Urine Identification by FTIR

Identification by FTIR, a case study

A homeowner was in great distress due to a liquid dripping into the basement of their duplex home.  A local government code enforcer called our laboratory after trying to enlist the aid of several other laboratories to identify the vile liquid.  The homeowner believed it was the urine of four dogs owned by the neighbor on the other side of the duplex home.  We determined that the best course of action was identification by FTIR. Our analysis of this liquid was performed over the 4th of July weekend so that only Dr. Charles Anderson had to smell the incredibly vile single drop of unknown liquid that was analyzed by FTIR both as a liquid and as a dried residue from that drop of liquid.

The report to the homeowner and to the local government code enforcement official is provided here with their permission:  Urine Report FTIR

Here is a summary of the conclusions we reached through identification by FTIR: 

  • The liquid was primarily water, but it contained other constituents, some of which appear to be of a denser nature and tend to clump together, making small lumps in the liquid.
  • The liquid had many organic materials in it, including proteins, which is expected for urine samples. The dried residue was rich in amine bonds, carboxyl bonds, and amino acids, consistent with urine content.
  • This liquid was said to have traveled over flooring materials and surely did pick up some additional chemicals leached from those materials along the way. In addition, the time the liquid spent in the flooring is likely to have been extended, which has aging consequences and may have brought it under the action of urine utilizing bacteria or fungi.
  • Through identification by FTIR, the similarity of the liquid residue to that of a fresh human urine residue sample was thought close enough to justify the rational conclusion that this liquid is
    primarily due to urine.
Picture of a jar of orange-ish liquid with some particles on the inner sides of the jar identified through FTIR analysis.
A customer supplied this liquid sample to us fearing it was canine urine. Through FTIR analysis, we were able to notify our customer that the sample was most likely urine.

Have unique identification needs? Reach out to us, and let’s discuss your issues. We’re here to help you find the perfect solution for your concerns.