NCJ Number
225602
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 53 Issue: 6 Dated: November 2008 Pages: 1372-1380
Date Published
November 2008
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Since vegetable oils have the capability of spontaneously heating under certain conditions, which may lead to spontaneous ignition, this article reports on a protocol developed for the extraction, derivatization, and analysis of vegetable oils from fire debris.
Abstract
Sample fire debris materials, burned and spiked with linseed oil, were successfully extracted, derivatized and analyzed to detect and identify fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) converted from the fatty acids found in vegetable oils. The fire debris material did not interfere with the derivatization or analysis of the FAMEs. Identifying FAMEs through the derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis procedure described in this paper will indicate to the examiner that fatty acids, which are components of vegetable oils, were present. Additional research should focus on oils that have been exposed to heat that may be encountered during a prolonged fire, or on oils that have undergone spontaneous heating and ignition. Future research should also examine how the passive or dynamic headspace concentration procedure might influence the extraction and analysis of vegetable oils from fire debris. Additional materials should also be tested, especially such materials as linoleum, which is found in many buildings and is primarily composed of a mixture of three fatty acids. In the current research, three derivatization methods were compared in order to establish an optimal derivatization procedure for converting the fatty acids in vegetable oil to the FAMEs used in analysis. Three different gas chromatograph columns and programs were examined in determining which was best suited for the separation and analysis of FAMEs. The procedure was tested and refined by using a variety of neat and burned vegetable oils, in addition to extractions from oils burned on commonly encountered fire debris materials. 7 figures, 3 tables, and 17 references