Furthermore, the improved understanding of the formation and evolution of decomposition odor is of high interest to handlers of cadaver-detection dogs to improve training practices in search and rescue operations (3).įrom a chemical point of view, decomposition odor represents a complex mixture of gaseous molecules and its complete characterization requires a powerful analytical technique. This type of information is important in establishing a series of events in the circumstances surrounding a death of a human or animal, which can be critical information in a forensic investigation. It has been hypothesized that their presence can also be correlated to the length of time since death when estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI) (2). For instance, decomposition odors can be detected to support the presence of a body at a particular location (1). In forensic science, this collection of VOCs is referred to as decomposition odor, and can be used in forensic tracing for various purposes. Because of enzymatic reactions and microbial processes, the molecules gradually break down, resulting in a large number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Some of these by-products are organic in nature and originate from biochemical reactions that break down macromolecules within biological tissue.

The decomposition process of human and animal remains involves major changes and initiates the production of many by-products. As interest increases worldwide in collecting VOC samples as evidence in forensic casework, this type of instrumentation could become a valuable tool in crime laboratories. Approximately 30 compounds were tentatively identified from the decomposing remains, representing consistent trends in the decomposition VOC profile at a new location. The method was used to examine postmortem processes to monitor chemical changes from pig carcasses. For this specific application, the use of a gas chromatograph coupled with a quadrupole mass spectrometer (qMS) and simultaneous flame ionization detector (FID) retrofitted with a reverse fill/flush (RFF) flow modulator is reported for the first time. This study analyzes the temporal changes in decomposition VOCs from human analogs in a tropical climate. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) assists in analyzing these VOCs with its increased separation power and sensitivity. During decomposition of mammalian remains, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the environment.

Cdf files mass spec