ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 November 1987
Page Count: 6

Concentrations of Mustard Gas [Bis(2-Chloroethyl)Sulfide] in the Tissues of a Victim of a Vesicant Exposure
Kretschmer, E
Assistant professor, assistant, assistant professor, and assistant professor, Institut für Rechtsmedizin,

Drasch, G
Assistant professor, assistant, assistant professor, and assistant professor, Institut für Rechtsmedizin,

Kauert, G
Assistant professor, assistant, assistant professor, and assistant professor, Institut für Rechtsmedizin,

von Meyer, L
Assistant professor, assistant, assistant professor, and assistant professor, Institut für Rechtsmedizin,

(Received 18 December 1986; accepted 16 March 1987)

Abstract

An Iranian soldier died at a toxicological intensive care unit at Munich seven days after a vesicant exposure. At the autopsy the typical symptoms of mustard gas intoxication were found. The vesicant was detected qualitatively by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the abdominal fat and quantified in the tissues and in the body fluids by the following method: (1) extraction by dichloromethane, (2) cleanup of the extracts by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) on silica plates, (3) extractive derivatization with gold-chloride, and (4) quantitative determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS). The equal extracts, after heating, served for blanks. The following concentrations were found (milligrams of mustard gas/kilograms of tissue wet weight): brain 10.7, cerebrospinal fluid 1.9, liver 2.4, kidney 5.6; spleen 1.5, lung 0.8, muscle 3.9, fat 15.1, skin 8.4, skin with subcutaneous fatty tissue 11.8, liquid from a skin blister: below detection limit, blood 1.1, and urine: below detection limit.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, toxicology, mustard gas, tissues (biology)

Paper ID: JFS11235J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS11235J
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