Fatal Inhalation Injury by Sulfuric Acid Fumes: Case Report / 대한법의학회지

ABSTRACT

Sulfuric acid can cause local or systemic effects after exposure by inhalation, ingestion, or topical application. Direct ingestion is the main exposure route for fatal sulfuric acid injury. Fatal accidents involving the inhalation of toxic sulfuric acid vapors are rare. Inhalation of sulfuric acid fumes causes severe irritation or corrosive damage to the upper respiratory tract. Consequently, severe congestion, edema, and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory passages hinder the entry of air into the lungs, possibly leading to fatalities in victims. A 35-year-old man died at his home after complaining of a severe sore throat. One day earlier, he had worked in a sulfuric acid tank in a copper-smelting plant while wearing an ordinary gas mask that offered no protection against sulfurous acid vapors. Upon autopsy, the larynx and epiglottis showed pronounced edema, congestion, and inflammation that histologically mimicked an acute bacterial suppurative inflammation, accompanied by severe pulmonary edema. A field analysis of the air inside the sulfuric acid tank revealed SO4(2-) positivity and a 40% sulfuric acid concentration.