Emission rates of selected volatile organic compounds from skin of healthy volunteers.
Gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS) coupled with solid phase micro-extraction as pre-concentration method (SPME) was applied to identify and quantify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by human skin. A total of 64 C4-C10 compounds were quantified in skin emanation of 31 healthy volunteers. Amongst them aldehydes and hydrocarbons were the predominant chemical families with eighteen and seventeen species, respectively. Apart from these, there were eight ketones, six heterocyclic compounds, six terpenes, four esters, two alcohols, two volatile sulphur compounds, and one nitrile. The observed median emission rates ranged from 0.55 to 4,790 fmol cm(-2)min(-1). Within this set of analytes three volatiles; acetone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, and acetaldehyde exhibited especially high emission rates exceeding 100 fmol cm(-2)min(-1). Thirty-three volatiles were highly present in skin emanation with incidence rates over 80%. These species can be considered as potential markers of human presence, which could be used for early location of entrapped victims during Urban Search and Rescue Operations (USaR).
Breath Research Institute of the University of Innsbruck, Rathausplatz 4, A-6850 Dornbirn, Austria. Electronic address: pawel.mochalski@uibk.ac.at.
Paweł
P
Mochalski
Breath Research Institute of the University of Innsbruck, Rathausplatz 4, A-6850 Dornbirn, Austria.
Julian
J
King
Breath Research Institute of the University of Innsbruck, Rathausplatz 4, A-6850 Dornbirn, Austria; Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Hochschulstr. 1, A-6850 Dornbirn, Austria.
Karl
K
Unterkofler
Univ.-Clinic for Psychiatry, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr, 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Hartmann
H
Hinterhuber
Breath Research Institute of the University of Innsbruck, Rathausplatz 4, A-6850 Dornbirn, Austria; Univ.-Clinic for Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr, 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: anton.amann@i-med.ac.at.
Anton
A
Amann
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D052617:Solid Phase Microextraction; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds
Emission rate; Entrapped victims; Human odor; Human skin emanation; SPME-GCMS; Volatile organic compounds