Progressive dehydration in decomposing bone: a potential tool for forensic anthropology

Walden, Steven J, Evans, Sam L ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3664-2569, Mulville, Jacqui ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9392-3693, Wilson, Karen and Board, Scott 2021. Progressive dehydration in decomposing bone: a potential tool for forensic anthropology. Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 143 , pp. 3517-3524. 10.1007/s10973-020-10144-9

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Abstract

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 post-mortem 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 time frame examined (0–1450 cumulative cooling degree days), and so demonstrates less potential as an indicator of post-mortem interval during soft tissue putrefaction.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	History, Archaeology and Religion Engineering
Publisher:	Springer Verlag (Germany) / Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN:	1388-6150
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	5 August 2020
Date of Acceptance:	31 July 2020
Last Modified:	04 Dec 2024 13:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/133954

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