Chemical food poisoning

作者：admin  点击次数：114  发布时间：2025-05-15

I. Arsenic compound poisoning
(I) Etiology
​(1) Arsenic compounds and their toxicity Arsenic is widely distributed in nature and exists in almost all soils. Arsenic itself is not very toxic, but its compounds are highly toxic. Arsenic compounds are widely used in industrial and agricultural production and medicine, especially in agriculture as pesticides. Common arsenic compounds include arsenic trioxide, calcium arsenate, calcium arsenite, lead arsenate, sodium arsenate, sodium arsenite, etc. - Generally speaking, trivalent arsenic compounds are more toxic than pentavalent arsenic compounds, and arsenic acid compounds are more toxic than arsenic acid compounds.
Arsenic compound poisoning is most commonly caused by arsenic trioxide. Arsenic trioxide, commonly known as arsenic trioxide, white arsenic or realgar, is a white powder that is odorless and tasteless and is relatively soluble in water. Oral administration of arsenic trioxide can cause poisoning at 10-50 mg and lethal at 60-300 mg. In addition to individual sensitivity, the particle size of arsenic trioxide has a significant effect on oral toxicity. The finer the particle size, the greater the toxicity. Sensitive people may be poisoned by 1 mg and killed by 20 mg. Some people can tolerate higher doses. Trivalent inorganic compounds are cytoplasmic poisons. After being absorbed into the body, these arsenic compounds can bind to the base of cellular enzyme proteins, thereby inhibiting the activity of enzymes, causing cell metabolism disorders and cell death. They can also cause nerve cell metabolism disorders and cause nervous system dysfunction. They paralyze the vascular motor center and directly act on capillaries, causing capillary dilation, paralysis and increased exudation, causing congestion and bleeding of the gastrointestinal mucosa and other organs, and even systemic bleeding. They can also cause liver cell degeneration, cardiac fatty degeneration, cerebral edema, etc. In addition, trivalent arsenic has a direct corrosive effect on the digestive tract, causing ulcers, erosions and bleeding in the mouth, throat, esophagus and stomach, and can cause diarrhea when entering the intestines.
(2) The main causes of arsenic compound poisoning
① Ingestion is a common cause of poisoning. Because the appearance of pure arsenic trioxide is very similar to salt, starch, alkaline noodles, baking soda, etc., it is easy to cause accidental ingestion; or ingestion of seeds mixed with arsenic pesticides can cause poisoning.
②) Containers, utensils or transportation vehicles that have been used to hold arsenic compounds are used to hold, process or transport food, causing arsenic contamination of food and poisoning.
③ Abuse of arsenic-containing pesticides (such as calcium arsenate, lead arsenate, etc.) to spray fruit trees and vegetables, resulting in excessive residues in fruits and vegetables.
④) The arsenic content in processing aids (such as inorganic acids, salts, alkalis, etc.) or additives used in food processing is too high
(II) Symptoms of poisoning
The incubation period of arsenic compound poisoning is from tens of minutes to several hours, and symptoms appear in an average of 1~2 hours. Acute oral arsenic poisoning often causes digestive tract symptoms early on, such as dryness, pain, burning, tightness in the mouth and throat, hoarseness, nausea, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, severe abdominal pain and diarrhea, etc., as well as eyelid edema, significant redness of the skin, headache, dizziness, irritability, etc. When the symptoms worsen, severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, gastrocnemius spasm, hypothermia, cold limbs, hypotension, and even shock may occur. Severe patients may have neurological symptoms, such as severe headache, dizziness, irritability, convulsions and coma. If rescue is not timely, they may die within 1 to 2 days of onset due to respiratory failure. Arsenic compound poisoning can cause kidney damage, urine retention, proteinuria, hematuria, uremia, liver and myocardial damage, and serious damage to the skin and mucous membranes.
(III) Preventive measures
(1) Strictly manage arsenic compounds. Arsenic compounds should be stored in a special warehouse, which should be tightly locked and managed by a dedicated person. The storage warehouse should be far away from canteens, wells, and houses. The packaging of arsenic compounds must be marked as "toxic".
(2) It is strictly forbidden to mix, load, or transport arsenic compounds with grains and other foods. Utensils for holding or handling arsenic compounds cannot be used to hold or handle food.
(3) It is strictly forbidden to eat grains mixed with pesticides and poultry that have died of poisoning from arsenic pesticides, and they must be properly handled.
(4) When using pesticides containing arsenic compounds to control fruit and vegetable pests, it is necessary to determine the safe application period to reduce the amount of residues in fruits and vegetables. Some countries stipulate that the amount of arsenic residues in apples sprayed with arsenic pesticides shall not exceed 1.4 mg/kg.
(5) Food companies and canteens are strictly prohibited from using arsenic pesticides and rodenticides.
(6) Strengthen the hygienic management of food additives. The arsenic content of various additives and processing aids (acids, alkalis, etc.) used in the food production process shall not exceed the national standard.