Patterns of the most abundant volatiles detected in post-mortem blood
V. A. Boumba, N. Kourkoumelis, K. S. Ziavrou, K. Fragkouli, T. Vougiouklakis
Abstract: The most abundant volatiles detected during the forensic ethanol analysis are ethanol, acetaldehyde,
1-propanol, 2-propanol, and acetone. These volatiles could either be initiated in the human body after the consumption of
alcoholic beverages; or have been produced ante mortem during metabolic processes or post-mortem by microbes.
Aims of this study were the determination of the volatiles’ concentrations in autopsy blood samples received from 483 routinely
autopsied corpses and classification of their patterns according to the manner of death, and the presence of putrefaction at
autopsy. The volatiles concentrations were determined by a validated gas chromatographic method. The experimental values
obtained from these determinations were submitted to statistical evaluation by principal component analysis (PCA). Blood
acetaldehyde, acetone, 1- and 2-propanol concentrations were higher in cases of violent and undetermined deaths compared
to the ones determined in cases of natural deaths. Blood volatiles concentrations were dispersed in higher values in cases with
putrefaction compared to cases without putrefaction at autopsy. Blood volatiles had low values in the majority of cases with low
BAC. All volatiles had higher maximum concentrations and broader concentration ranges when BAC ranged from 10-100 mg/
dL. Cases of undetermined manner of death along with some cases of violent deaths achieved clustering (PCA) from cases of
violent or natural manner of death indicating similarities among the grouped samples on the basis of measured blood 1-propanol
and ethanol concentrations. The latter novel finding needs further investigation using a larger dataset pool and possibly other
classification method with a different regression model. Keywords: autopsy, blood, volatile, 1-propanol, post-mortem, manner of death, putrefaction, principal component
analysis (PCA), clustering.
. Blood
acetaldehyde, acetone, 1- and 2-propanol concentrations were higher in cases of violent and undetermined deaths compared
to the ones determined in cases of natural deaths. Blood volatiles concentrations were dispersed in higher values in cases with
putrefaction compared to cases without putrefaction at autopsy. Blood volatiles had low values in the majority of cases with low
BAC. All volatiles had higher maximum concentrations and broader concentration ranges when BAC ranged from 10-100 mg/
dL. Cases of undetermined manner of death along with some cases of violent deaths achieved clustering (PCA) from cases of
violent or natural manner of death indicating similarities among the grouped samples on the basis of measured blood 1-propanol
and ethanol concentrations. The latter novel finding needs further investigation using a larger dataset pool and possibly other
classification method with a different regression model.&redirect_uri=http://rjlm.ro/index.php/arhiv/243)