TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - A fatal case of gas intoxication in silage pit
JO  - Journal of forensic sciences
A1  - Handlos, Petr
A1  - Gebauerová, Vladimíra
A1  - Tomková, Jana
A1  - Zielinski, Petr
A1  - Marecová, Klára
SP  - 1904
EP  - 1907
VL  - 63
IS  - 6
N2  - Fatalities due to gas intoxication are rare in routine forensic casework. The most common gas is carbon monoxide, with other gases (ammonia, methane, propane and butane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide) encountered only very rarely. In this report, we describe the accidental death of two maintenance workers who were found in the silage pit at a biogas plant. The autopsy revealed signs of asphyxia in both the deceased. Analysis of the gaseous mixtures in the tank using an infrared gas analyzer showed slightly elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide. Toxicological examination of the blood of both the deceased using gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector, spectrophotometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry did not detect any toxicologically significant substance that would explain the sudden collapse. Both the autopsy and the toxicology analyses suggest CO<sub>2</sub> intoxication as the most likely cause for the collapse of the two men, which then led to sudden asphyxia.<br><br>© 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0022-1198
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13791
ID  - ref1
ER  -