RESOURCES
GKA Analytical Services conducts ongoing research into fire debris related topics to assist our examiners in the field and to contribute to the knowledge base of fire investigation as a forensic discipline.
We regularly publish papers in professional journals and post technical bulletins on this. If you would like to participate in research with us, please view our current list of research topics.
A study into the long-term storage of fire debris samples archived on activated charcoal strips
03 Mar 2023
Verification of sample storage methods is required to ensure that sample material is not lost or altered over the long term. This study aims to assess the long-term storage methods used in our laboratory.
DOWNLOAD PDF >A survey of Australian petrol and diesel fuel
21 May 2020
Maintaining contemporary reference collections of ignitable liquids is important for all fire debris laboratories. A large-scale survey of fuel products will allow for current trends in composition and geographical differences to be established.
DOWNLOAD PDF >Are expert fire examiners able to identify ignitable liquids by scent better than laypersons?
11 Dec 2019
Ignitable liquids are composed of volatile organic compounds which produce varied odour profiles. This study seeks to determine whether fire examiners are able to identify liquids based on scent alone.
DOWNLOAD PDF >Investigation of kitchen exhaust duct contents
13 Nov 2018
Kitchen exhaust ducts contain a large amount of oil residues. This research project aims to examine these residues from a forensic chemistry perspective.
DOWNLOAD PDF >Creation of an animal and vegetable oil database
04 Feb 2018
Animal and vegetable oils are composed of various fatty acids. This project aims to establish a database of oil chromatograms to aid in their analysis and classification.
DOWNLOAD PDF >Analysis of the prevalence of terpenes in chewing gums
27 May 2016
Chewing gums often contain terpene compounds. The objective of this research is to assess the relevance of these terpene compounds to the fire debris analyst.
DOWNLOAD PDF >An investigation into consumption and disturbance of electrical wiring by rodent activity
06 Jul 2015
This research aims to establish the conditions under which rodents may consume or otherwise disturb electrical wiring in a building and what affect this may have on fire risk.
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