title: Effect of substrate interferences from high-density polyethylene on association of simulated ignitable liquid residues with the corresponding liquid.
abstract: The effect of substrate interferences from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) on the ability to associate an ignitable liquid residue with the corresponding liquid standard, using statistical procedures, is demonstrated. Gasoline, kerosene, and lighter fluid, at three different evaporation levels, were spiked onto HDPE and subsequently burned to generate simulated ignitable liquid residues (ILRs). Samples were extracted using a passive headspace procedure and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The total ion chromatograms were subjected to data pretreatment procedures prior to principal components analysis and Pearson product moment correlation. Using the combination of these statistical procedures, simulated ILRs were successfully associated with the corresponding liquid type, despite the presence of compounds inherent to the HDPE substrate, as well as those resulting from pyrolysis of the substrate.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Science Program, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824.
authors.forename: Kaitlin R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Prather
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Towner
authors.forename: Victoria L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: McGuffin
authors.forename: Ruth Waddell
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Smith
keywords: Pearson product moment correlation; forensic science; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; high-density polyethylene; multivariate statistical analysis; principal components analysis; simulated ignitable liquid residues; substrate interferences