Forensic odorology is a very unusual direction in science, which deals with the study of odors, and more specifically, their carriers. This case has its ultimate goal: the exposure of a person of a crime.
Any aroma is unique
Odorology is divided into two types: instrumental and cynological. In the first, the role of analyzers is performed by devices that "feel" the smell, isolate its components and record the data obtained. In canine odorology, as you might guess from the name, service dogs are used.
The information provided by the smell helps to solve the most complicated cases, find criminals and stolen things. Each of the people living on earth has its own smell, which is as unique as fingerprints. Its own "flavor" is due to the peculiarities of the sebaceous glands and the endocrine system. The smell "generated" by a person remains on any object to which he touched. Upon evaporation, these substances form a so-called odor trail, which can be stored for a very long time.
Smelling "canned food"
Saliva, dried blood stains and even a lock of hair can retain its owner's scent for decades! Personal things keep the owner's smell for several months. Objects with which an individual has been in contact for a short time, but not less than thirty minutes, retain his aroma from one to two hours.
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The smell can be easily preserved, especially if it is preserved on a rough surface or in low temperatures. This procedure has already been perfectly worked out. Small parts with a smell trace are placed in glass jars with hermetically sealed lids. Large parts are placed in a sealed PET container. If the object is bulky and cannot be carried to the laboratory, odor samples are collected using a syringe into which air is drawn from the surface of the object. Then the sample is placed in a hermetically sealed vessel.
Mukhtar is not wrong
Japanese researchers have come to the conclusion: depending on age, a person's personal "aroma" changes. Even a professionally performed plastic surgery cannot hide the age of an individual - the smell will always give him away. For example, men associate the smell of a young girl with light fruity notes, and older women associate it with a rose.
Service dogs have long been used to find fugitive criminals, smuggling, drugs and other illegal substances. The movie hero dog named Mukhtar can be considered the most famous of them.
The sense of smell of most living things is much better developed than that of humans. For example, a dog's sense of smell is thousands of times more sensitive than a human's. In a specially trained, trained dog, this quality is further enhanced. By the way, not only dogs are used on the wanted list. So in Venezuela, young male lions are looking for drugs. These animals have a much sharper sense of smell than a dog.
Benefits of an artificial nose
Unfortunately, the data that can be obtained with the help of four-legged assistants were only in isolated cases taken for truth. A live odor detector is undeniably good, but it also has its drawbacks. Nobody can explain how a dog detects this or that scent. The information received from the four-legged assistant can only be assessed subjectively. It is not possible to give her an objective description.
The dog takes only a recently left track (of course, if the criminal did not cross the reservoir). It turns out that a live odor analyzer can be used, which is called "hot on the trail," that is, immediately after the commission of a crime. Even a slight delay leads to the loss of the track.
If the secrets of "canine biodetectors" are revealed, it will be possible to create an "artificial nose". Such a device will be more useful than any Mukhtar. In addition, the "electronic nose" will have objectivity and endurance.
Explosives and Drugs Detector
"Artificial noses" are already being created by our scientists. So, for example, there is a device with which you can find a person hidden in a secluded place or even buried in the ground. And any driver knows about the breathalyzer device, which indicates the ethanol content in the blood.
After replacing biodetectors with devices that analyze odors, forensic experts were able to conduct an investigation even after a considerable period of time.
Artificial "noses" are also used to detect explosives. One of them was designed by the staff of the laboratory based in the science city of Dubna near Moscow. It was called the Explosives and Drugs Detector (DViN). This device is unique, it easily replaces several well-trained dogs. The detector is capable of detecting over thirty types of explosives, poisons and drugs. DViN recognizes highly toxic and hazardous substances in any hard-to-reach place and transmits information to the operator.