The introduction of commercially produced activated charcoal strips into fire, debris analysis has provided an easy, efficient and cost effective method for accelerant extraction. Several parameters associated with passive diffusion extraction of fire debris using activated charcoal require consideration in order to obtain a truly representative sample of the accelerant. This study investigated the effects of time, temperature, charcoal strip size and sample concentration on the adsorption of common accelerants. Notable displacement of specific volatile components, similar to the break-through noted in dynamic systems, occurred under certain extreme conditions. An analysis protocol was developed to minimize these effects.
A simple, fast, inexpensive, and sensitive technique for the detection and identification of flammable or combustible liquid residues on the skin of arson suspects is presented. The use of solid phase microextraction (SPME) for the analysis of ignitable liquid residues has been demonstrated and it is shown in this work that this technique is effective in extracting these liquid residues at extremely low quantities. Microliter quantities of controlled spikes of gasoline, diesel fuel, and charcoal lighter fluid were deposited on the hands of a volunteer and extracted after several time intervals. The SPME technique can recover very small amounts of liquid deposits on skin up to 3.5 h after exposure, depending on the class of the ignitable liquid residue used.
It is estimated that over 200 accelerant detection canines (ADCs) are currently assisting in fire investigations throughout the United States. On many occasions, their ability and reliability have been called into question. The Pinellas County Forensic Laboratory evaluated 42 accelerant detection canine teams in their ability to discriminate between common accelerants and pyrolysis products, to detect common accelerants at low concentrations, to precisely locate accelerants and, to detect different classes of accelerants. Ultimately, the accuracy, dependability and overall effectiveness varied from canine to canine and handler to handler and appeared to be somewhat limited by the canine's training, handling and maintenance. While most of the canine teams performed extremely well and could be an asset to fire investigation, some proved to be unreliable. A universal endorsement or condemnation of all accelerant detection canines could not be made; however, endorsements of specific canine teams and trainers were possible. Every working canine team should be evaluated independently. Routine testing is imperative to establish the canine abilities and limitations.
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