Published: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, ISSN 0146-4760, Volume 26, Number 7, October 2002, pp. 532-536

CASE REPORT: Death by Paint Thinner
Ines Collison and Wayne Moorehead
Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department, Forensic Science Services, 320 North Flower Street, Santa Ana, California 92703

A 38-year-old Caucasian male, reportedly missing for four days, was found dead 40 feet down a steep ravine, apparently after jumping down the cliff. Two rectangular cans of paint thinner, 1-qt and 1-gal sizes, were found in his vehicle at the top of the cliff. The autopsy report indicated that the decedent was normal except for the heart and myocardium, the lung parenchyma, and the gastric and esophageal mucosa. The stomach contents revealed a brownish liquid with a nearly clear, thick, oily film, and the small and large bowels showed oily liquid with a strong odor of a petroleum distillate. Toxicological analysis was negative for ethanol and common drugs of abuse. Valproic acid, diphenhydramine, and norsertraline where found in therapeutic concentrations, and sertraline, diazepam, and nordiazepam were found in subtherapeutic levels. Bupropion metabolites were also detected. Static adsorption-elution, commonly used in fire debris analysis, was used to examine the brain, liver, lung, blood, and urine. A liquid–liquid extraction was performed on the vitreous humor. The stomach contents and samples from the paint thinner cans were diluted with carbon disulfide. All but the blood and vitreous contained a medium petroleum distillate. The stomach content was consistent with the liquid from the one-gallon can. Chromatograms suggest differential metabolism and/or distribution among the different organs.

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