Advancements in collection and analysis of fire debris-improved field collection kits with fast gas chromatography
Abstract
Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is the primary tool used in fire debris analysis by forensic scientists. Improving the efficiency of this analysis through fast GC was the first aim of this work, and it utilized commercially available software to translate the current method and provide a starting point. The method has previously been used in increasing GC speed for pesticide analysis and is applicable if only translatable parameters are exchanged. The new fast GC method utilized a shorter GC column with a narrower bore, and adjustment of the injection volume and temperature ramp yielded an improved GC/MS method, decreasing the run time of the method by approximately half without a change in resolution or retention order. After new method development, the fast GC method was used in the development of a new collection technique, specifically an activated carbon strip field kit for use on ignitable gasoline. It was also applied to archived activated carbon strip case samples dating back to 2000. Currently, investigators at fire scenes collect liquid samples directly or with cotton swabs, creating evidence to maintain and house in fire debris cabinets. The developed field kit uses activated carbon strips directly, eliminating the need for maintaining cotton swab evidence after analysis, allowing efficient analysis of activated charcoal strips directly from the field with an improved GC/MS method.
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- OSU Dissertations [11222]