Tissue distribution of trichloroethylene in a case of accidental acute intoxication by inhalation

• Published in: Forensic science international 2003-07, Vol.134 (2), p.115-119
• Main Authors: Coopman, Vera A.E., Cordonnier, Jan A.C.M., De Letter, Els A., Piette, Michel H.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidents; Acids; Administration, Inhalation; Adult; Bile - chemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Caustics; Chromatography; Chromatography, Gas - methods; Confined Spaces; Drug intoxications. Doping; Fatal acute intoxication; Fatalities; Forensic sciences; Headspace; Humans; Inhalation; Kidney - chemistry; Liver - chemistry; Lung - chemistry; Lungs; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Medical sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Pesticides, fertilizers and other agrochemicals toxicology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Quality standards; Solvents - pharmacokinetics; Solvents - poisoning; Stomach - chemistry; Tissue Distribution; Toxicology; Trichloroacetic Acid - urine; Trichloroethylene; Trichloroethylene - blood; Trichloroethylene - pharmacokinetics; Trichloroethylene - poisoning
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/S0379-0738(03)00131-2

This article describes the toxicological findings in a fatality due to an accidental inhalation of trichloroethylene which took place during wall coating of a poorly ventilated well using trichloroethylene. The man was wearing protective clothing and a mouthmask with adsorbent. He was found dead on the floor of the well 5 h after descending. Trichloroethylene was added to the mortar to enhance drying. Identification and quantitation of trichloroethylene in the postmortem samples (blood, lung, liver, kidney, stomach content and bile) and identification of its metabolite trichloroacetic acid in urine was performed using static headspace gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detector. The compounds were separated on a CP-SIL 5CB Low Bleed/MS column using n-butanol as internal standard. The method was linear over the specific range investigated, and showed an accuracy of 104% and an intra-day precision of 11%. Trichloroethylene concentrations of 84 mg/l in subclavian blood, 40 mg/l in femoral blood, 72 mg/kg in liver, 12 mg/kg in kidney, 78 mg/kg in stomach content, 104 mg/l in bile and 21 mg/kg in lung were found. Trichloroacetic acid was identified in the urine.