The effect of ageing on scent profiles from explosive materials used in detection dog training

The use of explosives detection dogs is one of the most effective sensors to detect explosives. Dogs are usually trained using scents from small quantities of explosive materials. These materials are stored in closed containers to preserve the scent profile. However, it is unclear whether this method representatively capture scents encountered during authentic conditions. Today, there is a knowledge gap of how scent profiles are affected over time and during storage. The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge of how scent profiles are affected over time both qualitatively and quantitatively. The chemical characteristics from aged (open storage) and new (closed storage) materials was then compared to the ability of a number of detection dogs to alert. Results showed that the scent profiles of all studied explosive materials were both qualitatively and quantitatively affected by aging. Further, results from the dog training tests showed that there was a significant difference in response to aged (open) and new (closed) materials. Overall, the study presents data indicating that training should be complemented with materials affected by different degrees of aging.