title: A fatal case of CO(2) intoxication in a fermentation tank.
abstract: Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) is an odorless constituent of air. Higher concentrations can be detected in geothermal and automotive emissions, fermentation, and sublimation of dry ice. An unskilled worker entered a fermentation tank to clean it, which had not been done for about 5 months allowing for high concentrations of CO2 to build up. A second worker entered the tank to rescue the first one. Shortly after both were found the first worker was rescued directly whereas the tank had to be rotated to pull the second worker out. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was successful only for the first worker. Medico-legal autopsy showed bruises, hematoma, myocardial hemorrhage, and edema of the lungs. The right lung was vacuum degassed in an argon atmosphere and quadrupole-mass-spectrometry showed an elevated CO2 content in lung gases. Thus, CO2 intoxication/asphyxia in a vitiated atmosphere due to fermentation of wine mash was established as the cause of death.
authors: Departments of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology, and Forensic Molecular Biology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Goethe-University Frankfurt/M., Frankfurt/M, Germany; Department of Experimental Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Saarland Medical School, Homburg/Saarland, Germany.
authors: Mattias
authors: M
authors: Kettner
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Ramsthaler
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Juhnke
authors: Roman
authors: R
authors: Bux
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000473:pathology; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000506:poisoning*; D020378:Confined Spaces; D005285:Fermentation; D006801:Humans; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000473:pathology; D014920:Wine
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide
keywords: CO
  2; carbon dioxide; fermentation tank; forensic science; intoxication; wine industry