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STATISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS ON LETHAL INTOXICATION WITH METHYL ALCOHOL FROM BACÃU DISTRICT DURING THE PERIOD 1994 – 2007


DOINA MOALEÅž, ELENA BUTNARU, MARIA PRISECARU, MARCEL BÄ‚DÄ‚RÄ‚

Issue:

SCSB, Volume XIII

Section:

Volume XIII - Animal Biology

Abstract:

Methyl alcohol or methanol is a toxic product, frequently used in the chemical industry, in pharmaceutical, and biochemical laboratories. Its physical-chemical and organoleptic properties have frequently led to its being taken for ethylic alcohol, generating numerous cases of methanol intoxication. In the fermentation and distillation processes of some alcoholic drinks/beverages, it can be found as a result of the degradation of the wood part of the along the distillation process. The sanitary norms limit the concentration of methyl alcohol in alcoholic drinks to a standard of 1%. This value is controlled for alcoholic drinks distilled in specialized firms, but it cannot be checked for drinks obtained by private producers at home, especially in the rural area. This type of products and the easy access to industrial products containing methanol have gradually led to intoxications. The toxicity of the methanol is given by formic acid which inactivates the ferric enzymes producing cellular anoxia and is also given by the untransformed fraction. As a consequence of the phenomena of cellular hypoxia, there is produced the metabolic acidosis with the increase of the anionic hole. This is a cumulative toxic substance. The toxic dose is of 0.15 mg/kg methanol 100%, the ingestion of 10 ml of methyl alcohol causes blindness and the lethal dose is of 30 to 60 ml. The symptoms of methanol intoxication starts with an inebriated state, followed by the increase of acidosis, hypotension, breathing condition leading to lung edema, digestive problems, agitation, convulsions. Eyesight problems install progressively. Acute and chronic intoxications can evolve into convulsive coma, hypotension, hypothermia, lung edema and death.

Keywords:

methyl alcohol, lethal intoxication, statistical data.

Code [ID]:

SCSB200713V13S01A0008 [0002591]


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