Detection of gasoline residues on household materials up to 60 days: Comparison of two extinguishing methods

Abstract

Detection of ignitable liquid residues in a fire scene is essential for determining the origin. Although studies are focused on the detection of residues of accelerants depending on time or matrices, the time-dependent effect of the water extinguishing method in a fire has not yet been investigated. Experimental studies are needed to determine how long ignitable liquid residues can be detected in water-extinguished evidence compared to the smothering method. In this study, the effects of both extinguishing methods on gasoline residues were investigated after burning of carpet, sofa fabric, tablecloth, and towel by Solid Phase Micro Extraction- Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) technique. Four mandatory and 14 additional compounds were considered to prove the gasoline residue after the monitoring of possible interferences. Results showed that gasoline residues on the burned carpet and sofa fabric samples were successfully detected in both extinguishing methods up to 60 and 30 days after fire exposure, respectively due to multi-layered structures of related substrates. Additionally, the prolonged detection time of the water-extinguishing method made it particularly beneficial for single-layered products like tablecloths, where gasoline residues were found after an hour in this substrate. This is the first study investigating the effects of the extinguishing methods depending on time for textile products, which are the most used materials in houses. In addition, the fact that acrylamide-containing sofa fabric was investigated for the first time and that gasoline residues in carpet samples can be detected up to 60 days makes this study stand out.