ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 3

Fatal Accidental Ingestion of Carbon Tetrachloride: A Postmortem Distribution Study
Tombolini, A
Medical Examiners of Cattedre di Medicina Legale, University of Ancona, Ospedale Regionale,

Cingolani, M
Medical Examiners of Cattedre di Medicina Legale, University of Ancona, Ospedale Regionale,

(Received 17 April 1995; accepted 5 June 1995)

Abstract

This paper reports a fatality involving a 75-year-old white male, who ingested an unknown quantity of carbon tetrachloride (CCl⁴)—a toxic agent able to induce central neryous system depression and severe renal and hepatic damage—and who died after two days of intensive care. The analytical assessment of CCl⁴ concentration was performed on several biological fluids and tissues employing gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) head space method. Both urine (328.5 mg/L) and bile (169.8 mg/L) had high concentrations of CCl⁴, proving that the chemical undergoes extensive urinary and biliary excretion. In accordance with the high clearance power of lungs, systemic venous blood, (143.4 mg/L) had a concentration of CCl⁴ almost two and half times greater than in arterial blood (57.5 mg/L), representing the best specimen to correlate CCl⁴ blood concentration with the deep of narcosis. Vitreous humor, (170.5 mg/L) concentration of CCl⁴ proves the capability of the chemical to enter eyes and its relatively slow release into the systemic blood. Pancreas (657.9 mg/kg), brain (243 mg/kg) and testis (237.3 mg/kg) have great affinity for CCl⁴. The concentrations of the chemical in brain are cortex: 243.2 mg/kg, basal ganglia: 216.1 mg/kg, medulla oblongata: 243.3 mg/kg and crebellum: 175.3 mg/kg. As the depth of narcosis is correlated with CCl⁴ concentration, brain represents the most suitable tissue for toxicologic analysis. Lower concentrations of the chemical are found in lungs (127.3 mg/kg), kidneys (150.5 mg/kg), muscle (71.1 mg/kg), myocardium (78.5 mg/kg) and spleen (68.3 mg/kg). Liver (58.6 mg/Kg), a frequently analyzed tissue in forensic toxicology, shows the lowest concentration.

Keywords:
forensic science, pathology, toxicology, forensic pathology, forensic toxicology, carbon tetrachloride—poisoning—oral ingestion—distribution, fatality, accidental death

Paper ID: JFS13918J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS13918J
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