A REVIEW OF THE APPLICATION OF THE GC-MS ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUE IN DETERMINING TRACE POLYAROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHS) IN DIFFERENT FIRE RESIDUE SAMPLES.
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Abstract
The study reviewed three cases which involve the analyses of different fire residues. The first case involved the burning of cloths that were contaminated with three home based inflammable compounds such as the nail polish remover solution, camphor body lotion and liquid perfume. The second case experimented using the cigarette smoke residues that were generated under the ISO smoking conditions. Lastly, the case involved fire residues collected from an unused burned farming land.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of toxic organic compounds that may be used as forensic source identifiers for contamination in arson cases and are released through incomplete combustion occurring under low oxygen conditions. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) methods were used to isolate and purify the analytes by removing possible interfering substances from the sample matrices and to dilute and/or pre-concentrate the trace analytes for the purpose of improving their detectability during analysis by the gas chromatographic - mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Acenaphthylene and Fluorene hydrocarbon species were detected in all three residue samples of nail polish remover, camphor and perfume. Benzo(k)fluoranthene was present in the nail polish remover and camphor residue samples; benzo(b)fluoranthene was found in camphor residue samples; while dibenzo(a,h)anthracene and benzo(g,h,i)perylene species were detected only in the perfume residue samples.
Benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene were detected in burned farmland residue samples while the reconstruction of the scene helped to identify the plastic component of the tool used in setting fire. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of 16 PAHs species ranged from non-detectable levels for the dibenzo(a,h)pyrene and other three compounds to 108.17 ng/CPD2 for naphthalene per 20 cigarettes per CFP standard smoked under ISO smoking regimes.
The study found the laboratory analytical results reported to be admissible in court within the South African jurisdiction.
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