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Published:
Journal of Analytical Toxicology,
ISSN 0146-4760,
Volume 32, Number 2, March,
pp.187-191
CASE REPORT:
A Fatal Intoxication from Ingestion of 2-Methyl-4-Chlorophenoxyacetic
Acid (MCPA)
Tatsunori Takayasu[1], Takahito Hayashi[2],
Yuko Ishida[2], Mizuho Nosaka[2], Shinya Mizunuma[2], Tomoko Miyashita[2],
Mariko Kawaguchi[2], Akihiko Kimura[2], and Toshikazu Kondo[2]
[1]Department of Forensic and Social Environmental Medicine, Division
of Environmental Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa
University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan and
[2]Department of Forensic
Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
We report a fatal intoxication case by the ingestion
of an herbicide, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA).
A 23-year-old male was found dead in his car. The forensic autopsy
revealed no remarkable morphological changes. However, in a toxicological
screening test, MCPA was qualitatively detected from the extracts
of stomach contents. Then MCPA in the extract of each body fluid
and organ tissue was determined by gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry with trimethylsilyl-derivatization as follows (µg/g):
888.3 in the heart blood, 578.1 in the peripheral blood, 52.2
in the urine, 770.9 in the brain, 1362 in the right lung, 1135
in the liver, 755.5 in the right kidney, and 10,200 in the stomach
contents. These data strongly suggested that the male orally
ingested MCPA. Moreover, p-chloro-o-cresol (4-chloro-2-methylphenol)
was also determined in the body fluids and organ tissues, suggesting
a metabolite of MCPA. From these toxicological data, together
with autopsy findings, the cause of his death was diagnosed as
acute MCPA poisoning.
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