Abstract
Phenol (also called carbolic acid) is a white or colorless crystalline solid, and it dissolves well in water and exists in a liquid state. Phenol has been mainly used as precursors for plastics, drugs and pesticides. In addition, phenol has been used as a preservative and a local anesthetic. Phenol causes severe irritation and corrosion on skin and other tissue by protein degeneration, and it may cause harmful effects on central nervous system and heart resulting in dysrhythmia, seizure, and death. Fatal cases by ingestion or intravenous injection of phenol for suicide were described in literatures, and there are many cases of death from accidental inhalation or absorption through the skin in workplace. In this study, we present two cases of death from phenol poisoning. Analysis of phenol in blood and tissues was performed by head space-solid phase micro extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method (HS-SPME-GC/MS). In one case, the concentration of phenol in heart and peripheral blood were 205.2 mg/L and 19.1 mg/L, respectively. In both cases, the concentration of phenol in liver and kidney tissue were 15.1-259.6 mg/kg and 45.8-38.5 mg/kg, respectively.
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