Identification of Organic Solvents in Agrochemicals Intoxication Cases

Abstract

In South Korea, deaths caused by poisoning are mostly suicides due to drug overdoses, or agrochemical poisonings. Even though the latter is becoming less frequent, they are still occurring in large numbers across the country. In some cases, deaths result from toxicity of organic solvents contained in the agrochemical products. In this study, we identified organic solvents in post-mortem blood of acute agrochemical poisoning cases using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with black fiber. Out of 42 cases, organic solvents were detected in 29, with toluene and butanol detected simultaneously in 13 cases. In these 13 cases, the original pesticides were of various types, including organophosphorus compounds, carbamate, nicotine, and oxadiazine. Xylene and ethyl benzene were simultaneously detected six times. In these six cases, the original pesticides were mainly pyrethroid-based pesticides, such as cypermethrin and deltamethrin. Methoxypropanol was detected in five cases in which the water-soluble pesticide glufosinate was detected. These organic solvents may cause acute poisoning and even death in some agrochemical poisoning cases.