Accessibility navigation


Using ninhydrin to detect gravesoil

Carter, D. O., Yellowlees, D. and Tibbett, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0143-2190 (2008) Using ninhydrin to detect gravesoil. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 53 (2). pp. 397-400. ISSN 0022-1198

Full text not archived in this repository.

It is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work. See Guidance on citing.

To link to this item DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00681.x

Abstract/Summary

Some death scene investigations commence without knowledge of the location of the body and/or decomposition site. In these cases, it is necessary to locate the remains or the site where the body decomposed prior to movement. We hypothesized that the burial of a mammalian cadaver will result in the release of ninhydrin reactive nitrogen (NRN) into associated soil and that this reaction might have potential as a tool for the identification of clandestine graves. Juvenile rat (Rattus rattus) cadavers were buried in three contrasting soil types in Australian tropical savanna ecosystems and allowed to decompose over a period of 28 days. Soils were sequentially harvested and analyzed for NRN. Cadaver burial resulted in an approximate doubling (mean = 1.7 ± 0.1) in the concentration of soil NRN. This reaction has great potential to be used as a presumptive test for gravesoil and this use might be greatly enhanced following more detailed research.

Item Type:Article
Refereed:Yes
Divisions:Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Sustainable Land Management > Centre for Agri-environmental Research (CAER)
ID Code:44918
Publisher:Wiley-Blackwell

University Staff: Request a correction | Centaur Editors: Update this record

Page navigation