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Analytical Challenge in Postmortem Toxicology Applied to a Human Body Found into a Lake after Three Years Immersion
Author(s) -
Morini Luca,
Vignali Claudia,
Tricomi Paolo,
Groppi Angelo
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12815
Subject(s) - immersion (mathematics) , toxicology , medicine , biology , mathematics , pure mathematics
The body of a 30‐year‐old woman was found in Como lake at a depth of about 120 meters in her own car after 3 years of immersion. The aim of this study was to evaluate psychoactive drugs as well as alcohol biomarkers in biological matrices. The following analyses were initially performed: GC‐MS systematic toxicological analysis on biological fluids and tissues; GC‐MS analysis of drugs of abuse on pubic hair; direct ethanol metabolite determination in pubic hair by LC‐MS/MS. After 7 years, the samples, that had been stored at −20°C, were re‐analyzed and submitted to an LC‐MS/MS targeted screening method, using multiple reaction monitoring mode. These analyses detected citalopram (150–3000 ng/mL), desmethylcitalopram (50–2300 ng/mL), clotiapine (20–65 ng/mL), and ethyl glucuronide (97 pg/mg). The methods showed an acceptable reproducibility, and the concentrations of citalopram and desmethylcitalopram calculated through the two analytical techniques did not significantly differ in biological fluids.