Patent ID: 8074490

Claim:
An apparatus for detecting burial sites of human remains, the apparatus comprising: a housing for containing sensor electronics; an air intake conduit including a snorkel positioned upstream of the housing; means for drawing an air stream through the air intake conduit from a location near a potential burial site of human remains; a halogen sensor positioned to contact the air stream in the air intake conduit, the halogen sensor detecting the presence of a halogenated compound in the air stream; and a hydrocarbon sensor positioned to contact the air stream in the air intake conduit, the hydrocarbon sensor detecting the presence of a hydrocarbon in the air stream, wherein the halogen sensor and the hydrocarbon sensor are positioned in the snorkel upstream of the housing at an end section of the snorkel opposite the housing, and wherein the halogen sensor and the hydrocarbon sensor are positioned in the snorkel spaced downstream from an end of the snorkel, and wherein determining that a halogenated compound or a hydrocarbon is present in the air stream indicates a burial site of human remains.