| Debris collected from various test sites where mammalian remains (human and porcine) had been burned in a variety of full-scale fire scenarios was evaluated for the presence of volatile residues characteristic of those remains. Levels of light volatiles were measured using the method commonly used for fire debris analysis: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Homologous n-aldehydes (n-hexanal, n-heptanal, and n-octanal) proved to be a significant indicator of the presence of burned mammalian tissue as they were observed in nearly all of the samples. The lighter-weight aldehyde, n-hexanal, appeared more frequently than the heavier aldehydes, n-heptanal and n-octanal; such aldehydes are created by the combustion of animal fats. Ethanol was detected in two-thirds of the samples, while acetone appeared in about three-fourths of the samples, but both were detected at much lower concentrations than n-hexanal. There appeared to be no distinction between volatile n-aldehydes produced from burned porcine carcasses and those from human cadavers. However, more in-depth research will be needed to confirm the significance of acetone and ethanol in body-related fire debris analysis and to explore the possible contributions of non-fire decomposition processes. Since the n-aldehydes are not produced by the pyrolysis or combustion of any normally encountered substrate (carpet, bedding, wood products or upholstery), their detection by normal fire debris methods appears to be a reliable indicator of the presence of burned mammalian remains. This data will also provide guidance to fire debris analysts as to the nature of volatiles associated with the combustion of human bodies in real-world fires. |
