The Detection and Analysis of Ignitable Liquid Residues Extracted from Human Skin Using SPME/GC

Abstract

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.

Gasoline on hands: Preliminary study on collection and persistence

“…In their study, Almirall et al [5] found that traces of gasoline could not be identified after 75 and 90 min considering ASTM guidelines. Although fundamental differences exist between the study of Almirall et al and the present research, in terms of sampling, extraction procedures, analytical methodology and conclusion criteria for the detected amount gasoline traces, both studies agree on the fact that collection of gasoline traces on hands is feasible and that it should be done as quickly as possible.…”

“…Since it is obvious that hands can be soiled when a flammable liquid is deliberately poured on the ground or on furniture, a further study by Almirall et al [5] proposed a simple fast and inexpensive technique for the detection and identification of ignitable liquid residues on human skin by the use of the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography separation. The proposed technique can be very effective if the SPME sampler is transported to the laboratory after the extraction is conducted in the field as described in that publication.…”

Forensic Chemistry Education

“…The selectivity of MS/MS allows for the unambiguous isolation of the target analytes from pyrolyzates, which can interfere and possibly coelute and may be present in relatively large concentrations. Improvements in extraction methods, including solid-phase microextraction (SPME), can also assist in the detection of small quantities of ILR evidence (15)(16)(17).…”

The morphology of cutaneous burn injuries and the type of heat application

“…Another relevant subgroup is the case of a suspected arson where a person may be a passive victim or may have actively ignited the fire. Identification of ignitable liquid residues in fire debris [6] or on the skin of arson suspects [7] has been performed but the morphology of skin burns has rarely been addressed in this context. The intention of this study, therefore, was to compare the morphology of burn injuries to the nature of the burning agent and to identify typical injury patterns for different types of heat application.…”