Determination of the level of arsenic in human bodies (population of Basle)

Summary

Investigations of the normal arsenic level of the population of Basle have not been carried out till now. Nevertheless, despite the great reduction of arsenic poisonings, it is again and again necessary to consider arsenic intoxications in general, and especially those of a criminal nature. Therefore we have determined the arsenic level of various organs and parts of the body in a number of persons who had lived in Basle or its suburbs. At the same time these investigations were to serve as a test of the suitability, in toxicological analyses, of the color reaction with silver diethyldithiocarbamate, which has recently been described in the literature for the quantitative determination of the minutest amounts of arsenic.

Our autopsy material was obtained from 8 persons who died suddenly, from 6 who died in accidents, and from 6 who committed suicide by hanging, by shooting, or with barbiturates. The arsenic level was determined in liver and bone, and in some cases in blood and urine also. The values obtained were all under 10 μg-% (with one exception of 1a.0 μg-%) and therefore correspond to the lower limits of the normal v0lues given in the literature.

The color reaction with silver diethyldithiocarbamate has shown itself to be excellent for the determination of the minutest quantities of arsenic, and is especially suitable for routine determinations of arsenic in toxicological analyses.

Zusammenfassung

Die colorimetrische Arsenbestimmung mit Silberdiäthylcarbaminat erwies sich für forensische Untersuchungen als geeignet. Bei einem Kollektiv von Personen aus Basel, die an einem natürlichen oder unfallmäßigen Tod verstorben waren, wurde der Arsengehalt in verschiedenen Organen und Körperflüssigkeiten bestimmt. Die Durchschnittswerte an Arsen betragen fürBlut 0,1 μg-%,Leber 1,9 μg-%,Urin 2,3 μg-% undKnochen 2,9 μg-%.