Forensic-Grade Ink Testing: Raman and SERS Move Tattoo QC Out of the Lab — Europe / Forensics (method advances)

Analytical teams have adapted Raman spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) into rapid, non-destructive methods that can identify pigments directly in skin or ink bottles without biopsies — a big step for QC and forensic investigation. These approaches give regulators and labs faster chemical fingerprints of pigments (organic, inorganic, metal-complex dyes), helping detect banned pigments, unexpected impurities, or adulteration. Challenges remain (pigment fluorescence, sample heating, mixed-pigment inks) but instrument standardization and multi-wavelength protocols are making in-situ screening practical for surveillance campaigns.