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Accidental poisoning because of excess sanitation

One problem after another. Earlier we heard (1) about buildings 'getting sick' because of stagnated water in pipe lines, water storage tanks, taps etc. This report said ...

Water is sitting in the pipes of empty office buildings and gyms, getting old and potentially dangerous. When water isn't flowing, organisms and chemicals can build up in the plumbing. It can happen in underused gyms, office buildings, schools, shopping malls and other facilities. These organisms and chemicals can reach unsafe levels when water sits in water pipes for just a few days. But, what happens when water sits for weeks or months?

Just like food that sits in a refrigerator for too long, water that sits in a building's pipes for too long can make people sick.

Harmful organisms, like the bacteria that cause Legionnaire's disease, can grow. If not maintained, devices like filters, water tanks, heaters and softeners can become organism incubators.

With certain pipe materials, water can accumulate unsafe levels of lead and copper , which can cause learning disabilities, cardiovascular effects, nausea and diarrhea.

Now we are hearing about another problem. It's only natural we all want to do everything in our power to protect ourselves and those we love. Unfortunately, in some instances, our desire to defend against COVID-19 is creating even more health problems. Fear is really making people to take desperate measures. And everybody is advising in the social media to do this, that and what not causing more confusion.

Cleaning and disinfection are causing (2) some problems. Exposures to cleaning products and disinfectants are causing poison reactions in human bodies and the reports have increased in recent times.

Sanitation means the promotion of hygiene and prevention of disease by maintenance of sanitary conditions. Various methods are used to maintain sanitation. Using chemicals to disinfect is one of them.

For the cleaning products, bleaches account for the largest percentage of the rise, while non-alcoholic disinfectants and hand sanitisers dominated the disinfectant category.

In the US after eating an unknown amount of an ethanol-based hand sanitiser, a preschool child became dizzy and hit her head in a fall. Paramedics found her unresponsive when they responded to her parents' 911 call and rushed her to hospital. There, staff found her blood alcohol level to be 273 milligrams per decilitre, over triple the legal driving limit for adults in most US states, which is 80 milligrams per decilitre. Luckily, after overnight admission to the paediatric intensive care unit, the young patient recovered.

Rutgers University microbiologist and food safety expert Donald Schaffner warned how dangerous washing food with soap could be.

"There's a bunch of people out there recommending you wash your fresh produce with soap. This is not a good idea. Soap is known to cause vomiting and or diarrhoea," he explained on Metafact.

After hearing on the news that groceries should be cleaned before eating, an adult woman tried to clean her produce with diluted bleach and hot water; unfortunately, heat increases the release of chlorine fumes. She experienced coughing, wheezing and trouble breathing, ending up requiring oxygen and bronchodilators in hospital to restore her blood oxygen levels back to normal.

If you use hot water with bleach, it can release chlorine gas that can be harmful. Don't mix it with household chemicals such as vinegar or ammonia, as it can cause poor reactions.

These inadvertent poisonings highlight the dangers of unclear advice and the need for us all to be cautious about who we choose to listen to. As we've all witnessed, the rapidly shifting nature of this emergency can make this challenging, as even political leaders and medical experts can provide conflicting and even dangerous advice.

Instead of cleaning food (like fruits and grains) with soap and water, just use running tap water. Or you can use some warm or slightly hot water.

And soaking fruits and vegetables in salt water for atleast fifteen minutes before washing them with water denatures viral particles (5).

Also we have been watching chemicals being sprayed on roads, shop-doors, house gates, trees, vehicles and everything we can see and touch. Mostly bleach is being used (3). Bleach is a water-soluble chemical compound. Household bleach, or sodium hypochlorite, is manufactured as a powder or a liquid. Because it is a cheap and effective antimicrobial agent, it is used to disinfect water tanks, sumps and wells. It also helps brighten white cotton fabrics in the wash and to clean contaminated surfaces. Diluted bleach is only mildly irritating to the skin, but bleach can be corrosive and repeated exposure can damage the lungs.

Moreover, Bleach loses its effectiveness within 24 hours because it is neutralised by sunlight in much the same way the virus is as well. Then what is the real use for it?

The likely effectiveness of spraying streets and other public places depends on how the virus spreads, how the disinfectants work and what conditions these are used in.

We now know the virus is spread mainly in two ways.

The first is through airborne droplets and aerosols that originate from infected individuals. The droplets are expelled into the air through a cough or sneeze and can infect another person who encounters them at close range. Droplets are larger and do not remain in the air for very long, quickly settling to the ground or another surface.

Aerosols are smaller and remain suspended for longer – upto three hours. Aerosols will rapidly dry out and disperse over time. This makes it less likely a person will be exposed to enough viral particles – known as the infectious dose – to be infected.

