Gasoline Detection in Fire Debris Using SPME–GC–MS: Evaluating the Sampling Time Window
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Abstract
Arson is a severe criminal act that often results in significant property damage and poses challenges for forensic investigation, particularly in the recovery of physical evidence from fire debris. Gasoline is commonly used as an ignitable liquid in arson cases. This study aimed to investigate the detection of gasoline residues in burned materials and the temporal window for sample collection. Fabric piles (20 × 20 × 15 cm) were soaked with 1 liter of gasoline and ignited, allowing uncontrolled burning for approximately 30 minutes before extinguishment with water. Post-fire debris samples (1 × 1 cm) were collected in 20 mL headspace vials and analyzed using solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME–GC–MS). Ion chromatogram analysis revealed that gasoline could be identified based on the presence of characteristic peaks, including heptane, toluene, octane, ethylbenzene, xylenes, benzene derivatives, and naphthalene. Gasoline vapors were most abundant within the first 1–3 hours after extinguishment (100-30.17 % Relative Residues) but remained detectable up to 72 hours post-fire (16.82 % Relative Residues). This method demonstrates effective applicability for detecting residual gasoline in fire debris, providing a reliable approach for forensic arson investigations.
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