Abstract The decomposition of animal and human cadavers can lead to comprehensive chemical and biochemical changes in soil, which can provide helpful information for the analysis of archaeological and crime scenes. The current study focused specifically on the concentration and distribution patterns of steroids in soil with the aim of assessing their suitability for demonstrating the presence of human decomposition products. Soil samples were collected from a forensic site where a human corpse had been lying on the soil surface for 18 days. Total organic carbon (TOC) and steroid concentrations were analysed in soil samples taken from beneath the body at the time the corpse was removed and also one year later. High concentrations of TOC and steroids were detected close to the soil surface at the time the body was removed, and the concentration of cadaver-derived cholesterol was considerably higher than that of the plant-derived sitosterol. The soil beneath the cadaver contained higher concentrations of faeces-derived 5β-stanol coprostanol than the control soil. Different concentrations and distribution patterns of steroid compounds in the soil upon removal of the corpse and one year later indicate that significant transformation, degradation and translocation processes had taken place during this period of time. The depth distribution of steroids beneath a decomposing body along with changes in the human steroidal fingerprints in soil over time were found to provide information that could help resolve forensic and archaeological issues. The combined analysis of tissue steroids (cholesterol), the reduction product of cholesterol in soil (5α-cholestanol) as well as faecal steroids (coprostanol, 5β-stigmastanol and their conversion products epicoprostanol and epi-5β-stigmastanol) represent excellent additions to the forensic toolbox for determining whether a soil of interest has ever been affected by a human cadaver or not.

中文翻译：

---

类固醇指纹：土壤中人体分解液的有效生物标志物

摘要 动物和人类尸体的腐烂会导致土壤中全面的化学和生化变化，可以为考古和犯罪现场的分析提供有用的信息。目前的研究特别关注土壤中类固醇的浓度和分布模式，目的是评估它们是否适合证明人类分解产物的存在。土壤样本是从法医现场收集的，其中一具人类尸体已经躺在土壤表面 18 天。在尸体被移走时和一年后从尸体下方采集的土壤样本中分析了总有机碳 (TOC) 和类固醇浓度。尸体被移走时，在靠近土壤表面的地方检测到高浓度的 TOC 和类固醇，尸体来源的胆固醇浓度明显高于植物来源的谷甾醇。尸体下方的土壤含有比对照土壤更高浓度的粪便衍生的 5β-甾烷醇公前列醇。尸体被移走时和一年后土壤中类固醇化合物的不同浓度和分布模式表明，在此期间发生了显着的转化、降解和易位过程。发现腐烂尸体下类固醇的深度分布以及土壤中人类类固醇指纹随时间的变化提供了有助于解决法医和考古问题的信息。组织类固醇（胆固醇）的综合分析，