Toxic Substances

Prepare to learn about four things that are super interesting, but can make you super sick! These blogs created for PHR 7588 (Summer 2021) were designed to discuss selected toxic substances and how they can ruin your day by making you feel sick, damaging your body systems, or even kill you. Having knowledge of these toxic materials/ living organisms is important because they must be respected, rules must be in place AND followed when working around them, and you could save a life if you know the appropriate treatment and are in a position to treat a victim.

Topics covered in this blog include:

• Pesticides: Hexachlorohexanes (HCH)
• Metals: Uranium (U)
• Animals: Ticks
• Solvents: Xylenes

Personal Protective Equipment and Laboratory Safety

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical to protecting yourself from toxins, poisons, and other harmful substances and it is important to be aware that not all substances require the same amount of PPE. Some substances only require simple PPE such as gloves, safety glasses, or a lab coat, while others have more strict requirements such as a respirator, Tyvek suit, and goggles. Wearing the required PPE for the substance being worked with is critical to staying safe, and other things like being aware of your personal space and body movements, what others are doing around you, and general potential hazards will make working safer for everyone. Not following proper required safety steps can lead to substances being inhaled, absorbed, or injected, and damage to the body can be short term (rash, vomiting, nausea) or long term (cancer, death).

When disaster strikes… 

PPE is great for keeping people safe and avoid occupational hazards, but not all accidents will happen when it is available. PPE provides protection against occupational hazards where they can be anticipated, but exposure to toxic substances can also happen to anyone anywhere else. Accidental exposure can occur in many other ways, including natural disasters, warfare, children getting into medications or cleaning products, and manufacturing accidents. When explosions happen, it can spew harmful substances into the air that can then be inhaled into the lungs or absorbed through the skin of people nearby, and ingestion accidents can happen when someone overdoses on a drug or drinks something like a cleaning chemical- those are often seen in children, but can occur in adults that attempt self harm and suicide. Dermal exposure to some substances can cause burns and rashes, and punctures can introduce toxins and pathogens inside the body that can cause further harm and diseases.

Treatment

Treatment of the patient will depend on a few factors, including the route of exposure and the substance they are exposed to, and could include the administration of activated charcoal, chelation drugs, antidotes, topical ointments, or eye drops, etc. Level of needed care can also range from being able to treat at home to needing advanced care from a medical team.

Important Websites:

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): https://www.osha.gov/
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/
• American Chemical Society: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/chemical-sciences/fields/hazardous-waste-management.html
• Poison Control: https://www.poison.org/