title: Detection of imidacloprid in biological fluids in a case of fatal insecticide intoxication.
abstract: Here, we describe a high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array detector method for the detection of imidacloprid in biological fluids in a case of suicide by ingestion of liquor mixed with Admire® Flowable insecticide (containing 20% imidacloprid). A plastic bottle containing a cloudy liquid (concentration of ethanol in the liquid was 150 mg/ml and that of imidacloprid was 50 mg/ml) was found near the decedent. The biological fluids collected at autopsy were prepared by deproteinization with acetonitrile. Zolpidem was used as an internal standard. The concentrations of imidacloprid in femoral blood and cerebrospinal fluid were 105 and 58.5 μg/ml, respectively. Ethanol was also detected in the samples, with concentrations of 1.0 mg/ml in femoral blood and 1.4 mg/ml in cerebrospinal fluid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan. Electronic address: cfuke@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuke
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukasawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ihama
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000506:poisoning*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000506:poisoning*; D013405:Suicide
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D007306:Insecticides; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds; C082359:imidacloprid
keywords: Fatal intoxication; GC/MS; HPLC; Imidacloprid; Poisoning