Long-term qualitative analysis of clothing degradation associated with surface-decomposition in Cape Town, South Africa

The effect of clothing on the decomposition process of human and non-human animal bodies has received considerable attention. Yet, little attention has been given to the effect of decomposing bodies on the integrity of carrion-associated clothing globally, with no data from Africa. We conducted a long-term (over three years) micro- and macroscopic qualitative analysis of the degradation of synthetic, natural, and mixed-fiber clothing associated with surface-decomposing porcine bodies in Cape Town, South Africa. Five porcine bodies dressed in seasonally appropriate clothing were surface deployed and allowed to decompose over multiple seasons in the thicketed Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, an environment of forensic interest in Cape Town. Microscopically, the yarns of synthetic (acrylic pullover jerseys), natural (cotton T-shirts), and mixed-fiber (denim jeans) clothing were distorted and degraded within two to six months, one to three months, and one and a half to two years, respectively. Macroscopically, synthetic, and mixed-fiber clothing showed no visible damage after three years and ten months. Conversely, damage in the form of multiple small holes was noticeable on the natural fiber clothing within two to seven months, with complete disintegration of the clothing evident within two and a half years or less. This study is the first to elucidate the degradation of clothing associated with surface-decomposing bodies in Africa. Our findings reveal that the yarns of synthetic, natural, and mixed-fiber clothing associated with surface-decomposing bodies will degrade over time in different ways and can be used as indicators of the minimum time-since-death of clothed deceased individuals.