# Catch me if you can—emission patterns of human bodies in relation to postmortem changes

## TL;DR

This study analyzes the emission patterns and odors of decomposing human bodies, identifying key compounds and highlighting the importance of studying full corpses in body bags.

## Contribution

The first study to analyze emission patterns of complete human corpses across decomposition stages using body bags as a realistic test environment.

## Key findings

- Sulfurous compounds like dimethyl di- and trisulfide were most important for odor perception.
- Over 350 organic substances were detected, including terpenes, sulfurous, and nitrogenous compounds.
- No correlation was found between emission patterns, decomposition stage, or cause of death.

## Abstract

The present study examines for the first time the emission patterns and olfactory signatures of 9 complete human corpses of different stages of decomposition. Air sampling was performed inside the body bags with solid sorbents and analysed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after thermal desorption (TD-GC-MS). Furthermore, odour-related substances were detected by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O). Sulfurous compounds (mainly dimethyl di- and trisulfide) were identified as most important to the odour perception. Around 350 individual organic substances were detected by TD-GC-MS, notably sulfurous and nitrogenous substances as well as branched alkanes, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters and ethers. A range of terpenes was detected for the first time in a characteristic emission pattern over all decomposition stages. Concentrations of the substances varied greatly, and no correlation between the emission patterns, the stage of decomposition and the cause of death could be found. While previous studies often analysed pig cadavers or only parts of human tissue, the present study shows the importance of analysing complete human corpses over a range of decomposition stages. Moreover, it is shown that using body bags as a kind of “emission test chamber” is a very promising approach, also because it is a realistic application considering the usual transport and store of a body before autopsy.