title: The confirmation of volatiles by solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS in the investigation of two traffic fatalities.
abstract: A simple, sensitive, and reliable method was developed for the confirmation of nonroutine volatiles in the investigation of two traffic fatalities. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers were used to extract volatile compounds from the headspace of sample vials; components were subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the first case, ethanol and methylene chloride were detected in a urine sample by headspace SPME and GC-MS. The second case involved the analysis of volatile petroleum products from submitted specimens by headspace SPME and GC-MS. In both cases, SPME and GC-MS analyses provided crucial evidence in the investigation of the traffic fatalities.
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Columbia 29210, USA.
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Galipo
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Habben
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000431:Ethanol / Q000652:urine*; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008752:Methylene Chloride / Q000652:urine*; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013405:Suicide; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D000431:Ethanol; D008752:Methylene Chloride