NCJ Number
42555
Date Published
1977
Length
23 pages
Annotation
THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW INDICATES THAT WHILE SIX ARSON INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES EXIST, THEY ARE NOT FULLY DEVELOPED OR RESEARCHED. BETTER EQUIPMENT AND METHODS ARE NEEDED; A BIBLIOGRAPHY ALSO IS INCLUDED.
Abstract
THE MINIMAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON ARSON THAT IS DONE TODAY IS SPORADIC AND YIELDS LITTLE INFORMATION FOR SUPPORTING AND UPGRADING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE. ALMOST ALL SCIENTIFIC APPARATUS USED IN ARSON INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN ADAPTED TO ARSON FROM SOME OTHER DISCIPLINE. SIX ARSON INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES ARE DISCUSSED HERE: (1) GAS CHROMOTOGRAPH-MASS SPECTROMETER ANALYSIS OF HEADSPACE GAS FOR TYPE AND DISTRIBUTION OF HYDROCARBONS; (2) INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF EXTRACTS AND DISTILLATES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF HYDROCARBONS, ESPECIALLY AROMATICS; (3) ENERGY-DISPERSIVE X-RAY ANALYSIS FOR DETECTING LEAD AND BROMINE; (4) GAS-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH CAPILLARY COLUMN FOR HYDROCARBON IDENTIFICATION BY PATTERN MATCHING; (5) NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY FOR AROMATIC-ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBON CONTENT AND BRANCHING INDEXES; AND (6) THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION OF GASOLINE DYE COMPONENTS. THESE TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN ONLY SUPERFICIALLY RESEARCHED. MORE AND NEW BASIC INFORMATION IS NEEDED FOR IDENTIFYING AND COLLECTING RESIDUES AND OTHER EVIDENTIARY BURNING REMAINS TO KEEP PACE WITH ARSONISTS WHO ARE USING NEW TYPES OF INCENDIARY DEVICES. THE BIBLIOGRAPHY CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY 450 TITLES OF ENGLISH-LANGUAGE MATERIAL PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1934-1976. THE ENTRIES ARE ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY BY AUTHOR AND REFER TO JOURNAL ARTICLES, BOOKS, AND REPORTS.