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Volatile Emission of Decomposing Pig Carcasses ( S us scrofa domesticus L .) as an Indicator for the P ostmortem Interval
Author(s) -
Paczkowski Sebastian,
Nicke Sara,
Ziegenhagen Henrik,
Schütz Stefan
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12638
Subject(s) - nonanal , hexanal , dimethyl trisulfide , chemistry , dimethyl disulfide , biology , chromatography , zoology , sulfur , organic chemistry
This study aimed at correlating selected carcass borne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with the postmortem interval (PMI). Selected volatiles should 1st be reliably emitted during vertebrate decay, 2nd be emitted at high concentrations, and 3rd show a reproducible quantitative dynamic during the decaying process. Four pigs ( S us scrofa domesticus L .) were placed in a deciduous forest in different seasons and volatiles emitted during the decaying process were sampled. Seventeen compounds were identified and quantified by GC ‐ MS . Electrophysiological experiments on the antenna of female C alliphora vicina and additional data of D ermestes maculans were used as an evolutionary tuned information filter to evaluate the 1st criterion. The relative quantitative emission of hexanal, nonanal, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, 1‐butanol, and phenol were correlated with the PMI , and the observed stages of decay and the limitations of this model were discussed.