Profiling the scent of weathered training aids for blood-detection dogs

Chilcote, B; Rust, LT; Nizio, KD; Forbes, SL

Profiling the scent of weathered training aids for blood-detection dogs

Chilcote, B Rust, LT Nizio, KD

Forbes, SL

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Science and Justice, 2018, 58 (2), pp. 98 - 108
Issue Date:: 2018-03-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Chilcote, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Rust, LT	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Nizio, KD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1486-1894	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Forbes, SL https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7416-0080	en_US
dc.date.available	2017-11-21	en_US
dc.date.issued	2018-03-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Science and Justice, 2018, 58 (2), pp. 98 - 108	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1355-0306	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/125243
dc.description.abstract	© 2017 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences At outdoor crime scenes, cadaver-detection and blood-detection dogs may be tasked with locating blood that is days, weeks or months old. Although it is known that the odour profile of blood will change during this time, it is currently unknown how the profile changes when exposed to the environment. Such variables must be studied in order to understand when the odour profile is no longer detectable by the scent-detection dogs and other crime scene tools should be implemented. In this study, blood was deposited onto concrete and varnished wood surfaces and weathered in an outdoor environment over a three-month period. Headspace samples were collected using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and analysed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography – time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC–TOFMS). The chemical odour profiles were compared with the behavioural responses of cadaver-detection and blood-detection dogs during training. Data interpretation using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) established that the blood odour could no longer be detected using SPME–GC×GC–TOFMS after two months of weathering on both surfaces. Conversely, the blood-detection dogs had difficulty locating the blood samples after one month of weathering on concrete and after one week of weathering on varnished wood. The scent-detection dogs evaluated herein had not been previously exposed to environmentally weathered blood samples during training. Given that this study was conducted to test the dogs’ baseline abilities, it is expected that with repeated exposure, the dogs’ capabilities would likely improve. The knowledge gained from this study can assist in providing law enforcement with more accurate training aids for blood-detection dogs and can improve their efficiency when deployed to outdoor crime scenes.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Science and Justice	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.scijus.2017.11.006	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Legal & Forensic Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Blood	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Animals	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Dogs	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Smell	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Weather	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Forensic Sciences	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Solid Phase Microextraction	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Odorants	en_US
dc.title	Profiling the scent of weathered training aids for blood-detection dogs	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	58	en_US
utslib.for	0699 Other Biological 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 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 - CFS - Centre for Forensic Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Students
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	58	en_US

Abstract:

© 2017 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences At outdoor crime scenes, cadaver-detection and blood-detection dogs may be tasked with locating blood that is days, weeks or months old. Although it is known that the odour profile of blood will change during this time, it is currently unknown how the profile changes when exposed to the environment. Such variables must be studied in order to understand when the odour profile is no longer detectable by the scent-detection dogs and other crime scene tools should be implemented. In this study, blood was deposited onto concrete and varnished wood surfaces and weathered in an outdoor environment over a three-month period. Headspace samples were collected using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and analysed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography – time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC–TOFMS). The chemical odour profiles were compared with the behavioural responses of cadaver-detection and blood-detection dogs during training. Data interpretation using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) established that the blood odour could no longer be detected using SPME–GC×GC–TOFMS after two months of weathering on both surfaces. Conversely, the blood-detection dogs had difficulty locating the blood samples after one month of weathering on concrete and after one week of weathering on varnished wood. The scent-detection dogs evaluated herein had not been previously exposed to environmentally weathered blood samples during training. Given that this study was conducted to test the dogs’ baseline abilities, it is expected that with repeated exposure, the dogs’ capabilities would likely improve. The knowledge gained from this study can assist in providing law enforcement with more accurate training aids for blood-detection dogs and can improve their efficiency when deployed to outdoor crime scenes.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/125243