The Daily Bulletin Archive

Katherine Spendel, a master's degree candidate in forensic science at Buffalo State, will present the literature seminar "Profiling the Smell of Death" at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, in Science Building 272. Light refreshments will be served before the seminar. This seminar is supported by the Faculty-Student Association.

Abstract
Human cadaver decomposition is an incredibly complex process that generates a vast number of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Decomposition initially begins with autolytic processes driven by the body’s own enzymes and resident bacteria. Further decomposition can progress through the activity of insects, fungi, and environmental bacteria. The complex mixture that results from a variety of pathways requires a highly sensitive methodology for analysis. 2-D gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry achieves the degree of resolution and capacity needed for characterization of the VOC mixture. This methodology has been used to characterize the VOC profile of decomposing cadavers at various times and stages of development. VOC profiles were observed to be consistent between years during the same season despite variation of environmental variables. In contrast, seasonal VOC profiles were demonstrated to be distinct. The vast number of VOCs generated during decomposition results in a large volume of data with difficulty in extraction of useful data. Using stringent criteria, we identified 34 methyl-branched alkanes and formulated an algorithm that successfully screened for grave soil with a cadaveric decomposition signature. The VOC profile has a variety of forensic applications, such as in the location of clandestine graves, improvement of synthetic canine training aids, and potentially in the estimation of postmortem interval.