Profiling Volatilomes: A Novel Forensic Method for Identification of Confiscated Illegal Wildlife Items

Ueland, M; Brown, A; Bartos, C; Frankham, GJ; Johnson, RN; Forbes, SL

Profiling Volatilomes: A Novel Forensic Method for Identification of Confiscated Illegal Wildlife Items

Ueland, M

Brown, A

Bartos, C Frankham, GJ Johnson, RN Forbes, SL

Permalink

Publisher:: MDPI
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Separations, 2020, 7, (1)
Issue Date:: 2020-01-10

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Adobe PDF

Download Published versionAdobe PDF (2.77 MB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Ueland, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9155-3502
dc.contributor.author	Brown, A https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6761-2170
dc.contributor.author	Bartos, C
dc.contributor.author	Frankham, GJ
dc.contributor.author	Johnson, RN
dc.contributor.author	Forbes, SL
dc.date.accessioned	2021-01-13T02:26:04Z
dc.date.available	2021-01-13T02:26:04Z
dc.date.issued	2020-01-10
dc.identifier.citation	Separations, 2020, 7, (1)
dc.identifier.issn	2297-8739
dc.identifier.issn	2297-8739
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145371
dc.description.abstract	<jats:p>Globally, the rapid decline in wildlife species has many causes. The illegal trafficking of fauna and flora is a major contributor to species decline and continues to grow at an alarming rate. To enable the prosecution of those involved in the trafficking of illegal wildlife, accurate and reliable identification is paramount. Traditionally, morphology and DNA amplification are used. This paper investigates a novel application of volatilome profiling using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time of flight mass spectrometry for wildlife sample detection. Known samples of elephant-derived ivory, other dentine samples, and bone (a common ivory substitute) were used as reference samples for volatilome profiling. Subsequently, specimens that were suspected ivory from border control seizures were obtained and analysed. Confirmatory DNA analyses were conducted on seized samples to establish the reliability parameters of volatilome profiling. The volatilome method correctly identified six of the eight seized samples as elephant ivory, which was confirmed through DNA analysis. There was also clear distinction of African elephant ivory parts from the bone and dentine samples from other species, as shown through PCA and discriminant analyses. These preliminary results establish volatilome profiling through GC×GC-TOFMS as a novel screening method used for the identification of unknown wildlife contraband.</jats:p>
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	MDPI
dc.relation.ispartof	Separations
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3390/separations7010005
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	0301 Analytical Chemistry
dc.title	Profiling Volatilomes: A Novel Forensic Method for Identification of Confiscated Illegal Wildlife Items
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	7
utslib.for	0301 Analytical Chemistry
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CFS - Centre for 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
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2021-01-13T02:25:59Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	7
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Globally, the rapid decline in wildlife species has many causes. The illegal trafficking of fauna and flora is a major contributor to species decline and continues to grow at an alarming rate. To enable the prosecution of those involved in the trafficking of illegal wildlife, accurate and reliable identification is paramount. Traditionally, morphology and DNA amplification are used. This paper investigates a novel application of volatilome profiling using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time of flight mass spectrometry for wildlife sample detection. Known samples of elephant-derived ivory, other dentine samples, and bone (a common ivory substitute) were used as reference samples for volatilome profiling. Subsequently, specimens that were suspected ivory from border control seizures were obtained and analysed. Confirmatory DNA analyses were conducted on seized samples to establish the reliability parameters of volatilome profiling. The volatilome method correctly identified six of the eight seized samples as elephant ivory, which was confirmed through DNA analysis. There was also clear distinction of African elephant ivory parts from the bone and dentine samples from other species, as shown through PCA and discriminant analyses. These preliminary results establish volatilome profiling through GC×GC-TOFMS as a novel screening method used for the identification of unknown wildlife contraband.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145371