ASTM E1618
Definition
Standard Test Method for Ignitable Liquid Residues in Extracts from Fire Debris Samples by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The active analytical standard defining petroleum distillate classes and requiring pattern recognition by TIC and extracted ion profiles. Superseded the withdrawn ASTM E1387 (withdrawn 2010).
- Current edition
- 2022
- Analytical method
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
- Supersedes
- ASTM E1387 (withdrawn 2010)
Common questions
What does ASTM E1618 actually test for in fire debris samples?+
ASTM E1618 is the standard method for identifying ignitable liquid residues (like accelerants) in fire debris using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). It tells you whether and what kind of flammable liquid was present in a burned sample.
How does the standard classify ignitable liquids?+
ASTM E1618 defines a set of product classes and uses pattern recognition to sort a sample into one of them. The patterns come from extracted ion profiles and total ion chromatography (TIC), which are compared against reference profiles in the standard.
Why is ASTM E1618 important for fire investigations?+
It is the analytical benchmark used by accredited fire debris laboratories worldwide, including in the US, UK, and internationally. When a lab reports finding an accelerant, they are using ASTM E1618 as the reference method to make that conclusion defensible.
Related terms
- Daubert Standard
- The US federal evidentiary standard (Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 1993) requiring that expert testimony be based on scientifically valid methods with...
- Extracted Ion Profile (EIP)
- A GC-MS chromatographic display plotting only ions of a specified m/z value against retention time, effectively filtering out all compounds that do...
- Negative Corpus
- The discredited practice of concluding incendiary fire cause by eliminating all identifiable accidental causes without positive physical evidence of intentional fire-setting. NFPA...
- NFPA 921
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- Passive Headspace Concentration (PHC)
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- Unresolved Complex Mixture (UCM)
- The broad hump of hundreds of co-eluting cycloalkane and isoalkane compounds in the TIC of heavy petroleum products (diesel, heavy fuel oil,...
- 360-Degree Imaging
- Panoramic imaging systems (Matterport, Leica RTC360, FARO Focus) producing navigable point clouds and photospheres of fire scenes, enabling retrospective measurement and remote...
- ABE Guidance
- Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings, the UK guidance framework published by the Ministry of Justice governing how investigators should conduct interviews...
- Annealing
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- Arc Bead
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- ASTM E2154
- Standard Practice for Passive Headspace Concentration with Activated Charcoal. The most widely used extraction method for volatile ILR components from sealed fire...
- BSA 2023 / IEA Section 45
- The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 Section 39 (formerly Indian Evidence Act Section 45) governs expert opinion admissibility in India: opinions of persons...
Explained in these topics
- Accelerant Detection: ASTM E1387 / E1618 and Passive Headspace ConcentrationStandard Test Method for Ignitable Liquid Residues in Extracts from Fire Debris Samples by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The active analytical standard...
- Fire Debris Analysis: GC-MS and ASTM E1618 Pattern RecognitionStandard guide for ignitable liquid residue analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Defines eight ignitable liquid categories and the pattern...
- Fire Scene Examination and the NFPA 921 Systematic MethodologyThe ASTM International standard test method for the identification of ignitable liquid residues in fire debris samples by GC/MS; the analytical benchmark for a...
- Origin and Cause: V-Patterns, Char Depth, Electrical IndicatorsThe ASTM International standard test method for identification of ignitable liquid residues in fire debris samples by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; the...
- Standards, Accreditation and Admissibility in Fire and ExplosivesStandard Guide for Ignitable Liquid Residue Analysis by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Defines nine ILR product classes with reference chromatogram prof...