EVALUATION OF ACUTE CASES OF SO2 GAS POISONING DUE TO REACTION OF SODIUM HYDROSULFITE WITH WATER

Introduction
Sodium dithionite (Molecular formula: Na2O4S2) synonyms: hydrolin, sodium sulfoxylate, sodium hydrosulphite, CAS No: 7775-14-6. Sodium hydrosulfite in solid white crystalline powder form is a very effective reducing agent. It has wide applications in various industries, including textile, pulp and paper, kaolin clay, and water treatment. Solid sodium hydrosulfite is highly stable when stored in dry closed containers. However, solid sodium hydrosulfite is a very reactive chemical, which can decompose when exposed to air and moisture or in contact with small amount of water. Decomposition will result in spontaneous ignition and liberation of toxic gas- Sulphur dioxide (SO2) (1,3).

As it is highly reactive, SO2 has a highly non-uniform dose distribution along the conductive airways of the respiratory tract. For low to moderate tidal volumes and nasal breathing, the penetration into the lungs is negligible. For larger tidal volumes and oral inhalation, doses of interest may extend into segmental bronchi. SO2 can only reach the gas-exchange region of the lungs after sorption onto fine particles; and the available particle surface is limited except when very large mass concentrations of fine particles are present (WHO 1987; WHO 1994a). Another special consideration for SO2 is that there is a great variation in susceptibility to a bronchoconstrictive response (2-4).
In present article, we aimed to discuss the effects of SO2 released through air because of the unconsciousness mixture of a sodium hydrosulfite contained compound with water to the guidance of the literature.

Materials and methods
In a textile factory of Diyarbakir province, adding water to the plastic can of sodium hydrosulfite used for removing the points of the clothes revealed SO2 gases to the environment and 12 personnel were effected by the way of inhalation.

Physical examinations, arterial blood gases (ABG), Posterior-anterior (PA) lung graphies, electrocardiography (EKG) and biochemical examinations were performed our patients in the emergency department and they were treated and took under observation if necessary.

Results
The whole patients applied to the emergency department were man and their average ages were 28.18±4.05 (range from 23-37). Breathlessness was the common symptom in our patients. Physical examinations revealed conjunctival hyperemia and bronchoconstriction in two of the patients. The ABG parameters of the patients were between the normal ranges.