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 poisoning with copper sulfate. More details about the symptoms of poisoning, methods for its diagnosis and treatment are written in the article.
Areas of use
Copper has received widespread use 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 baths with electrolytes. In addition, copper is part of drugs against fungus and antiseptics.
In industry, copper sulfate is used in the manufacture of paints and varnishes.
In agriculture, plants are treated with this substance to protect them from pests. Also use it in the production of fertilizers.
Copper sulfate has found its application in the composition of tools for removing fungus and rust from 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;
- necessary for the normal synthesis of sex hormones;
- strengthens the skin and bones;
- increases the body's resistance to viruses and bacteria;
- together with vitamin C and iron is necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin;
- provides pigmentation of the skin and hair.
The daily requirement for adult copper is 2-2.5 mg. If this concentration is exceeded, symptoms of poisoning with copper sulfate occur.
Causes of poisoning
Copper sulfate poisoning occurs due to a sharp increase in its concentration in the body. The most common reason is a breach of safety during the processing of plants.
In domestic conditions, intoxication is possible when taking the solution inside or after inhaling copper dust. Copper is rapidly absorbed through the mucous membrane of the nose, gastrointestinal tract, its concentration in the blood increases sharply. A person can be poisoned due to the use of copper utensils for storing food, since copper dust settles on food and enters the stomach with it.
There are cases of copper poisoning after applying anti-burn compresses. Copper sulfate in their composition should be in an amount strictly regulated by the standards, but sometimes manufacturers neglect these standards.
Also do not exclude poisoning during the processing of copper structures, when polished. Copper dust scatters over a large area. Therefore, it is possible to poison not only the person who worked with the copper product, but also everyone who was nearby without protection.
Types of poisoning
Poisoning can have an acute and chronic course. An acute course occurs with a single dose of a large dose of copper sulfate in the blood. Already when 0.5 grams of the substance are hit, the first symptoms appear. A fatal outcome occurs if 8-25 g of the substance enters the body at a time.
Chronic poisoning occurs when minimal doses of copper sulfate enter the bloodstream 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 several hours after the substance enters the bloodstream. The following symptoms occur:
- nausea;
- dry cough that does not go away;
- difficulty breathing
- severe headaches;
- dizziness;
- unpleasant sensations in the eyes: burning, pain, allocation of a large number of tears;
- taste of metal in the mouth;
- pain in the joints and muscles;
- temperature rise.
When copper sulfate enters the gastrointestinal tract, for example, due to ingestion of the solution, the following manifestations are added:
- vomiting with an admixture of blood or with a blue color;
- increased flatulence in the intestines (flatulence);
- muscle spasm of the internal organs, which leads to severe abdominal pain.
If poisoning with large doses of a substance has occurred, a person may have epileptic seizures, the development of renal or liver failure. This is an unfavorable prognostic sign. Often such severe poisoning ends fatally.
Symptoms of Chronic Poisoning
Chronic poisoning develops with prolonged exposure to a substance. One of the options for such poisoning is when visiting the pool. Copper sulfate is used in mixtures to purify water. During repeated swimming of a person in the pool, particles of copper are absorbed through the skin into the blood.
Symptoms of copper sulfate poisoning in the pool are as follows:
- redness of the skin, peeling of the skin, scabies, disturbances in the structure of the skin, such as eczema or dermatitis;
- changes in skin color and conjunctiva to yellow-green;
- violation of the structure of teeth, the appearance of a scarlet band on the gums;
- violation of the structure of the gastric mucosa - gastritis;
- damage to kidney and liver function;
- deterioration in the functioning of the organs of the central nervous system.
First aid
First aid to a person with copper sulfate poisoning, if you breathe or take the solution inside, it should begin immediately. When characteristic signs appear, you must call an ambulance.
The first step is to eliminate the effect of copper on the human body. If the poisoning has occurred in vapors of the substance, you should go to fresh air.
Prior to the arrival of an ambulance, it is recommended to rinse the affected stomach. To do this, they give him activated carbon 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 coal act faster, it is better to crush the tablet or dissolve it in water.
Activated carbon can be replaced with another sorbent - Polysorb, Smecta, etc. You should also give the victim a diuretic and laxative. All these measures are aimed at the speedy removal of poison from the body.
If there is a violation of the structure of the skin, it is necessary to wash off the remaining 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 aimed primarily at neutralizing the poison. For this, the patient is given an antidote - "Unitiol". This drug is an antidote for poisoning with any salts of heavy metals.
An important stage in therapy is forced diuresis. This method of treatment consists in 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 these purposes, use the following groups of drugs:
- mucolytics - for thinning sputum ("Mukaltin", "Atrovent");
- expectorant - for better sputum discharge (Pertussin, Ambroxol);
- antiemetic - with severe vomiting ("Tserukal", "Metoclopramide");
- antipyretic - at high temperature ("Paracetamol", "Ibuprofen").
In severe poisoning, when renal function is impaired, hemodialysis is used. The essence of this method of therapy is to purify the blood of 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 takes on a chronic form and leaves irreversible changes in the body.
The most harmless, but unpleasant from the aesthetic side, consequence of poisoning with copper sulfate is a change in the color of the sclera of the eyes and skin to yellow-green. The shade of the hair also changes.
Bone and epithelial structures are deformed: the nasal septum is bent, the tubular bones soften (osteoporosis), the structure of the teeth changes, and the skin is destroyed.
Chronic kidney or liver failure develops.
When the solution is ingested, a fatal outcome may occur after 2 g of copper sulfate has been ingested.
Preventative measures
Copper sulfate poisoning is much easier to prevent than to cure. To do this, follow these rules:
- Store chemicals in a safe place, protected from 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 it is necessary to change clothes, take a shower, when using copper at home, do regular wet cleaning;
- Avoid the use of copper utensils for storing food.
Copper sulfate poisoning is a serious pathological condition that can be fatal. Therefore, it is so important to recognize the 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.