Citation

De Baere S, Meyer E, Dirinck I, Lambert W, Piette M, Van Peteghem C, De Leenheer A. J. Anal. Toxicol. 1997; 21(3): 223-227.

Affiliation

Laboratorium voor Toxicologie, Universiteit Gent, Belgium.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Preston Publications)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9171208

Abstract

A fatality that was due to the ingestion of the halogenated solvent trichloroethylene is presented. The decedent was a 43-year-old male who was found dead at his home. Screening of the blood and stomach contents with the enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique and radioimmunoassay demonstrated the presence of ethanol, amphetamine-like compounds, caffeine, cotinine, and acetaminophen. These compounds were present in toxicologically irrelevant concentrations as confirmed by thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography (GC). The Fujiwara reaction was performed on all available matrices, and it revealed the presence of chlorinated hydrocarbons in high concentrations. A specific GC method with electron capture detection allowed the quantitation of trichloroethylene and its metabolites trichloroethanol and trichloroacetic acid in different matrices. GC with Fourier-transform infrared detection was used for the confirmation of the identity of trichloroethylene.

Language: en