Citation

Nozawa H, Minakata K, Hasegawa K, Yamagishi I, Suzuki M, Kitamoto T, Watanabe K, Suzuki O. Forensic Toxicol. 2022; 40(1): 189-198.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s11419-021-00594-7

PMID

36454491

Abstract

PURPOSE: The quantification of parent molecules of pyrethroids tetramethrin and resmethrin in human specimens by a mass spectrometry (MS) technique has not been reported yet. A woman in her 60s was found dead in a wasteland. At the scene, an empty beer can and a spray for insecticides containing tetramethrin and resmethrin were found. Therefore, the concentrations of tetramethrin and resmethrin in postmortem specimens and the methanol solution used for rinsing the inside of the beer can were determined using liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).

METHODS: The quantification method by LC-MS/MS for intact parent molecules of tetramethrin and resmethrin in whole blood and urine has been devised and validated in this work. The method was applied to the quantification of tetramethrin and resmethrin in whole blood, urine and stomach contents obtained from a cadaver at autopsy.

RESULTS: The limits of detection of tetramethrin and resmethrin were 0.06 and 0.03 ng/mL; limits of quantification were 0.2 and 0.1 ng/mL in blood and urine, respectively. The concentrations of tetramethrin of the deceased were 11.1 ± 1.2 and 0.425 ± 0.017 ng/mL for stomach contents and urine, respectively; the concentration of resmethrin in stomach contents was 1.77 ± 0.18 ng/mL. The tetramethrin and resmethrin were unstable in blood and urine at room temperature; they should be kept at not higher than 4 ℃.

CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report for quantification of unchanged tetramethrin and resmethrin in human specimens obtained in a fatal case.

Language: en

Keywords

Authentic human specimens; Fatal case; LC–MS/MS; Pyrethroid insecticides; Resmethrin; Tetramethrin