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Method for Recording Broadband High Resolution Emission Spectra of Laboratory Lightning Arcs
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Secondary missile injury from lightning strike
1Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. ryan.blumenthal@up.ac.za
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|November 23, 2011
Summary
A woman died from a direct lightning strike, which caused shrapnel injuries. Lightning hitting concrete created fragments, leading to this rare injury documented for the first time.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Pathology
- Environmental Medicine
Background:
- Lightning strikes are a significant cause of weather-related mortality globally.
- Direct strike injuries are the most common mechanism of lightning-related death.
- Secondary effects, such as ground current and side flash, can also cause injury.
Observation:
- A 48-year-old woman in Pretoria, South Africa, experienced a fatal direct lightning strike.
- Post-mortem examination revealed secondary missile (shrapnel) injuries on her legs.
- Embedded concrete fragments were found within the shrapnel wounds.
Findings:
- The shrapnel injuries were caused by concrete fragments propelled by the lightning strike impacting the pavement.
- This represents the first documented case of secondary missile formation (shrapnel injury) resulting from a lightning strike in scientific literature.
- The direct strike was the primary cause of death, with secondary missile injuries as a unique contributing factor.
Implications:
- Highlights the diverse and potentially severe injury mechanisms associated with lightning strikes.
- Underscores the importance of considering environmental factors and material interactions in forensic investigations of lightning fatalities.
- Suggests that protective measures against lightning should account for potential secondary projectile effects from surrounding materials.
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