Sniffing out the dead- an amazing innovation in forensic science

        I think that anyone who has ever watched a TV show like CSI or NCIS has probably seen a scene were the police ( investigators, lab techs, etc.) are looking for a body using dogs or some sort of other search method. This is definitely not easy to do particularly if you don't know were to look as there are so many factors that influence the various methods used. Recently Dr. Arpad Vass, who, according to the articles I read, works for the Oak Ridges National Laboratory, has developed a machine called LABRADOR to help with this problem

What is it?
         LABRADOR is short for light weight analyzer for buried remains and decomposition odor recognition. It can be used says Dr. Vass, to detect 30 different classes of chemicals that are omitted by dead, decaying bodies using 12 different sensors located in the end of the apparatus which "looks like a metal detector but contains a box at the end that collects air samples." The article explains that it can be used to "sniff out" dead bodies much like police would with dogs only better.


Does it work?
       In order for this to be a truly viable method it needs to work accurately and sensitively, be easy to use, and actually do what it is supposed to do. According to the article LABRADOR can detect chemical signals at concentrations that cadaver dogs are unable to detect and, according to  Dr. Vass and his colleague's research paper, it is sensitive enough to not only detect the difference between narcotics, explosives, and decaying bodies but can also detect the difference between the decaying body of an animal, in this case a pig, and a decaying human body.


      It has been used in at least one case to find a girl, according to the article, who had been missing since 2001. They were able, using LABRADOR to began digging within 15m. of were she was eventually found. LABRADOR is also lightweight and essentially requires the user to carry it around. According to Dr. Vass's research article it can easily be handled by a single person. I would say based on this that it works well and could eventually be widely used for various things though it is not as of now in wide spread use.


      Dr. Vass also says that LABRADOR can detect concentrations of chemicals, something that a cadaver dog cannot do. A dog can only tell if a chemical is present or not. Knowing the concentration of the chemical in a certain area can make it easier to find the precise location of a dead body. The higher the concentration of the chemicals in an area the more likely the body is to be there. The technology in LABRADOR will make finding an exact location of a body much easier. Knowing the concentration of certain chemicals can also give you an idea of time since death which is very important in any investigation were foul play is suspected. Since LABRADOR can do this it can eliminate some of the extra testing that would have to be done if you were only using cadaver dogs.


How about cost?
        The LABRADOR is extremely inexpensive when you look at the cost of most other forensic equipment. For instance a mass spectrometer, when I looked up prices on Google, could cost as much as a couple hundred thousand dollars. The LABRADOR should cost $1000-$1500 which is pretty cheap when you think about it. This makes it a viable option for even smaller police departments. It also would likely be a cheaper option than buying and caring for multiple cadaver dogs for the duration of their lives.


     Overall I think this is a really neat piece of technology that seems to work really well and with the price being what it is could reasonably be used by a lot of law enforcement agencies to help them solve crimes. I think judging by what I have read that it could possible be used to detect things other than dead bodies such as drugs for instance. I think this is a really neat piece of machinery. I also consider Dr. Vass to be a great person to look at this as I have read of his other research on decomposition and the chemicals it produces at the Body Farm in Knoxville, TN.

Dr. Arpad Vass

Here are the links to the two articles that I looked at if you are interested in more
information:

     http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/three-advances-forensic.html
     https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/231197.pdf