spilled blood white? Today my subway journey was delayed because somebody had fallen or jumped in front of a train at the next station. After quite a while in a dark tunnel, we were eventually diverted onto a different track. The driver announced that we would pass through the next station without stopping because of the accident there. As we passed through, I looked over the deserted platform and saw the emergency services strapping the body (wrapped in a white blanket) onto a stretcher.

Later this afternoon, the station had re-opened. I went down onto the platform and waited for a train. I realised that I was at the same spot on the platform where I had seen the body being loaded on the stretcher and my morbid sense of curiosity got the better of me. I looked down at the rails and the dust covered ballast and looked for signs of blood and carnage. Instead, all I saw was what looked like white spray paint. The rails and ballast were very dirty and dusty and there were no signs of any rinsing or washing, just this white spray. I drew the conclusion that the emergency services must have used some sort of chemical to douse the area and thus turn any blood white. They couldn't use water because of the electrified third rail. With this hypothesis in my mind, the scene was terribly macabre and disturbing.

The problem is I have never heard of nor seen such a "chemical" before. Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

[David Plankton]

I don't think its up to the emergency services to clean up after an accident, maybe the rail operators are more likely to be involved in this case.

 

[EnolaGaia]

According to this 2008 Toronto article about crime / trauma scene cleanup, there's an 'indicator fluid' (used to visibly highlight blood residues) that turns white in reaction to the iron in blood.

http://www.eyeweekly.com/city/torontono ... icle/28316

 

[Ringo]

I don't think its up to the emergency services to clean up after an accident, maybe the rail operators are more likely to be involved in this case.

Having thought about it, you're almost certainly right. The only frame of reference I had was after seeing the Fire Brigade hose down a motorway after a nasty motorbike accident.

But I suppose it would be the operator who would be responsible. Maybe they have a designated team. Suicide on the subway here seems an almost daily occurrence.

According to this 2008 Toronto article about crime / trauma scene cleanup, there's an 'indicator fluid' (used to visibly highlight blood residues) that turns white in reaction to the iron in blood.

Thanks for that. Maybe it was some sort of oxidizing fluid like the indicator fluid mentioned there. I suppose seeing a white mess on the track would be less disconcerting than seeing a red one.

Is there anyone here from the emergency services or from clean up crews who can shed a light on this for me?

 

[mugwump2]

I work in a local college as a science Technician. A while ago a colleague came to me to ask what would get blood out of white carpet. :eek!!!!:
Turns out her Husband had cut himself doing D.I.Y an had sprayed blood over her new white carpet. Well that was her story anyway.
I looked it up. Hydrogen peroxide. It's a powerful oxidizer. when it reacts with blood it produces a white foam that can dry to a chalky white residue. My colleague managed to clean the carpet.
If they used Hydrogen Peroxide maybe this residue was what you saw?
I thought the indicator that makes blood stains visible was Phenolphthalein. That's what they spray around with abandon in shows like CSI. It turns blood bright pink. Unfortunately for shows like CSI it can only tell you its probably blood from an animal. Further testing would have to be done to determine the animal it originated from.Phenolphthalein unfortunately also reacts with other substances too including bleach. They can tell though, if say, someone had cleaned up a crime scene with bleach by, say, the smear patterns left.
I'm also a murder buff but very peaceful and sweet generally, honest.

 

[Ringo]

That sounds very plausible. Thanks for that.

 

[Ronnor]

These chaps currently have the contract to clean up after railway fatalities on infrastructure operated by Network Rail in the UK. Only once the bits have been collected by the Co-op undertaker of course!

 

[James_H]

Rentokil have a contract with the London Underground, presumably for pest control but they also operate a clean-up service for fatalities. (I think it was BRF who originally posted that)