Acute arsine poisoning after exposure on cleaning an industrial purifier at a family-run workshop

We report a rare incident of acute arsine poisoning when cleaning an industrial purifier to enhance awareness for the prevention of arsine poisoning incidents in the family-run workshop. In this incident, three workers of a family-run cleaning workshop developed symptoms of headache, abdominal pain,...

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Main Authors: Hua Zou, Meibian Zhang, Panqi Xue, Fang Wei, Fei Li, Xinglin Fang, Xiaoming Lou, Lifang Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1542879/full
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author Hua Zou
Meibian Zhang
Panqi Xue
Fang Wei
Fei Li
Xinglin Fang
Xiaoming Lou
Lifang Zhou
author_facet Hua Zou
Meibian Zhang
Panqi Xue
Fang Wei
Fei Li
Xinglin Fang
Xiaoming Lou
Lifang Zhou
author_sort Hua Zou
collection DOAJ
description We report a rare incident of acute arsine poisoning when cleaning an industrial purifier to enhance awareness for the prevention of arsine poisoning incidents in the family-run workshop. In this incident, three workers of a family-run cleaning workshop developed symptoms of headache, abdominal pain, chills, fatigue, and hematuria after cleaning an industrial purifier, with a latency period 4–6 h after exposure. Field investigations and laboratory tests were used to investigate the poisoning incident. Red blood cell counts and levels of hemoglobin, alanine transaminase, and urinary arsenic (As) increased, and urinary protein and occult blood tests indicated strongly positive results. The cleaning workshop undertook no effective measures to prevent occupational poisoning. The As concentration in flame retardants, dust on the surface of the industrial purifier, and water in the soaking pool was 269 mg/kg, 1.72 × 105 mg/kg, and 6.89 × 103 mg/L, respectively. This incident highlighted the association of the acute arsine poisoning during the cleaning of an industrial purifier with poor occupational health management practices. Effective measures for the prevention of the acute poisoning should therefore be undertaken.
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issn 2296-2565
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publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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spelling doaj-art-98acc3801cc542e9a12ef33d9b14a6d82025-08-20T03:05:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-04-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15428791542879Acute arsine poisoning after exposure on cleaning an industrial purifier at a family-run workshopHua Zou0Meibian Zhang1Panqi Xue2Fang Wei3Fei Li4Xinglin Fang5Xiaoming Lou6Lifang Zhou7Institute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, ChinaNational Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, ChinaInstitute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, ChinaInstitute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, ChinaInstitute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, ChinaInstitute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, ChinaInstitute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, ChinaInstitute of Occupational Health and Radiation Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, ChinaWe report a rare incident of acute arsine poisoning when cleaning an industrial purifier to enhance awareness for the prevention of arsine poisoning incidents in the family-run workshop. In this incident, three workers of a family-run cleaning workshop developed symptoms of headache, abdominal pain, chills, fatigue, and hematuria after cleaning an industrial purifier, with a latency period 4–6 h after exposure. Field investigations and laboratory tests were used to investigate the poisoning incident. Red blood cell counts and levels of hemoglobin, alanine transaminase, and urinary arsenic (As) increased, and urinary protein and occult blood tests indicated strongly positive results. The cleaning workshop undertook no effective measures to prevent occupational poisoning. The As concentration in flame retardants, dust on the surface of the industrial purifier, and water in the soaking pool was 269 mg/kg, 1.72 × 105 mg/kg, and 6.89 × 103 mg/L, respectively. This incident highlighted the association of the acute arsine poisoning during the cleaning of an industrial purifier with poor occupational health management practices. Effective measures for the prevention of the acute poisoning should therefore be undertaken.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1542879/fullarsineoccupational exposurepoisoningworkplacehemolysis
spellingShingle Hua Zou
Meibian Zhang
Panqi Xue
Fang Wei
Fei Li
Xinglin Fang
Xiaoming Lou
Lifang Zhou
Acute arsine poisoning after exposure on cleaning an industrial purifier at a family-run workshop
Frontiers in Public Health
arsine
occupational exposure
poisoning
workplace
hemolysis
title Acute arsine poisoning after exposure on cleaning an industrial purifier at a family-run workshop
title_full Acute arsine poisoning after exposure on cleaning an industrial purifier at a family-run workshop
title_fullStr Acute arsine poisoning after exposure on cleaning an industrial purifier at a family-run workshop
title_full_unstemmed Acute arsine poisoning after exposure on cleaning an industrial purifier at a family-run workshop
title_short Acute arsine poisoning after exposure on cleaning an industrial purifier at a family-run workshop
title_sort acute arsine poisoning after exposure on cleaning an industrial purifier at a family run workshop
topic arsine
occupational exposure
poisoning
workplace
hemolysis
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1542879/full
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