The confirmation of volatiles by solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS in the investigation of two traffic fatalities.
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.
Brewer
W E
WE
Toxicology Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Columbia 29210, USA.
Galipo
R C
RC
Morgan
S L
SL
Habben
K H
KH
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
D010578:Petroleum; D000431:Ethanol; D008752:Methylene Chloride