@article{ref1,
title="Methane deaths? Was it the cause?",
journal="American journal of forensic medicine and pathology",
year="1981",
author="Manning, T. J. and Ziminski, K. and Hyman, A. and Figueroa, G. and Lukash, L.",
volume="2",
number="4",
pages="333-336",
abstract="In the routine performance of their jobs, three men consecutively descended into an open drainage pit to recover a fallen grate lid. Each man, in turn, was immediately overcome and died within minutes of his descent. Initial analysis of the pit's air indicated a methane level of 15%. Therefore, it was initially assumed that death was attributable to methane poisoning. Postmortem analysis of the victims' tissues, however, yielded methane levels in only faint trace quantities (0-100 mcg/100 g range). Analysis of air samples taken at various pit levels revealed that as one descended, there was a decrease in oxygen levels, from 20% at the top to 3% at the bottom. CO2 levels, however, increased from the top of the pit, and reached a level of 22% at the 6-ft. depth of the pit. The accepted lethal level is only 10%. The cause originally attributed to these deaths was shown to be in error. This paper demonstrates the importance of proper investigation of the &quot;scene of occurrence&quot; in order to properly certify the cause of death.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0195-7910",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}