Analysis of human tissue samples for volatile fire accelerants
Treibs, R.
Archiv für Kriminologie 233(3-4): 95-113
2014
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9225 PMID: 24855737 Document Number: 672691
In police investigations of fires, the cause of a fire and the fire debris analysis regarding traces of fire accelerants are important aspects for forensic scientists. Established analytical procedures were recently applied to the remains of fire victims. When examining lung tissue samples, vapors inhaled from volatile ignitable liquids could be identified and differentiated from products of pyrolysis caused by the fire. In addition to the medico-legal results this evidence allowed to draw conclusions as to whether the fire victim was still alive when the fire started.