Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9622452 | Forensic Science International | 2005 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
Two men were found dead near the island of Samos, Greece, in the Mediterranean sea. The estimated time of death for both victims was 3-4 weeks. Autopsy revealed no remarkable external injuries or acute poisoning. The exact cause of death remained unclear because the bodies had advanced decomposition. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) evolved from these two corpses were determined by thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis (TD/GC/MS). Over 80 substances have been identified and quantified. The most prominent among them were dimethyl disulfide (13.39Â nmol/L), toluene (10.11Â nmol/L), hexane (5.58Â nmol/L), benzene 1,2,4-trimethyl (4.04Â nmol/L), 2-propanone (3.84Â nmol/L), 3-pentanone (3.59Â nmol/L). Qualitative and quantitative differences among the evolved VOCs and CO2 mean concentration values might indicate different rates of decomposition between the two bodies. The study of the evolved VOCs appears to be a promising adjunct to the forensic pathologist as they may offer important information which can be used in his final evaluation.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Authors
M. Statheropoulos, C. Spiliopoulou, A. Agapiou,