Pesticide Mixture Poisoning: A Case Report

Abstract

Acute pesticide poisoning is reported as a major health problem worldwide and developing countries are exposed to this problem to a greater extent. Materials and Methods Sample PreparationThe toxicological analysis was carried out systematically for unknown poisoning. The post-mortem samples of both the deceased were examined for identification of different groups of poisons like gaseous, volatile, and metallic poisons in addition to pesticides and drugs. Visceral samples, including stomach and its contents, liver, spleen, kidney, small intestine, and blood were analyzed individually for different groups of poisons.One hundred grams of tissue samples were taken and cut into small pieces and divided into two portions. One portion was processed to check for the presence of any drug. The tissue samples were acidified with 50 mL acetic acid, and solid ammonium sulfate was added to it to obtain a saturated solution. This was kept in a water bath with thermostatic control at a temperature of 60ºC for protein coagulation. After complete coagulation, the tissue samples were allowed to cool at room temperature and filtered. The aqueous layer was collected, and two-step liquid-liquid extractions were carried out. In the first step, aqueous filtrate was extracted with 50 mL diethyl ether (3 times), and organic phases were collected. The remaining aqueous portion was made alkaline (pH 9.0) by adding ammonia. The alkaline aqueous phase was extracted with 50 mL chloro-