Poisoning
- Slovak term: Slovenský termín
- Poisoning occurs when people drink, eat, breathe, inject, or touch enough of a hazardous substance (poison) to cause illness or death. Some poisons in very small amounts can cause illness or injury. Injury or illness may occur very quickly after exposure or may take several years with long-term exposure.
Explanation
Poisoning may also be an indirect consequence of an event. After Hurricane Katrina there was an increase in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning - this was due to the incorrect use of portable gasoline-powered generators during power outages.
Sometimes there is no overt chemical release, and it is only when people start showing signs and symptoms of poisoning that the possibility of a release is suspected.
Example
When a natural gas well in Gaoqiao, China erupted in December 2003 the release of hydrogen sulphide killed more than 240 people. A further 9000 people attended hospital and 64,000 people were evacuated from the area.
Other examples include mass chronic arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh from tube wells drawing on contaminated water, and an outbreak of tropane alkaloid poisoning in Slovenia caused by contamination of buckwheat flour with seeds from Datura stramonium.
