Informe de Caso HUman sCenT deTeCTIon: a reVIeW of ITs deVeLoPmenTs and forensIC aPPLICaTIons

Human scent evidence can be of critical use in many cases where other types of evidence such as DNA, fingerprints, or fibers are not available. The use of canines within the area of law enforcement scent detection and forensic science often involves locating general human scent but is increasingly related to their ability to correctly match a human scent sample with its originating subject. Various challenges that have surfaced in courts of law across the United States relate to the validity and efficiency of this technique that employs biological detectors to alert to specific human scent. Additional concerns correspond to the actual human scent composition and its ability to transfer and be detected by the canine at different locations. There is little information as to the specific odor signatures the canine is alerting to when it makes a positive scent match with a subject. Until recently, studies of human odor have been focused mainly in the composition of human sweat or body malodors rather than the total volatile odor chemicals that emanate from humans. This article is a review covering the challenges and usefulness of scent-discriminating canine/handler teams and discusses various factors and theories of how human odor is produced, collected and used as a potential marker for individuality.