J Korean Med Sci.  2008 Feb;23(1):163-165. 10.3346/jkms.2008.23.1.163.

Evaporated Liquid Nitrogen-Induced Asphyxia: A Case Report

• Kim DH
• Lee HJ

• KMID: 1786868
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2008.23.1.163

Abstract

A 27-yr-old postgraduate student was found lying at the floor of an unsealed underground dry area, where a valve-opened empty cylinder of liquid nitrogen (150 L) was connected to a cap-removed empty Dewar-flask (10 L) via a copper infusion tube. No injury was found externally or internally. There were petechiae in the bilateral conjunctivae and periorbital skin. The dry area, measuring 300X130X260 cm, had a communication to the basement of the research building by a window measuring 90X60 cm in size at 130 cm above the floor. The scene reconstruction and atmosphere gas analysis revealed that the O2 concentration at 60 cm above the base dropped to 12.0% in 3 min and 10 sec, 10.0% in 8 min and 53 sec, 6.0% in 18 min and 40 sec, and 4.2% in 20 min and 28 sec. The primary cause of death was asphyxia by evaporated liquid nitrogen..

Keyword

Asphyxia; Liquid Nitrogen; Gas Analysis; Dry Area

MeSH Terms

*Accidents, Occupational
Adult
Asphyxia/*chemically induced
Cause of Death
Humans
Male
Nitrogen/*poisoning

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The accident site in the underground dry area showed a LN2 cylinder and a Dewar-flask that were linked to a copper tube in front of two O2 tanks in a corner.

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  Fig. 2 The scheme of the accident site displayed general dimensions of the dry area, the sites of cylinder and Dewar-flask, and a window communicated of the basement of the building, and indicated the level we measured atmosphere gas proportion on scene reconstruction.

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  Fig. 3 Petechiae (arrowheads) were revealed in periorbital areas of the decedent.

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  Fig. 4 On scene reconstruction, (A) a safe guard officer measured atmosphere gas proportion with XP- 302 II E (New Cosmos Electric Co., Osaka, Japan). (B) The dry areas are filled with a lot of N2 fume evaporated from LN2.

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  Fig. 5 The graph showed rapid decreasing O2 concentration according to time course in the dry area on scene reconstruction. Temporary increase of O2 concentration (arrow) after 06:25 should attribute to the change of wind direction and velocity.

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