Will defining the smell of death support the work of rescuers?

Australian scientists have analyzed how the body odor of deceased people changes within 72 hours of death. Their findings could facilitate searches in disaster areas. Two types of dogs are used at disaster sites:

• those who track the scent of humans and look for survivors,
• dogs that are supposed to sniff out the smell of decomposing corpses.

However, determining when to use one dog over another can be challenging. A discovery by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney will help determine which dogs to send to the right accident scene. 43 hours after death is crucial The analysis was conducted on pig carcasses. Why pigs? Because they are physiologically similar to humans. The key moment turned out to be the 43rd hour after death. The composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) changed over time. The odor structure before 43 hours differed significantly from that after 43 hours. According to the researchers, these hours mark the moment when the odor transforms from a antemortem to a postmortem profile. 105 volatile organic compounds In the summer, the carcasses of three pigs were placed on the ground. As the bodies decomposed, Prue Armstrong's team sampled the emitted odor several times a day. They used a gas chromatograph-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (GC-GC-TOF-MS) for analysis. The odor of decomposition was determined to be 105 volatile organic compounds. Several classes of compounds contained the highest concentrations of nitrogen, sulfur, and esters. The Australians continued their research during winter. Where will this discovery be useful? Thanks to these experiments, it will be possible to detect victims of natural disasters and find lost bodies in the forest or bush, and even identify hidden graves.