A place to ask questions and add to probative and informative discussions associated with the various aspects of the field of fire investigation. -- FORUM RULES---BE CIVIL AND NO NAME CALLING, NO BELITTLING, NO BERATING, NO DENIGRATING others. Postings in violation of these rules can be removed or editted to remove the offending remarks at the discretion of the moderators and/or site administrator.
Re: Kristine Bunch
Posted by:
Mark Goodson (IP Logged)
Date: August 12, 2012 01:37PM
In trying to determine Blood ethanol from breath ethanol levels, by legislative fiat the government has declared that everyone has a partition coefficient of 2100. Yet, we all know that the number varies between about 1500 and 3000. '
This variability is the problem with Coburn Forster Kane. You have to assume a Haldane constant, You have to assume a blood mass based on body mass. You assume a certain partial pressure of CO - never mind that the CO is changing, and that as ventilation changes, so will atmospheric CO concentration. How much body weight was lost in the fire, and was it muscle or adipose tissue or dermis? Was the deecent impaired by conditions that would alter CO uptake?
I tried this stuff in the 1980's. It was a difficult task then. Even with matlab or similar programs, I see huge problems, given the assumptions that have to be made. My examp0les were persons who died from fugitive CO with no thermal destruction of the body.