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Today, a large number of industrial plants operate, which are located near sleeping areas. Some people work at such enterprises and face dangerous chemical compounds every day. Ammonia (hydrogen nitride) has a particular negative effect on the human body, so you need to know about the scope, features and possible consequences of chemical poisoning. If simple safety rules are not followed, toxic ammonia can easily be poisoned.
Features of hydrogen nitride and its scope
Ammonia is a gas that has no color, but with a pronounced suffocating odor. It is impossible to confuse this chemical substance. Hydrogen nitride is used in liquid form as part of household solvents. Its concentration in household chemicals reaches 25-30%. Most often, in the form of a solution, the chemical compound is found in solvents and cleaners for industrial use.
Gas in its pure form is not used, as it has a negative toxic effect on human health. This factor does not prevent people from using hydrogen nitride for the manufacture of finishing and paintwork materials. In traditional medicine, ammonia is known as XNUMX% ammonia. The solution is used to bring a person to life during a fainting state or to stimulate vomiting in case of poisoning and other pathologies. For the treatment of neurology and myositis in medicine, drugs are often used in the form of liniment, which includes ammonia, and therefore ammonia.
In addition, a concentrated solution is used to fertilize land. Explosives are made with the help of gas, ammonia is also needed for the production of freezers and refrigerators. In domestic conditions, hydrogen nitride is used to clean the surface or fabric from paint, coffee, varnish, oil and grease stains, mold and milk. Often, cleaners wash tiles, floors and glass with a concentrated solution.
Although ordinary people in everyday life rarely encounter toxic fumes, you still need to be very careful with products that contain ammonia. Proper and timely first aid for hydrogen nitride poisoning can save a person’s life and minimize possible complications.
How can a person be poisoned by ammonia?
The toxic compound in the air should not exceed 20 milligrams per 1 cubic meter. If a person is in a room with a high concentration of a substance, then there is a high risk of poisoning with toxic fumes. Ammonia emissions can form in the air due to accidents at industrial plants and stations. You can get poisoned by gas when working in a sewage treatment pit or sewerage, if you do not use individual sealed protective equipment.
When the chemical enters the blood and the inner layers of the skin, hydrogen nitride affects the blood vessels, causing them to dilate and pressure in the arteries to drop. Due to a sharp decrease in blood pressure, collapse may develop. The compound has an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the organ of vision, nose, pharynx and other organs, resulting in a chemical burn.
Symptoms of chemical poisoning
There are three main ways for gas to enter the human body: the first is through the eyes, the second is through the skin, and the third is through the respiratory tract. The gaseous substance has a high destructive activity, so the first signs of poisoning appear instantly. Even if a person breathes toxic fumes for a short period of time, there is a risk of poisoning.
The first symptoms of ammonia poisoning include:
- mucous discharge from the nose;
- hoarseness;
- hyperemia, i.e. redness – mucous membranes overflow with blood;
- protruding tears in the eyes;
- increased salivation;
- sore throat and sore throat;
- strong dry cough;
- feeling of asphyxia.
Also often occur: headache; nausea turning into vomiting; abdominal pain; feeling of pressure in the chest; heartburn. If the ammonia solution was very concentrated, a person develops serious symptoms in the form of damage to the organ of vision (due to eye burns, blindness is possible), skin (due to a chemical burn, painful plaques or crusts form), upper respiratory tract (swelling of the lungs may occur , violation of the respiratory system and blood circulation, pneumonia is possible).
Ammonia poisoning threatens internal organs and systems. With burns of internal organs, the victim may die, the first aid provided will be useless. It is possible to predict the degree of damage to the lungs, eyes, and nasopharynx only by knowing the concentration of the substance and the duration of gas inhalation.
First aid for ammonia poisoning
To prevent the development of serious side effects and consequences of poisoning with a toxic compound, it is necessary to provide first aid to the victim in a timely manner. The first step is to report ammonia poisoning to the ambulance station and call a medical team. Next, you need to take the poisoned person to fresh air.
If possible, rinse the mouth and nasal cavity with water with the addition of citric acid. To relieve the first symptoms, it is recommended to drop the Dikain medicinal solution into the eyes and wear glasses to protect against sunlight. If there is a lesion of the upper digestive tract, it is necessary to wash the stomach with a weak saline solution.
In case of damage to the mucous membranes and epidermis, it is necessary to wash the injured areas with warm running water and apply a sterile dressing or wrap them with an elastic bandage.
If there is an unpleasant toxic smell in the room, the first thing to do is to protect the upper respiratory tract. To do this, it is necessary to apply a bandage of gauze, previously moistened with a solution of table vinegar or citric acid, to the nose and lips. In order to alleviate the condition of the victim, he should inhale the vapors through a special device for inhalation.
If the victim stops breathing and loses consciousness, he should be artificially ventilated using mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose techniques. It is advisable to do this manipulation without interruptions, waiting for the arrival of medical workers who will begin to provide qualified medical care.
What to do after poisoning?
After poisoning, a person is hospitalized, and he is in the toxicology department. 24 hours after the poisoning, the patient’s well-being is monitored by specialists. The patient is prescribed bed rest, even if the symptoms are no longer present. If symptoms are still observed, symptomatic therapy is carried out.
If the patient has a pronounced laryngospasm, a tracheostomy is performed. Complex treatment of burns on the skin is also carried out, much attention is paid to the cornea. For preventive purposes, antibiotics and other drugs are prescribed that prevent the development of pneumonia and other diseases of the internal organs.
About the consequences
Not only the symptoms of ammonia poisoning are dangerous, but also its consequences. The most common include: dysfunction of the nervous system (nervous tic, loss of balance, dizziness, decreased sensitivity, loss of smell, disorientation, decreased intellectual potential, tremor, memory loss); blindness (partial and complete loss of vision is possible); hearing loss (there is a risk of complete deafness and hearing loss).
To avoid such serious consequences, you need to follow simple safety rules. The negligence of one person can be deadly to the health of others.
preventive measures
At chemical enterprises and factories, it is mandatory to use protective clothing: wear rubber gloves; special suit; put on rubber boots. You should arm yourself with a gas mask or respirator.
In the event of an accident, cover your mouth and nose with a damp towel and evacuate as soon as possible. The safest place will be the basement or lower floors of the building. Hydrogen nitride will rise to the upper floors during an accident, since the compound has a density less than that of oxygen. If a person smells ammonia on the street, you need to cover your face with a damp piece of cloth and quickly move to a safe distance so as not to put your health at risk.