Citation

Peschier LJC, Grutters MMP, Hendrikse JN. J. Forensic Sci. 2018; 63(2): 420-430.

Affiliation

Netherlands Forensic Institute, P.O. Box 24044, 2490 AA, The Hague, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.13563

PMID

28556928

Abstract

The characteristic that discriminates gasoline from other ignitable liquids is that it contains high-octane blending components. This study elaborates on the idea that the presence of gasoline in fire debris samples should be based on the detection of known high-octane blending components. The potential of the high-octane blending component alkylate as a characteristic feature for gasoline detection and identification in fire debris samples is explored. We have devised characteristic features for the detection of alkylate and verified the presence of alkylate in a large collection of gasoline samples from petrol stations in the Netherlands. Alkylate was detected in the vast majority of the samples. It is demonstrated that alkylate can be detected in fire debris samples that contain traces of gasoline by means of routine GC-MS methods. Detection of alkylate, alongside other gasoline blend components, results in a more solid foundation for gasoline detection and identification in fire debris samples.

© 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Language: en

Keywords

alkylate; classification; fire debris analysis; forensic science; gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; gasoline; ignitable liquids