# Tarnished jewellery and skin – a subtle external marker indicating exposure to hydrogen sulfide

## TL;DR

A woman's death from hydrogen sulfide poisoning was indicated by tarnished silver jewelry and skin discoloration.

## Contribution

Identifies tarnished silver jewelry and skin staining as potential markers of hydrogen sulfide exposure.

## Key findings

- Tarnished silver jewelry and skin staining were observed due to hydrogen sulfide exposure.
- Unusual greenish discoloration in the brain was found postmortem.
- No trauma was found, and death was attributed to hydrogen sulfide poisoning.

## Abstract

A 39-year-old woman was found lying in the rear of a car at her home address. A smell of rotten eggs was noted and bottles of brick, tile and paver cleaner and lime sulfur were found in the rear of the vehicle. Suicide notes were found in the house. At autopsy there was no evidence of significant trauma with black tarnishing of a silver-coloured ring and a silver-coloured necklace noted with staining of the underlying skin, in keeping with a chemical reaction between hydrogen sulfide and silver. Internally the most significant finding was unusual greenish discolouration of the gray matter of the external and cut surfaces of the cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum and brain stem. No other organs had this discoloration. Death was attributed to hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Skin discoloration from silver jewellery may represent a subtle external marker for lethal or non-lethal hydrogen sulfide exposure.