ABSTRACT:The aim of this pilot study was to investigate compositional changes in bone during decomposition. Elemental concentrations of barium, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus in porcine bone (as an experimental analog for human bone) were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The samples were taken from porcine bone subjected to shallow burial and surface depositions at 28-day intervals for a period of 140 days. Results indicated that ICP-OES elemental profiling has potential to be developed as a forensic test for determining whether a bone sample originates from the early stages of soft tissue putrefaction. Significant changes in iron, sodium and potassium concentrations were found over 140 days. These elements are known to be primarily associated with proteins and/or tissue fluids within the bone. Changes in their respective concentrations may therefore be linked to dehydration over time and in turn may be indicative of time since deposition.

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The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether collagen and/or water content of bone vary during soft tissue putrefaction by thermogravimetric analysis with a view to eventually developing a possible forensic application to determine postmortem interval. Porcine bone decomposed in a shallow burial showed an approximate difference in average mass loss of 15 +/-8% when heated between 22 and 100˚C, compared to 14 +/-3% for porcine bone decomposed in a surface deposition, equating to water loss. Mass loss showed peaks at 0, 250-500 and 1200-1500 cumulative cooling degree days' (CCDD) deposition for the experimental porcine bone. Should these measurements prove consistent in future studies on a wider variety of porcine and eventually human skeletal elements, they may have potential to be corroborated with other data when determining post-mortem interval, especially with disarticulated bones. A downward trend in mass loss was apparent within shallow burial and surface deposition scenarios (inclusive of freeze dried controls) for the thermolysis of collagen (and other proteins) between 220 and 650˚C during thermogravimetric analysis. This was inconsistent within the timeframe examined (0-1450 cumulative cooling degree days), and so demonstrates less potential as an indicator of post-mortem interval during soft tissue putrefaction.

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