Determination of phenol and o-cresol by GC/MS in a fatal poisoning case.
A fatality due to the ingestion of solution containing phenol and o-cresol is described. The pathological findings were typical of acute substantial poisoning. Blood, urine and stomach content were obtained during post mortem examinations. Phenol and o-cresol were identified using GC/MS. The extractions from autopsy materials were obtained as follows: by gel permeation with cyclohexane/dichloromethane from stomach content, by solid phase extraction (SPE) from urine and by deproteinization with acetonitrile from blood. The phenol and o-cresol concentrations in the samples were found, respectively, as follows: 115.0 and 5.0 microg/g in the stomach contents, 58.3 and 1.9 microg/ml in the blood, 3.3 and 20.5 microg/ml in the urine. Distributions of phenol in fatal poisonings have been reported, but, usually, colorimetry was used as the analytical method and it cannot exclude the interference of other phenolic compounds.
Boatto
G
G
Dipartimento Farmaco Chimico Tossicologico, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy. gboatto@uniss.it
Nieddu
M
M
Carta
A
A
Pau
A
A
Lorenzoni
S
S
Manconi
P
P
Serra
D
D
D000328:Adult; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003408:Cresols / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019800:Phenol / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D013270:Stomach / Q000737:chemistry
D003408:Cresols; D004202:Disinfectants; D019800:Phenol; C034047:2-cresol