Carbofuran concentrations in blood, bile and tissues in fatal cases of homicide and suicide

Carbofuran is a broad spectrum carbamate insecticide which inhibits cholinesterase. In the recent past several carbofuran related homicide and suicide cases were reported in Sri Lanka. The concentration of carbofuran found in blood, bile and/or tissues in eight fatal cases were presented in this paper. Liquid–liquid extraction with chloroform was carried out with tissue and beverage samples while blood and bile samples were roller mixed with n-hexane and finally extracted into acetonitrile. Qualitative analysis of carbofuran in biological specimens was carried out using TLC and GC–MS. Presence of carbofuran and its metabolite carbofuran phenol were confirmed by GC–MS. The quantitative analysis was carried out using a validated method where Zorbax Eclips XDB C18 column was used in HPLC with photo diode array detector and GC–MS. In blood, bile, liver and stomach contents/stomach and contents both carbofuran and carbofuran phenol were identified, while in certain cases only the metabolite, carbofuran phenol was identified in blood. The carbofuran levels ranged from 0.4 to 18 μg/ml in blood, 0.4 to 60 μg/ml in bile, 2.2 μg/g in liver and 0.3 to 300 μg/g in stomach contents/stomach and contents.