Pesticidal suicide: adult fatal rotenone poisoning

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Forensic Pathology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Rotenone, a natural pesticide and piscicide, exhibits cytotoxicity by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration.
• Human toxicity from rotenone is uncommon, complicating toxicological analysis due to limited data.

Observation:

• A case of adult suicide involving rotenone poisoning is presented.
• Antemortem blood and serum samples revealed rotenone concentrations of 4.05 ng/ml and 0.55 ng/ml, respectively.
• An innovative laboratory method was developed to detect rotenone for forensic investigation.

Findings:

• The cause of death was attributed to rotenone toxicity based on pathological evidence and legal standards.
• The developed laboratory methodology successfully identified rotenone in biological samples.

Implications:

• This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing and interpreting rotenone toxicity in forensic settings.
• The novel detection method provides a crucial tool for future investigations of rotenone poisoning.
• Understanding the forensic clinicopathology of rotenone is vital for accurate cause-of-death determination.