Odourology is a science that studies odor formation, spread, and identification, as well as the physical nature of the sense of smell. The science is based in the belief that odor and smell are natural phenomena. Odor is constantly produced by biological organisms and exhalations by physical bodies. It can provoke sensations in recipients and has such characteristics as stability, diffusion, dispersion, and dynamics. All odors produced by animals are individual because of genetic characteristics that determine the components of odors. Odourological "tracks," as distinct from odor, are created as a result of the interaction of the source of the odor with other objects. The individuality of odor is the foundation for using odourology to identify people and animals through the "tracks" of their odors. This paper discusses the forensic procedures by which odors are detected, preserved, and used in criminal investigations. Currently, dogs are the only means of detecting odors for the identification of offenders and the contact of physical evidence with suspects. The author argues for the reliability of odourological evidence for admission at trials. 7 notes
Odourology Serves Law and Order Bodies (From Policing in Central and Eastern Europe: Comparing Firsthand Knowledge With Experience From the West, P 355-357, 1996, Milan Pagon, ed. -- See NCJ-170291)
NCJ Number
170323
Date Published
1996
Length
3 pages
Annotation
After describing the science of odourology, this paper describes its techniques and applications in crime investigations.
Abstract