FORENSIC APPLICATIONS OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY: A. REASSEMBLY OF DISMEMBERED BODIES BY THE TRACE ELEMENT RATIOS IN THE BONES. B. TESTS FOR ACCELERANTS INVOLVED IN ARSONS (HUMAN, MAGNESIUM, ZINC)

Two problems in the application of analytical chemistry to forensic science are examined, and procedures developed to replace or improve existing methods. The first problem involves the development of a method to identify dismembered bodies by the trace element ratios in the bones.;Trace element ratios in human bones were examined to determine if there were ratios that were sufficiently consistent within an individual yet varying sufficiently from another individual that bones in a mixed grave could be reassembled. The concentrations of 21 elements sampled at 54 places in 30 human bones in each of five skeletons indicated the Zn/Mg ratio (and its reciprocal) was the most reliable and that the Zn/Na, Mg/Na, and Cr/Na, could be used as supplements to help reassemble human bones belonging to the same individual after all standard techniques had been used.;The second problem concerns itself with the detection of accelerant residue from samples received from suspected arson cases.;Gage-O paste for gasoline detection is placed on a 3 mm diameter glass rod and inserted for 45-60 seconds into the water-organic interface of the distillate in the Barrett receiver after steam distilling the suspected residue. If accelerants are present, a small white line, which fluoresces intensely with long wavelength u.v. radiation, appears. The remaining accelerant can be confirmed by separation by gas chromatography.