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Published on: March 9, 2015
Fragrance transfer between fabrics for forensic reconstruction applications
Simona Gherghel1, Ruth M Morgan2, Javier F Arrebola-Liébanas3
1UCL Department of Security and Crime Science, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, United Kingdom; UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences, 35 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9EZ, United Kingdom; Research Group "Analytical Chemistry of Contaminants", Department of Chemistry and Physics, Research Centre for Agricultural and Food Biotechnology (BITAL), University of Almería, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence, ceiA3, E-04120 Almería, Spain; UCL Department of Chemistry, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom.
Fragrance transfer between fabrics, crucial for forensic science, is influenced by aging time, contact duration, and fabric type. Even brief contact and aged scents can be detected on secondary fabrics, aiding crime scene investigations.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Sexual assault cases often suffer from low conviction rates.
- Fragrances show potential as forensic evidence in reconstructing events involving physical contact.
- Understanding fragrance transfer dynamics is essential for forensic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transfer process of fragrances between primary and secondary fabric samples.
- To evaluate the impact of aging time, contact time, and fabric type on fragrance transfer.
- To establish evidence bases for fragrance analysis in forensic contexts.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were designed to simulate fragrance transfer during physical contact.
- Variables included fragrance aging time (up to 48 hours), fabric contact time (as short as 10 seconds), and fabric types (cotton and polyester).
- Fragrance transfer was quantified using a validated solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME GC-MS) method.
Main Results:
- All three studied variables significantly impacted fragrance transfer between fabrics.
- Lower volatility fragrance compounds were transferred and recovered in higher amounts.
- Fragrances were successfully recovered from secondary fabrics even after 48-hour aging on primary fabric and 10-second contact.
- Fabric type influenced transfer, with distinct differences observed between natural (cotton) and synthetic (polyester) materials.
Conclusions:
- Fragrance transfer is a viable forensic indicator, detectable under various conditions.
- The study provides critical data on factors affecting scent transfer, enhancing its utility in forensic investigations.
- Discrimination between fabric types is possible, offering further analytical insights.
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