Abstract:
Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared spectroscopy has been used to characterise pig
adipocere formation. The compositions of adipocere samples obtained by burial of pig
adipose tissue in soil and in mock coffins were compared with that of the original adipose
tissue using this technique. The ATR spectra show that bands due to triglyceride and fatty
acid C=O stretching are particularly useful for monitoring the changes in adipocere
formation. The technique is able to be used to investigate how the burial environment affects
the rate of adipocere formation and supports the results of earlier GC-MS and diffuse reflectance infrared studies. ATR spectroscopy has also been demonstrated to have the
advantage of convenient sample preparation.
