Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jul;137(4):1051-1057.
doi: 10.1007/s00414-023-02997-0. Epub 2023 Apr 13.

Water-related atmospheric agents and solubility: two parameters of validation in toxicological screening on clothing worn by skeletal remains

Gaia Giordano  1 , Giulia Caccia  2   3 , Michele Boracchi  2 , Francesco Sardanelli  2 , Cristina Cattaneo  2 , Domenico Di Candia  2
Affiliations

Water-related atmospheric agents and solubility: two parameters of validation in toxicological screening on clothing worn by skeletal remains

Gaia Giordano et al. Int J Legal Med. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

In forensic toxicology, when conventional matrices are no longer available, alternative matrices can be used to assess toxicological investigations. Clothes worn by skeletal remains may be a good unconventional matrix for toxicological analyses considering that they have absorbed decomposition fluids and blood from a body. We hypothesized a scenario in which a skeleton, wearing clothes, was discovered in an open environment. From this starting point, an experimental study was developed on different textiles (cotton, wool, and polyester) to evaluate whether water-related atmospheric agents and molecule solubility can largely influence the detection of molecules of toxicological interest on this specific matrix, together with the characteristics of different garments chosen. The experimental study was performed on blood spots, previously spiked with 6-monoacetylmorphine and morphine, accurately placed on different textiles and washed with different quantities of deionized water adjusted at pH 5.6 with formic acid to simulate different rainfall conditions. Toxicological analyses were performed via Solid-Phase Extraction and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry analyses (Thermo Scientific™ TSQ Fortis™ II Triple-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer). From the experimental study morphine could not be detected on 100% cotton and 100% wool fabric after the passing of 500 mL of deionized water and in 100% synthetic polyester textile after washing with 250 mL of deionized water. In conclusion, when toxicological analyses are carried out on unconventional matrices as textiles worn by corpses exposed to different environmental conditions, it is of great importance, in using such substrates as evidence for the presence of molecules of toxicological interest, to evaluate chemical-physical characteristics of each analyte under investigation in order to correctly interpret the toxicological data obtained.

Keywords: Fabrics remains as toxicological matrix; Molecules solubility; Rainfall intensities; Rainfall simulation; Toxicological analyses on skeletal remains.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic representation of study plan
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Representation of blood spots located on 1 square meter of textile
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Giordano G, Biehler-Gomez L, Seneci P et al (2021) Detecting drugs in dry bone : a pilot study of skeletal remains with a post-mortem interval over 23 years. Int J Legal Med :19–23. 10.1007/s00414-020-02494-8 - PubMed
    1. Bévalot F, Cartiser N, Bottinelli C, et al. State of the art in bile analysis in forensic toxicology. Forensic Sci Int. 2016;259:133–154. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.10.034. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dinis-Oliveira RJ, Carvalho F, Duarte JA, et al. Collection of biological samples in forensic toxicology. Toxicol Mech Methods. 2010;20:363–414. doi: 10.3109/15376516.2010.497976. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wiart JF, Hakim F, Andry A, et al. Pitfalls of toxicological investigations in hair, bones, and nails in extensively decomposed bodies: illustration with two cases. Int J Legal Med. 2020;134:1339–1344. doi: 10.1007/S00414-020-02267-3/TABLES/4. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Franceschetti L, Di Candia D, Giordano G et al (2020) Drugs in bone: Detectability of substances of toxicological interest in different states of preservation. J Forensic Sci :1–10. 10.1111/1556-4029.14636 - PubMed