Monitoring of Selected Skin-Borne Volatile Markers of Entrapped Humans by Selective Reagent Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry in NO+ Mode

作者：Mochalski Pawel^*; Unterkofler Karl; Hinterhuber Hartmann; Amann Anton

来源：Analytical Chemistry, 2014, 86(8): 3915-3923.

DOI：10.1021/ac404242q

Selective reagent ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry with NO+ as the reagent ion (SRI-TOF-MS (NO+) was applied for near real-time monitoring of selected skin-borne constituents which are potential markers of human presence. The experimental protocol involved a group of 10 healthy volunteers enclosed in a body plethysmography chamber mimicking the entrapment environment. A total of 12 preselected omnipresent in human scent volatiles were quantitatively monitored. Among them there were six aldehydes (n-propanal, n-hexanal, n-heptanal, n-octanal, n-nonanal, and 2 methyl 2-propenal), four ketones (acetone, 2-butanone, 3-buten-2-one, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one), one hydrocarbon (2-methyl 2-pentene), and one terpene (DL-limonene). The observed median emission rates ranged from 0.28 to 44.8 nmol x person(-1) x min(-1) (16-1530 fmol x cm(-2) x min(-1)). Within the compounds under study, ketones in general and acetone in particular exhibited the highest abundances. The findings of this study provide invaluable information about formation and evolution of a human-specific chemical fingerprint, which could be used for the early location of entrapped victims during urban search and rescue operations (USaR).

• 出版日期2014-4-15