Published Ryan Schonert on July 20, 2020

2 responses to “Fire Debris Analysis: Forensics Cousin of Fuels Analysis”

  1. RAUL LAPINSKAS says:

    When I run this analysis, I use headspace to
    avoid solvent interferences.

    Is there any reason you used methylene chloride ?

    • Ryan Schonert says:

      Hi Raul, thanks for reading through the post! I agree, headspace is a great option for fire debris analysis. I chose to do a solvent extraction following ASTM E1412 because it would yield a liquid sample which I could analyze on a type-1 nonpolar column. We do have a headspace unit in our lab, and I think it would be a great idea to try the analysis again using headspace.

      I used methylene chloride because it is a good, general-purpose nonpolar solvent, but other nonpolar solvents like CS2 would also work well.

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