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WHO, WHAT, WHY?
The Magazine answers...
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People could apparently be misidentified by hi-tech scanners
developed for national ID cards because their fingerprints have been
worn away. Could this really happen?
Manual work has never been good for the hands, but now it seems it could get a person in trouble with authorities.
Labourers and builders could find their fingerprints are
not recognised by new high-tech equipment, an internal report for the
government has reportedly warned.
They are not alone - typists, pianists, violinists and guitarists also face inaccurate readings.
The problem is that fingerprints can be severely worn down, particularly among people who work with abrasive materials.
Skin grafts
"The ridges that make up fingerprints are like a ploughed field," says fingerprint expert Raymond Broadstock.
"Work such as labouring and typing wears down those
ridges and affects the smoothness of the skin. It can make fingerprints
very hard to read. Certain vitamin deficiencies can also do the same."
The damage is not permanent as the skin rejuvenates
within days. But for those who work in such professions there is little
chance for their fingers to get a long enough rest for the ridges to
rebuild - except on holiday.
"Prisoners have been known to rub their hands against
the rough walls of prison cells to try and wear away the ridges," says
Mr Broadstock. "They are just placed in cells with smooth walls for a
few day until the skin rejuvenates itself."
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WHO, WHAT, WHY?
A regular part of the BBC News Magazine, Who, What, Why? aims to answer some of the questions behind the headlines
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Government's trials are said to have suggested that worn away
fingerprints - along with problems with face and iris scans - could
identify one in 1,000 people as someone else.
One possible way round the problem would be to develop
machines that also scan palms, as they have the same unique ridges,
says Mr Broadstock.
"One criminal in the US obliterated his fingerprints by
taking skin from other parts of his body and grafting it onto his
fingertips. It worked but he still got caught because he had forgotten
about his palms. He was surprised to say the least."
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