AI Article Synopsis
- ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil) is commonly used for civil purposes but has been misused in criminal acts like ATM explosions in Brazil.
- This study utilizes advanced mass spectrometry techniques, including FT-ICR and EASI-MS, to analyze ANFO and identify its main components (diesel and nitrate explosive) and an ion marker specifically for ANFO.
- The research demonstrates the successful detection of the ANFO ion marker on banknotes that were at crime scenes, showcasing a method to link explosives to criminal activities.
Article Abstract
Ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) is an explosive used in many civil applications. In Brazil, ANFO has unfortunately also been used in criminal attacks, mainly in automated teller machine (ATM) explosions. In this paper, we describe a detailed characterization of the ANFO composition and its two main constituents (diesel and a nitrate explosive) using high resolution and accuracy mass spectrometry performed on an FT-ICR-mass spectrometer with electrospray ionization (ESI(±)-FTMS) in both the positive and negative ion modes. Via ESI(-)-MS, an ion marker for ANFO was characterized. Using a direct and simple ambient desorption/ionization technique, i.e., easy ambient sonic-spray ionization mass spectrometry (EASI-MS), in a simpler, lower accuracy but robust single quadrupole mass spectrometer, the ANFO ion marker was directly detected from the surface of banknotes collected from ATM explosion theft.
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Article Synopsis
- ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil) is commonly used for civil purposes but has been misused in criminal acts like ATM explosions in Brazil.
- This study utilizes advanced mass spectrometry techniques, including FT-ICR and EASI-MS, to analyze ANFO and identify its main components (diesel and nitrate explosive) and an ion marker specifically for ANFO.
- The research demonstrates the successful detection of the ANFO ion marker on banknotes that were at crime scenes, showcasing a method to link explosives to criminal activities.
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