A fire extinguisher death : the Macklin effect

Abstract

We present the case of an adult white man found dead in a psychiatric institution with fine white powder (monoammonium phosphate) deposited over the entire face after he insufflated the contents of a dry chemical fire extinguisher.

On its last inspection, 13 days before the incident, the fire extinguisher had a working pressure of approximately 1400 kPa (203 psi). The powder was composed of monoammonium phosphate (34%–94%), ammonium sulphate (1%–58%), mica (<4%), magnesium aluminium silicate (1%–30%), methyl hydrogen polysiloxane (<1%), and amorphous silica (<2%).1 The deceased had a known psychiatric history and was diagnosed with an underlying mood disorder.