COMPARISON OF HPLC AND CE FOR THE ANALYSIS OF DICHLORPROP IN A CASE OF INTOXICATION

A 49-year-old white male was found lying unconscious at home. He had v omited, his mouth was filled with a white foam and a pungent odour fil led the room. After emergency treatment blood, urine and stomach conte nts were screened for drugs after acid and alkaline extraction with su bsequent derivatisation and CC-MS analysis. Large quantites of 2,4-dic hlorophenoxypropionic acid (dichlorprop, 2,4-DP) were found in all aci d extracts. The man died 3 h later in hospital. Body fluids and tissue s obtained at autopsy were analysed for 2,4-DP by high-performance liq uid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. The concentrations o f 2,4-DP in cardiac blood, stomach contents, bile, liver, spleen, kidn ey and brain found by both methods were very similar.