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TG-MS analysis of the thermal decomposition of pig bone for forensic applications

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Abstract

In order to investigate the potential of thermal analysis for the determination of post-mortem age, rib bone specimens were collected from the remains of a number of slaughtered pigs that were allowed to decompose in the Australian bush in a controlled site under a range of conditions for time periods ranging from 1 to 5 years. The bone specimens were cut in cross-section with the compact bone collected for analysis. TG-MS curves were collected by heating bone samples to 1100°C in an argon atmosphere. The TG-MS data showed significant differences for the pig bone specimens derived from the different environments and showed trends in peak size correlating with age. The reported data suggest that TG-MS has significant potential for the identification of origin as well as the ageing of skeletal remains in a forensic context.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Materials and Forensic Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia

    A. Onishi, P. S. Thomas & J. P. Guerbois

  2. Centre for Forensic Science, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia

    B. H. Stuart

  3. Faculty of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe St North, Oshawa, ON, L1H 7K4, Canada

    S. L. Forbes

Authors
  1. A. Onishi
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  2. P. S. Thomas
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  3. B. H. Stuart
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  4. J. P. Guerbois
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  5. S. L. Forbes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. S. Thomas.

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Onishi, A., Thomas, P.S., Stuart, B.H. et al. TG-MS analysis of the thermal decomposition of pig bone for forensic applications. J Therm Anal Calorim 92, 87–90 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-007-8741-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-007-8741-0

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