Investigation of post-mortem lipids in textiles associated with decomposing remains

Collins, Sharni E.

Investigation of post-mortem lipids in textiles associated with decomposing remains

Collins, Sharni E.

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2023

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Collins, Sharni E.
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-21T23:18:38Z
dc.date.available	2024-04-21T23:18:38Z
dc.date.issued	2023
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/178153
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Science.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	After death, the human body undergoes decomposition, releasing fluids comprising water, protein, lipids, carbohydrates and minerals into the surrounding environment. Lipids, due to their hydrophobic nature, can endure harsh conditions, longer than other decomposition components. Archaeologists have thus targeted lipids in a variety of matrices, including clothing, to reconstruct the history of human civilization across the globe. In a forensic context, clothing at crime scenes is crucial evidence, and applying archaeological lipid analysis can assist investigators in complex death investigations, aiding in event reconstruction and time since death estimations. To study post-mortem lipids in textiles, pig and human remains were clothed and left to decompose at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER). Clothing samples were initially analyzed using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Further lipid profile elucidation was conducted through gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) on extracted samples. This project demonstrated the utility of post-mortem lipids in conjunction with decomposition timelines, additionally uncovering interspecies differences. Lipids in textiles show promise in forensic science, offering an additional avenue for estimating time since death and providing crucial insights for solving cases involving human remains.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (PhD)
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/178153/1/thesis.pdf
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	© 2023 Sharni E. Collins
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/cph
dc.title	Investigation of post-mortem lipids in textiles associated with decomposing remains	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

After death, the human body undergoes decomposition, releasing fluids comprising water, protein, lipids, carbohydrates and minerals into the surrounding environment. Lipids, due to their hydrophobic nature, can endure harsh conditions, longer than other decomposition components. Archaeologists have thus targeted lipids in a variety of matrices, including clothing, to reconstruct the history of human civilization across the globe. In a forensic context, clothing at crime scenes is crucial evidence, and applying archaeological lipid analysis can assist investigators in complex death investigations, aiding in event reconstruction and time since death estimations. To study post-mortem lipids in textiles, pig and human remains were clothed and left to decompose at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER). Clothing samples were initially analyzed using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Further lipid profile elucidation was conducted through gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) on extracted samples. This project demonstrated the utility of post-mortem lipids in conjunction with decomposition timelines, additionally uncovering interspecies differences. Lipids in textiles show promise in forensic science, offering an additional avenue for estimating time since death and providing crucial insights for solving cases involving human remains.

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