[en] The study of the ‘smell of death’ is an important part of the thanatochemistry,
the chemistry of death. Since 2004 (Vass et al. 2004), an increasing number of
studies have been conducted to understand the body decomposition process by measuring
the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) released by decaying bodies.
However, the chemical profi le of the decomposition odor is still far for from being
resolved. Indeed, the complexity of the VOC mixture makes it diffi cult to be carried
out by classical GC-MS. A better understanding of the decomposition process could
thus possibly be achieved using a multidimensional technique such as Comprehensive
Two Dimensional Gas Chromatography coupled to time of fl ight mass spectrometry
(GC×GC-TOFMS). The high peak capacity of this multidimensional technique
combined with the visualization power of multivariate statistical methods allows a
deeper understanding of complex VOC matrices.
Disciplines :
Chemistry
Author, co-author :
Stefanuto, Pierre-Hugues ; Université de Liège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Chimie analytique, organique et biologique
Focant, Jean-François ; Université de Liège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Chimie analytique, organique et biologique
Language :
English
Title :
GC×GC-TOFMS, the Swiss Knife for VOC Mixtures Analysis in Soil Forensic Investigations
Publication date :
2016
Main work title :
Soil in Criminal and Environmental Forensics
Publisher :
Springer, Switzerland
Edition :
Proceedings of the Soil Forensics Special, 6th European Academy of Forensic Science Conference, The Hague
