Abstract
The unique capabilities of laser ablation in combination with inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-SFMS) were employed to reconstruct details of a homicide by thallium poisoning, which took place 38 years ago in Austria. Thallium was determined in several human bone samples after acid digestion in a microwave oven. The ICP-SFMS results showed that the thallium concentration in the victim’s bones was in the range 1.07–2.63 µg g−1, which is up to 170 times higher compared to concentrations found in bones of persons who have died due to natural causes. The results were in accordance with the values obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS). Laser ablation ICP-SFMS was applied to assess the time interval between the victim’s poisoning and death. Several line scans with a laser spot size of 50 μm were performed on a thumbnail of the poisoned person and on a reference thumbnail by laser ablation ICP-SFMS. Thallium peaks were detected on the nail of the victim at a distance of 2.5 mm from the younger edge of the nail.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aziz A, Broekaert JAC, Leis F (1982) Analysis of microamounts of biological samples by evaporation in a graphite furnace and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Spectrochim Acta Part B 37B:369–379
Beaven W, Brooks SE (1984) A colour atlas of the nail in clinical diagnosis. Wolfe Medical Publications, London
Bertram HP, Kemper FH (1983) Thallium—Toxikologie und Ökotoxikologie. In: Ullmanns Enzyklopädie der technischen Chemie, vol 4, 4th edn. Verlag Chemie, Weinheim
De Wolff FA, Berend K, Voet GB van der (2002) Sub-acute fatal aluminum poisoning in dialyzed patients: post-mortem toxicological findings. Forensic Sci Int 128:41–43
Fischer AB, Eikmann T (2002) Vorkommen und Toxikologie von Thallium. Umweltmed Forsch Prax 7:321–327
Hee S, Boyle JR (1988) Simultaneous multielemental analysis of some environmental and biological samples by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Anal Chem 60:1033–1042
Karger B, Lorin de la Grandmaison G, Bajanowski T, Brinkmann B (2004) Analysis of 155 consecutive forensic exhumations with emphasis on undetected homicides. Int J Legal Med 118:90–94
Kudo K, Sugie H, Syoui N, Kurihara K, Jitsufuchi N, Imamura T, Ikeda N (1997) Detection of triazolam in skeletal remains buried for 4 years. Int J Legal Med 110:281–283
Maurice JF, Wibetoe G, Sjastad K (2002) Longitudinal distribution of thallium in human scalp hair determined by isotope dilution electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. J Anal At Spectrom 17:485–490
Mestek O, Koplík R, Fingerová H, Suchánek M (2000) Determination of thallium in environmental samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: comparison and validation of isotope dilution and external calibration methods. J Anal At Spectrom 15:403–407
Mulkey JP, Oehme FW (1993) A review of thallium toxicity. Vet Hum Toxicol 35:445–453
Neis P, Hille R, Paschke M, Pilwat G, Schnabel A, Niess C, Bratzke H (1999) Strontium 90 for determination of time since death. Forensic Sci Int 99:47–51
Nixon DE, Moyer TP (1996) Routine clinical determination of lead, arsenic, cadmium and thallium in urine and whole blood by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Spectrochim Acta Part B 51:13–25
Prick JJG (1979) Thallium poisoning. In: Vinken PJ, Bruyn GW (eds) Handbook of clinical neurology, vol 36. North Holland Publishing, Amsterdam, pp 239–278
Prohaska T, Latkoczy C, Stingeder G (1999) Precise sulfur isotope ratio measurements in trace concentration of sulfur by inductively coupled plasma double focusing sector field mass spectrometry. J Anal At Spectrom 14:1501–1504
Raikos N, Tsoukali H, Njau SN (2001) Determination of opiates in postmortem bone and bone marrow. Forensic Sci Int 123:140–141
Rios C, Galvan-Arzate S (1998) Analysis of thallium in biological samples. In: Nriagu JO (ed) Thallium in the environment. John Wiley, Chichester New York, pp 155–166
Swift B (1998) Dating human skeletal remains: investigating the viability of measuring the equilibrium between 210Po and 210Pb as a means of estimating the post-mortem interval. Forensic Sci Int 98:119–126
Swift B, Lauder I, Black S, Norris J (2001) An estimation of the post-mortem interval in human skeletal remains: a radionuclide and trace element approach. Forensic Sci Int 117:73–87
World Health Organization (1996) Thallium and thallium compounds. Health and safety guide 102. WHO, Geneva
Ysart G, Miller P, Crews H et al. (1999) Dietary exposure estimates of 30 elements from the UK Total Diet Study. Food Addit Contam 16:391–403
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hann, S., Latkoczy, C., Bereuter, T.L. et al. Reconstruction of a case of thallium poisoning using LA-ICP-SFMS. Int J Legal Med 119, 35–39 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-004-0465-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-004-0465-0