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Experimental Procedure for Laboratory Studies of In Situ Burning : Flammability and Burning Efficiency of Crude Oil
Published on: May 1, 2018
Practical aspects of analyzing vegetable oils in fire debris
Lisa M Schwenk1, Michelle R Reardon
1Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|May 27, 2009
Summary
Refrigeration is best for storing fire debris containing vegetable oils. Different burning methods, like spontaneous ignition, alter oil chromatograms, impacting forensic analysis.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Fire Investigation
Background:
- Vegetable oils in fire debris can be altered by burning, self-heating, and spontaneous ignition.
- Accurate analysis of fatty acid content in vegetable oils is crucial for reliable fire debris data.
- Proper handling and storage of fire debris are essential to preserve evidence integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of storage conditions on vegetable oil content in fire debris.
- To compare the effects of different burning processes (piloted vs. non-piloted ignition) on vegetable oil composition.
- To evaluate the suitability of passive headspace concentration for analyzing vegetable oils in fire debris.
Main Methods:
- Fire debris samples were spiked with vegetable oils and subjected to various burning conditions.
- Burned samples were stored under different long-term conditions, including refrigeration.
- Debris was analyzed using passive headspace concentration following overnight heating.
- Spontaneous ignition experiments were conducted to simulate different fire scenarios.
Main Results:
- Refrigeration was identified as the optimal storage condition for fire debris samples containing vegetable oils.
- Passive headspace concentration did not negatively affect the analysis of vegetable oils.
- Distinct chromatograms were observed for vegetable oils subjected to non-piloted ignition, self-heating, and spontaneous ignition compared to piloted ignition.
Conclusions:
- Proper storage, specifically refrigeration, is critical for maintaining the integrity of vegetable oil evidence in fire debris.
- Analytical methods like passive headspace concentration are suitable for examining vegetable oils in fire debris.
- The type of ignition (piloted vs. spontaneous) significantly influences the chemical profile of vegetable oils, providing valuable information for fire investigations.
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