Copper sulfate or, as chemists call it, copper sulfate is a blue powder. It is widely used in agriculture, medicine and industry. Excessive intake of this substance in the body leads to copper sulphate poisoning. More details about the symptoms of poisoning, methods of its diagnosis and treatment are written in the article.
Applications
Copper has become ubiquitous in the modern world. In medicine, it is used as a component of physiotherapeutic balneotherapy, the essence of which is to improve the body with the help of baths with electrolytes. In addition, copper is part of antifungal medicines and antiseptics.
In industry, copper sulfate is used in the manufacture of paint and varnish products.
In agriculture, plants are treated with this substance to protect them from pests. It is also used in the production of fertilizers.
Copper sulfate has found its useas part of a tool for removing fungus and rust from the surfaces of various materials.
A moderate intake of copper is good for the body, as it has the following properties:
- participates in the production of blood cells;
- required for normal synthesis of sex hormones;
- strengthens skin and bones;
- increases the body's resistance to viruses and bacteria;
- together with vitamin C and iron, essential for hemoglobin synthesis;
- Provides skin and hair pigmentation.
The daily copper requirement for an adult is 2-2.5 mg. If this concentration is exceeded, symptoms of copper sulfate poisoning occur.
Causes of poisoning
Poisoning with copper sulphate occurs due to a sharp increase in its concentration in the body. The most common reason is a violation of safety regulations when processing plants.
In domestic conditions, intoxication is possible when the solution is taken orally or after inhalation of copper dust. Copper is rapidly absorbed through the mucous membrane of the nose, gastrointestinal tract, its concentration in the blood increases dramatically. A person can get poisoned due to the use of copper utensils for food storage, as copper dust settles on food and enters the stomach with it.
There are cases of copper poisoning after applying anti-burn compresses. Copper sulphate in their composition should be in an amount strictly regulated by standards, but sometimes manufacturersdisregard these norms.
Also, poisoning is not ruled out when processing copper structures, when they are polished. At the same time, copper dust scatters over a large area. Therefore, poisoning is possible not only for the person who worked with the copper product, but also for everyone who was nearby without protection.
Types of poisoning
Poisoning can be acute or chronic. An acute course occurs with a single ingestion of a large dose of copper sulphate into the blood. Already with the ingestion of 0.5 grams of the substance, the first symptoms appear. A lethal outcome occurs if 8-25 g of a substance enters the body at a time.
Chronic poisoning occurs when minimal doses of copper sulfate enter the blood for a long time. In this case, the symptoms are not as pronounced as in acute poisoning. This is dangerous because a person may not seek medical help for a long time until severe consequences appear. They will be discussed in the corresponding section of the article.
Symptoms of acute poisoning
The first signs of copper sulfate poisoning appear a few hours after the substance enters the bloodstream. The following symptoms occur:
- nausea;
- dry cough that won't go away;
- breathing difficulties;
- severe headaches;
- dizziness;
- discomfort in the eyes: burning, cutting, release of a large amount of tears;
- metal taste in mouth;
- pain in joints and muscles;
- temperature increase.
When copper sulfate enters the gastrointestinal tract, for example, as a result of ingestion of the solution, the following manifestations join:
- bloody or blue vomit;
- increased gas formation in the intestines (flatulence);
- spasm of the muscles of the internal organs, which leads to a sharp pain in the abdomen.
If poisoning occurs with large doses of a substance, a person may experience epileptic seizures, the development of kidney or liver failure. This is an unfavorable prognostic sign. Often such severe poisoning ends in death.
Symptoms of chronic poisoning
Chronic poisoning develops with prolonged exposure to a substance on the body. One of the options for such poisoning is when visiting the pool. Copper sulphate is used in mixtures for water purification. When a person repeatedly swims in the pool, copper particles are absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream.
Symptoms of blue vitriol poisoning in the pool are as follows:
- redness of the skin, peeling of the skin, scabies, skin structure disorders such as eczema or dermatitis;
- changes in skin color and conjunctiva to yellow-green;
- violation of the structure of the teeth, the appearance of a scarlet stripe on the gums;
- violation of the structure of the gastric mucosa - gastritis;
- damage to kidney and liver function;
- deterioration of the functioning of the organs of the central nervous system.
First Aid
First aid to a person with copper sulphate poisoning, if inhaled or ingested, should begin immediately. When characteristic signs appear, an ambulance should be called.
The first step is to eliminate the effects of copper on the human body. If poisoning occurs with vapors of the substance, you should go to fresh air.
Before the ambulance arrives, it is recommended to wash the victim's stomach. To do this, he is given activated charcoal to drink with a large volume of water. The dose of coal is calculated based on body weight: 1 tablet of the drug is taken per 10 kg of weight. To make the charcoal work faster, it is better to crush the tablet or dissolve it in water.
Activated carbon can be replaced with another sorbent - "Polysorb", "Smecta" and so on. You should also give the victim a diuretic and laxative. All these activities are aimed at the speedy removal of poison from the body.
If there is a violation of the structure of the skin, you need to wash off the remnants of copper with running water. To do this, put the damaged area of the skin under the tap and hold for 10-15 minutes.
Specialized treatment
Further assistance to the victim is provided in a hospital setting. Treatment of copper sulfate poisoning is primarily aimed at neutralizing the poison. For this, the patient is given an antidote - "Unithiol". This drug is an antidote for poisoning with any s alts of heavy metals.
An important stage in therapy is forceddiuresis. This method of treatment consists of taking diuretics ("Furosemide") to increase the volume of urination, and therefore, accelerate the elimination of poison from the body.
Symptoms and treatment of copper sulfate poisoning are directly related. Therapy, which is aimed at reducing the manifestations of the disease and improving the general condition of the patient, is called symptomatic. For this purpose, the following groups of drugs are used:
- mucolytics - to thin sputum ("Muk altin", "Atrovent");
- expectorant - for better sputum discharge ("Pertussin", "Ambroxol");
- antiemetic - with severe vomiting ("Cerucal", "Metoclopramide");
- antipyretic - at high temperature ("Paracetamol", "Ibuprofen").
In severe poisoning, when kidney function is impaired, hemodialysis is used. The essence of this method of therapy is to purify the blood from poison when it passes through a special apparatus - an artificial kidney.
Consequences of poisoning
If you do not provide timely assistance to the victim, the poisoning becomes chronic and leaves irreversible changes in the body.
The most harmless, but aesthetically unpleasant consequence of copper sulphate poisoning is a change in the color of the sclera of the eyes and skin to yellow-green. The shade of the hair also changes.
Deformation of bone and epithelial structures occurs: the nasal septum is bent,there is a softening of the tubular bones (osteoporosis), the structure of the teeth changes, the skin is destroyed.
Develops chronic kidney or liver failure.
When ingesting the solution, death may occur after ingestion of 2 g of copper sulfate.
Preventive measures
Copper sulfate poisoning is much easier to prevent than to cure. To do this, follow these rules:
- keep chemicals safe and out of the reach of children;
- when processing plants on the site, use personal protective equipment: gloves, a respirator, a protective suit with long sleeves, special glasses;
- use personal protective equipment at work when working with copper products;
- every time after working with copper sulfate, you need to change clothes, take a shower, when using copper at home, do regular wet cleaning;
- avoid using copper utensils for food storage.
Copper sulfate poisoning is a serious pathological condition that can be fatal. Therefore, it is so important to recognize signs of poisoning in time and seek specialized help. Only a qualified specialist will eliminate the symptoms of poisoning and completely rid the body of the poison.
