2004 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 65-70
The purpose of this study is to apply coumarin as an oil marker to discriminate oils in forensic sciences. Phthalate esters and diethyl ethereal extracts of polyvinyl chloride covers of electric cords, which contain the compounds as plasticizers, were tested for coumarin using fluorescence spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector. The analytical results showed that coumarin was detected as a trace of impurity in the phthalate esters such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and the concentrated extracts of the covers of the cords. Accordingly, coumarin must not be used as the oil marker for forensic discrimination of kerosene, gas oil, and fuel oil A when the solvent extracts of plastics containing phthalate esters are concentrated and analyzed for proof of arson caused by use of the oils. However, coumarin can be applied as the oil marker to liquid oil samples analyzable without extracting and concentrating because the compound is not detected as an impurity in the samples.
