Fatal overdose of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)

✍ Scribed by Thomas Keller; Gisela Skopp; Moutian Wu; Rolf Aderjan

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 396 KB
• Volume: 65
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0379-0738
• DOI: 10.1016/0379-0738(94)90295-x

✦ Synopsis

An ingestion of an unknown quantity of U 46 D-Fluid (500 g dichlorophenoxyacetic acid/l) in a suicide is described. Although 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4 D) is widely used as a herbicide, intoxications are relatively rare. Quantitation of 2,4,-D was performed by diethyl ether extraction from acidified samples (viscera) or by deproteinization (blood, plasma) with methanol before HPLC analysis. Postmortem concentrations of 2,4-D in body fluids and tissues are given. The proposed method resulted in a rapid procedure most useful in cases of deliberate poisoning with phenoxyacetic herbicides.