Abstract
Sampling of ignitable liquids such as gasoline and kerosene deposited on arsonist's or robber's hands was studied using headspace-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The sampling of the ignitable liquids was carried out by rubbing in four manners of a dry oil sorbent sheet made of nonwoven polypropylene fiber, the oil sorbent sheet wetted with ethanol, dry cotton gauze, and the gauze wetted with ethanol. The analytical results revealed that the sorbents, the oil sorbent sheet and the gauze, wetted with ethanol could extend the term of detection of ignitable liquids deposited on a finger in comparison with the dry sorbents. Kerosene traces were detected up to more than 6 hours after the initial amount of 100 μl was deposited on fingers of three subjects. Gasoline traces were detected up until 30 min at the longest after the initial amount of 100 μl was deposited on their fingers. Sampling method by sorbents wetted with ethanol proposed in this study was suitable for collection of kerosene from hands, while it was unsuitable for that of gasoline. Kerosene deposited on fingers of three subjects was detected by our method even if their fingers were soaped or washed with water. The oil sorbent sheet is suitable for long-term preservation of ignitable liquids such as kerosene because it can control its volatility much longer than the gauze.
