A solvent is a chemical substance that is used not only for diluting varnishes and paints, but also for degreasing surfaces. Failure to observe safety precautions and careless handling provokes the solvent to enter the body, as a result of which toxic poisoning may occur.
Poisoning by organic solvents can be very severe, and in some cases it leads to long-term incapacity and even death. How to prevent yourself from being poisoned by this construction chemical? And what to do when the poisoning has already happened?
How does poisoning occur?
Everyone knows that a solvent is a rather dangerous toxic substance. It has volatile properties, that is, it saturates the air and evaporates very easily. If the solvent gets into the human body, it can cause severe poisoning. There are several ways for this chemical to enter the human blood:
- The solvent can enter through the stomach, after which it moves along the entire digestive tract, is easily absorbed and enters the blood vessels. Flowing along with the blood, poisonous substances quickly spread throughout the body, getting into nerve fibers, the brain, the heart, as well as into various soft tissues. At the same time, very serious damage to the liver is observed, as it accumulates a huge amount of poisonous substances. The victim may experience convulsions, this is due to damage to the nervous system and motor apparatus.
- Poisoning by vapors of any volatile solvent is possible through the lungs. They quickly saturate the air and penetrate inside with breathing. From the lungs, the poison immediately gets into the blood without too much difficulty. Poisoning through the respiratory tract is considered the strongest and fastest. After a few minutes, toxic substances circulate through human blood vessels, penetrating all internal organs. If the total amount of inhaled solvent was not very large, then only a severe headache occurs, without more complex consequences. In case of an increase in the number of poisonous substances, symptoms of intoxication are formed, and in some cases hallucinations occur. Further increase in the amount of inhalation of solvent vapors will lead to very serious disorders in the brain, central nervous system and heart. And it can even cause death.
- Through the skin. This type of poisoning occurs when working with a solvent without protective equipment. Toxic substances enter the blood through the skin, thereby causing poisoning of internal organs. Most often, the area of the skin in contact with the solvent is small. Therefore, such poisoning is very rarely severe.
- Swallowing even a small amount of solvent most often causes vomiting, as well as suffocation and coughing. In case of poisoning by solvent vapors, weakness and headache are considered the main symptoms. When poisonous substances spread throughout the organs, the victim experiences convulsions. Loss of consciousness is possible. In any case, a person who has been poisoned by a solvent needs immediate first aid.
First aid for solvent poisoning
The first thing to do is to remove the person from the zone of exposure to vapors (in case of poisoning by vapors) or induce vomiting (in case of poisoning through the stomach). The victim should be given to drink 2-3 liters of water and press on the root of the tongue. After that, you need to call an ambulance, since the toxicity of any solvent is quite high, the speed of spreading and absorption into the body is also very high, so further removal of the poison requires professional medical assistance.