The formation of adipocere in model aquatic environments

Stuart, BH; Notter, SJ; Dent, B; Selvalatchmanan, J; Fu, S

The formation of adipocere in model aquatic environments

Stuart, BH

Notter, SJ Dent, B Selvalatchmanan, J Fu, S

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2016, 130 (1), pp. 281 - 286
Issue Date:: 2016-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Stuart, BH https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9540-4435	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Notter, SJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dent, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Selvalatchmanan, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Fu, S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6238-3612	en_US
dc.date.available	2015-10-13	en_US
dc.date.issued	2016-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2016, 130 (1), pp. 281 - 286	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0937-9827	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/122608
dc.description.abstract	© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. An examination of the chemistry of adipocere formation in aquatic systems provides insight into how environmental factors affect the decomposition processes of human remains. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) have been employed to monitor the changes to the chemistry of adipocere formed in aquatic environments used to model seawater, river and chlorinated water systems. Seawater was shown to inhibit adipocere formation, and a distinctively different elemental composition was produced in this environment due to the high concentrations of salts. By comparison, river water has been shown to accelerate the formation of adipocere. Chlorinated water appears to significantly enhance adipocere formation, based on a comparison with established fatty acid concentration values. However, a competing reaction to form chlorohydrins in chlorinated water is believed to be responsible for the unusual findings in this environment. The application of the chemical characterisation of adipocere to an understanding of how this particular decomposition product forms in different water environments has been demonstrated, and there is potential to utilise this approach to identify the environment in which a body has been immersed.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal of Legal Medicine	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s00414-015-1277-0	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Legal & Forensic Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Animals	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Swine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Postmortem Changes	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Calcium	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Metals, Light	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Fatty Acids	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Immersion	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Models, Animal	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Forensic Pathology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Rivers	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Seawater	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Solid Phase Extraction	en_US
dc.title	The formation of adipocere in model aquatic environments	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	130	en_US
utslib.for	0699 Other Biological Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	0399 Other Chemical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Chemistry and Forensic Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CCET - Centre for Clean Energy Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CFS - Centre for Forensic Science
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	130	en_US

Abstract:

© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. An examination of the chemistry of adipocere formation in aquatic systems provides insight into how environmental factors affect the decomposition processes of human remains. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) have been employed to monitor the changes to the chemistry of adipocere formed in aquatic environments used to model seawater, river and chlorinated water systems. Seawater was shown to inhibit adipocere formation, and a distinctively different elemental composition was produced in this environment due to the high concentrations of salts. By comparison, river water has been shown to accelerate the formation of adipocere. Chlorinated water appears to significantly enhance adipocere formation, based on a comparison with established fatty acid concentration values. However, a competing reaction to form chlorohydrins in chlorinated water is believed to be responsible for the unusual findings in this environment. The application of the chemical characterisation of adipocere to an understanding of how this particular decomposition product forms in different water environments has been demonstrated, and there is potential to utilise this approach to identify the environment in which a body has been immersed.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/122608