Using Ninhydrin to Detect Gravesoil*
Abstract: Some death scene investigations commence without knowledge of the location of the body and/or decomposition site. In these cases, it is necessary to locate the remains or the site where the body decomposed prior to movement. We hypothesized that the burial of a mammalian cadaver will resul...
| Published in: | Journal of Forensic Sciences |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2008
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00681.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1556-4029.2008.00681.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00681.x |
| Summary: | Abstract: Some death scene investigations commence without knowledge of the location of the body and/or decomposition site. In these cases, it is necessary to locate the remains or the site where the body decomposed prior to movement. We hypothesized that the burial of a mammalian cadaver will result in the release of ninhydrin reactive nitrogen (NRN) into associated soil and that this reaction might have potential as a tool for the identification of clandestine graves. Juvenile rat ( Rattus rattus ) cadavers were buried in three contrasting soil types in Australian tropical savanna ecosystems and allowed to decompose over a period of 28 days. Soils were sequentially harvested and analyzed for NRN. Cadaver burial resulted in an approximate doubling (mean = 1.7 ± 0.1) in the concentration of soil NRN. This reaction has great potential to be used as a presumptive test for gravesoil and this use might be greatly enhanced following more detailed research. |
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