Publication: Effect of plastic wrapping on rate of decomposition
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Date
2026-02
Authors
Serene, Chew
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Abstract
In real forensic casework, human remains are sometimes covered with materials to conceal the body or complicate police investigations. However, limited research has focused on plastic coverings that create an airtight microenvironment and their effects on decomposition processes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of plastic wrapping on the rate of decomposition under natural environmental conditions. Two pork samples weighing 500g each were used as a human analogue, and transparent stretch film was selected as the wrapping material. Two experimental replicates were conducted under outdoor tropical conditions, each consisting of a control pork sample and a wrapped pork sample enclosed in three layers of stretch film. The wrapped samples exhibited delayed decomposition, with an eight-day delay in the first cycle and a three-day delay in the second cycle, particularly during the active decay and advanced decay stages, while progression to the dry stage was not observed. In addition, oviposition was delayed by one day, and complete fly development was prolonged in the wrapped samples, with the life cycle completed in approximately 12 days in the control samples compared to approximately 18 days in the plastic-wrapped samples. Three fly species were recorded throughout the study: Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya rufifacies, and Sarcophaga sp. These findings provide a framework for understanding how plastic wrapping alters decomposition dynamics and insect activity, which is critical for accurate post-mortem interval estimation in cases involving concealed remains.
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