Citation

Kimura K, Hasegawa M, Matsubara K, Maseda C, Kagawa M, Takahashi S, Tanabe K. Forensic Sci. Int. 1994; 66(2): 111-116.

Affiliation

Department of Legal Medicine, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8063273

Abstract

Four adult men fell into an artificial lake which was being used to raise flatfish, after a water pipe had been connected to a tube allowing seawater to flow into the lake. Forensic autopsies were carried out on three of the four men, who died soon after the incident. From autopsy findings, the cause of death was diagnosed to be suffocation after aspirating seawater in the three victims. To clarify why the men fell into the lake, a chemical analysis for hydrogen sulfide was carried out using the extractive alkylation technique combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The sulfide was detected as its derivative, bis(pentafluorobenzyl)sulfide, in body tissues taken from all the victims, and the concentration of hydrogen sulfide gas at the scene was estimated as having been nearly fatal.

Language: en