Journal
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
Volume 266, Issue -, Pages 462-468Publisher
ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.07.010
Keywords
Forensic science; Microtraces; Fire debris; Containers; Polyethylene; Background interferences
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Polyethylene bags, though not recommended, are sometimes used in some countries as improvised packaging for items sent to be analysed for the presence of volatile organic compounds, namely ignitable liquids residues. Sometimes items made of polyethylene constitute the samples themselves. It is well known what kind of volatile organic compounds are produced as a result of polyethylene thermal decomposition, but there is a lack of information relating to if some volatile compounds are present in unheated/unburned items made of polyethylene in detectable amounts and, if so, what those compounds are. The aim of this presented research was to answer these questions. 28 different bags made of polyethylene, representing 9 brands, were purchased in local shops and analysed according to the procedure routinely used for fire debris. The results proved that in almost all bags a distinctive mixture of compounds is present, comprising of n-alkanes and n-alkenes with an even number of carbon atoms in their molecules. Some other compounds (e.g., limonene, 2,2,4,6,6-pentamethylheptane) are also often present, but the presence of even n-alkanes and n-alkenes constitutes the most characteristic feature. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available