Experimental conference: analytical chemistry and scents

With :
Jérôme VIAL, ESPCI Paris-PSL
Vincent CUZUEL, Institut de Recherche Criminelle de la Gendarmerie Nationale

Modern analytical techniques, including two-dimensional chromatography, allow the separation of chemical constituents from complex mixtures and the study of the olfactory imprint.

This olfactory imprint is intended to become a new tool for the forensic police in their investigations.

With the popularization of classic investigation techniques (seen in films and TV series), criminals have become increasingly cautious and it is now becoming difficult to find fingerprints or DNA at certain crime scenes. However, what they will never be able to mask is their personal scent. We were able to sample that scent. We validate this sample with sniffer dogs, and we can analyze it with two-dimensional chromatography. An adapted statistical treatment is now essential to be able to use that imprint.