A fatality caused by accidental production of hydrogen sulfide

A 55-year-old male Caucasian truck driver was dead at the scene after breathing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) produced by an accidental transfer of sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS) from a tanker truck to a tank containing 4% sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and iron(II) sulfate (FeSO4). Autopsy of the decedent's body revealed pulmonary edema and passive congestion in lungs, spleen, kidneys, and adrenal glands. Postmortem biological samples were analyzed for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs. Since a potential exposure to H2S was involved, blood was also analyzed for sulfide (S2-). The analysis entailed isolating S2- from blood as H2S using 0.5 M H3PO4, trapping the gas in 0.1 M NaOH, and determining the electromotive force using a sulfide ion specific electrode, Acetaminophen at a concentration of 14.3 mug/ml was found in blood, and metoprolol was detected in the blood, liver, and kidney samples. The blood S2- level was determined to be 1.68 mug/ml. It is concluded that the cause of death was HS poisoning associated with a hazardous material accident in an industrial situation. Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.