The second way the disease is spread is via contamination of surfaces. When droplets settle, the virus can persist for varying periods, depending on the nature of the surface. For example, one study found the virus survives for up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel, 8 hours on copper and 4 hours on porous surfaces such as cardboard.

This experiment, however, was conducted under laboratory conditions indoors. So far, no information is available on how long the virus can survive outdoors. It’s also unknown how likely it is for you to become infected when you’re walking the city streets.

Research suggests the COVID-19 virus is susceptible to bleach, but it requires a contact time of about one minute to be effective.

Even if the disinfectant reaches every outdoor surface likely to be touched by people, including areas shielded from the spray, there is still a problem with using bleach in the typical conditions encountered outdoors. Sunlight and the build-up of organic matter on surfaces will rapidl..., the active ingredient in bleach. This means the disinfectant would probably become ineffective before the virus is killed.

For the virus to infect a person, it needs to enter the body. This can occur when your hands have become contaminated by touching a surface and you put your hands to your face, near your nose or mouth. But when was the last time you touched the ground and then touched your face without washing your hands?

The average person is rarely going to come into direct contact with city streets and footpaths with their hands. That’s another reason spraying these surfaces with disinfectant is unlikely to be an effective control measure.

Commonly touched surfaces such as handrails and road-crossing buttons are more likely sources of infection but would have to be cleaned before being sanitised with bleach. This is because organic matter builds up on frequently touched surfaces, including the natural oils on human skin. Even if cleaning were undertaken prior to sanitising, this process would need to be continuous as the next time an infected person touches the surface it can be recontaminated.

Spraying disinfectant into the air will have the effect of reducing the amount of virus that is suspended as aerosols. However, this will have a very limited effect as the disinfectant will rapidly disperse. Aerosols will be reintroduced the next time an infected person travels through the area.

Another consideration is that the droplets of bleach in the spray can be corrosive and cause harmful respiratory effects when inhaled. Spraying should only be done when there are no people around.

Although the science indicates urban disinfection is probably ineffective, it’s likely the general public believes otherwise. As a result, spraying city streets might have the effect of allaying fears and building trust in government and the messages it distributes.

While disinfection may increase public confidence, it is likely to be ineffective in protecting the public from infection (6).

The Indian government issued some guidelines in this regard (4). However, nobody seems to follow these guidelines with the result that people are now complaining about 'chemical smell of water' they drink and food they eat.

What consequences do we face because of these reckless use of chemicals? We might as well suffer because of these chemicals more than the corona virus infection itself.

Somebody, please save us.

Footnotes:

1. https://phys.org/news/2020-04-coronavirus-pandemic-sick.html?utm_so...

2. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6916e1.htm?s_cid=mm6916e1_...

3. https://science.thewire.in/the-sciences/coronavirus-disinfect-surfa...

4. https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Guidelinesondisinfectionofcommonpublic...

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1303066/

6. https://theconversation.com/sanitising-the-city-does-spraying-the-s...

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on April 24, 2020 at 12:31pm

133

Salt solution preparation ...

Couple of tablespoons of salt in a vessel with a capacity of 7.4 liters.

The solution can be reused.

Countless products exist to clean surfaces and equipment to maintain hygiene, reduce the risk of disease and help eradicate unpleasant odours.

Bleach

There are many cleaning products referred to as ‘bleach’. They usually contain an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) at various concentrations with added surfactants, anti-foaming agents and fragrances. Bleach is corrosive and can damage skin and eyes and be lethal if ingested.

Ammonia

Ammonia (NH₃) is also used in aqueous solution at 5% to 10% concentrations. It is widely used to clean glass, porcelain and stainless steel, as well as removing fatty deposits from ovens. It is corrosive and toxic.

Sodium hydroxide

Solid sodium hydroxide, caustic soda and solutions of this basic chemical are widely used to break down fatty deposits in ovens and drains. It is corrosive and can damage the skin and eyes if it comes into contact with them or if the fumes are inhaled.

Hydrochloric, nitric and phosphoric acids

Acids are less common in domestic cleaning agents but are used in commercial ones. However, solutions of two or more acids are also sold as sprays for bathroom cleaning to cut the need for scrubbing. They are both corrosive and toxic.

As always, it’s important to read the information on the label on proper use of these chemicals.

The chemistry of ill-defined mixes of the various cleaners – acids, ammonia, hypochlorite and hydroxides – is complicated. Part of the problem is that mixing often generates a lot of gas and heat, which may rupture or burn sealed containers. There is also the issue of decomposition that occurs spontaneously in normal use and prior to any deliberate or inadvertent mixing of cleaning agents. Such decomposition can generate species such as hypochlorous acid (HOCl) that can then feed additional reactions with other cleaning products.

More here: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/explainer-why-is-mixing-cleanin...

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