STUDY TO DETERMINE THE LIMIT OF DETECTABILITY OF GASOLINE VAPOR FROM SIMULATED ARSON RESIDUES

• NCJ Number: 65111
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1980) Pages: 162-167
• Author(s): P J LOSCALZO; P R DEFOREST; J M CHAO
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: American Soc for Testing and Materials
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT A JOINT MEETING OF THE MID-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION OF FORENSIC SCIENTISTS AND THE NORTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION OF FORENSIC SCIENTISTS, MT HOLLY (NJ) 16 APRIL 1977

Annotation

AN EXPERIMENT WAS CONDUCTED FOR ARSON INVESTIGATORS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF COLLECTION DELAY AND COMBUSTION TIME ON THE DETECTION OF THE ACCELERANT GASOLINE, USING SAMPLES OF WOOD, CARPET WITH PADDING, AND SOIL.

Abstract

THE SPECIMENS USED FOR ANALYSIS WERE OBTAINED BY SAMPLING THE HEATED HEADSPACE VAPOR FROM EACH SAMPLE COLLECTED. ANALYSIS WAS MADE BY GAS-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH PROGRAMMED ATTENUATION CHANGES USING A BENTONE-34/DIDP PACKED COLUMN THAT SEPARATED BENZENE, TOLUENE, ETHYLBENZENE, THE XYLENE ISOMERS, SEC-BUTYLBENZENE, AND OTHER COMMON CONSTITUENTS OF GASOLINE. EACH SURFACE WAS ALLOWED TO BURN FOR VARIOUS PERIODS OF TIME AND VARIOUS DELAYS IN COLLECTION WERE MADE BEFORE THE SAMPLES WERE OBTAINED FOR ANALYSIS. FOR EACH SURFACE UNDER STUDY, THE LIMIT REPRESENTED THE MAXIMUM TIME ALLOWED FOR THE COLLECTION OF THE SAMPLES FOR WHICH THE SUBSEQUENT ANALYSIS WOULD YIELD A POSITIVE RESULT FOR THE DETECTION OF THE ACCELERANT. AFTER A COMBUSTION TIME OF 20 MINUTES, THE GASOLINE COULD NOT BE DETECTED FROM EITHER WOOD OR CARPET, EVEN IF THE SAMPLE HAD BEEN COLLECTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER EXTINGUISHMENT. SOIL SHOWED SOME GASOLINE RESIDUE AFTER 20 MINUTES OF BURNING. IN GENERAL, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DETECTION LIMITS OF EACH SUBSTANCE DECREASED PROPORTIONALLY AS COMBUSTION TIME INCREASED. A MORE COMPLETE STUDY USING AS MANY DIFFERENT SURFACES AS POSSIBLE THAT ARE COMMON TO FIRE SCENE EXAMINATIONS IS NEEDED. GRAPHIC AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. ALONG WITH REFERENCES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--RCB)