NCJ Number
206382
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 49 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2004 Pages: 560-565
Date Published
May 2004
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the principles and practice of a simple laboratory incubation method that can be used to quantify the effect of environmental and edaphic (chemical and physical characteristics) variables on muscle tissue decomposition in soil.
Abstract
This work is an initial attempt at formulating a model that can be used to explain the complex processes associated with postburial decomposition of a body. The mass loss of muscle tissue can provide an estimate of its decomposition as a substrate. Determination of mass loss permits the assessment of the effect of environmental parameters on muscle tissue decomposition in soil. The soil used in the current study was a sandy loam of the Fyfield series from Lindens Farm, East Lulworth, Dorset, England. Biophysiochemical characteristics were determined to characterize the soil. Preliminary work was then undertaken to standardize soil moisture and determine soil microbial decomposition characteristics. Organic lamb skeletal muscle tissue was selected as a human muscle tissue analogue. The description of material preparation addresses the standardizing of soil moisture and soil microbial decomposition characteristics. An experiment was conducted to measure the effect of temperature on muscle tissue decomposition in soil. The findings show that muscle tissue decomposed more rapidly at warmer temperatures, confirming what has been reported in the existing literature. The rate of mass loss decreased over time, possibly because of the loss of readily available substrate and the formation of stable humic substances that resist decomposition. All buried muscle tissue samples showed changes in carbon and nitrogen content at the end of the experiment. A significant correlation was found between the loss of muscle tissue-derived carbon and microbially-respired carbon, thus indicating that carbon dioxide respiration may be used to predict mass loss and hence biodegradation. The method described is recommended by the authors as a useful tool for determining the effect of environmental variables on the rate of decomposition of various tissues and associated materials. 6 figures, 1 table, and 43 references