ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 September 2004
Page Count: 4

Improved Method for the Detection of TATP After Explosion
Levy, A
Division of Identification and Forensic Science, Israel Police Headquarters, Israel

Muller, D
Division of Identification and Forensic Science, Israel Police Headquarters, Israel

Sonenfeld, D
Division of Identification and Forensic Science, Israel Police Headquarters, Israel

Shelef, R
Division of Identification and Forensic Science, Israel Police Headquarters, Israel

Abramovich-Bar, S
Division of Identification and Forensic Science, Israel Police Headquarters, Israel

Tamiri, T
Division of Identification and Forensic Science, Israel Police Headquarters, Israel

(Received 13 January 2003; accepted 28 March 2004)

Abstract

TATP in post explosion exhibits was reported earlier to be best recovered from vapor phase. A typical procedure includes its adsorption on Amberlite XAD-7, elution with acetonitrile and analysis by GC/MS. In this work, improved recovery of TATP from the vapor phase was achieved by SPME using PDMS/DVB fiber and immediate sampling to GC/MS. The recovery of TATP by SPME was compared with headspace and with adsorption on Amberlite XAD-7 by spiking onto filter paper put in a 100 mL beaker. The limit of detection of TATP was 6.4 ng in these conditions, few orders magnitude more than in the other tested methods. Recovery of TATP in the presence of various solvents was also studied. Acetone, water, and mixtures of water:alcohols (1:1) were found to reduce the recovery of TATP. Using SPME, TATP has been identified in dozens of post-explosion cases.

Keywords:
forensic science, post-explosion analysis, triacetone triperoxide, solid-phase microextraction, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, headspace, adsorption

Paper ID: JFS2003003
DOI: 10.1520/JFS2003003
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