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Fatal carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by suicide or accident is well known. The CO development is in most cases caused by an incomplete combustion. Mixing sulphuric acid and formic acid will also form CO, and internet sites identify this as a reliable suicide method. The literature has described such 3 cases where the victims all were found in sealed rooms with deadly CO concentrations.
The case victim was a healthy 41-year-old male employed at a haulage company. He was ordered to remove 80% sulphuric acid mixed with acetic acid from a feed central. When the he began to suck up the liquid from the pallet tanks heat arose. Later the mixture formed gases, and he started to pour the liquid back. He was shortly afterwards seen lying on top of the tanker with a strong odour noticed. It later emerged that the fluid which was collected instead was a mixture of sulphuric acid and formic acid. The autopsy revealed bright red lividity characteristic of CO poisoning, marks in his face consistent with lying on the tanker, no airway corrosions, and the postmortem carboxyhaemoglobin level was 62%.
Discussion/conclusion. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of outdoor fatal CO poisoning and the first formed by an accidental mixture of formic acid and sulphuric acid instead of a suicide machine" in a closed space. To avoid occupational CO poisoning in the future safety masks should be obvious along with certainty of fluid in processing.

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