A 45-year-old woman occasionally finds her husband and often talks to an unknown woman online. Thus, in retaliation for her husband's cheating, she clothed her husband with paraquat from years ago. As a result, toxins infiltrated the husband's body, directly intoxicating him to hospital, and this once again pushed paraquat to the forefront of public opinion and she herself was punished by law。
We should all be familiar with paraquat as a very efficient herbicide. Paraquat was originally a colourless liquid, but in order to prevent it from being mistook, it was later produced with odours and accelerants, making it green and blue and with irritating scents。
Paraquat is rapidly absorbed by plant green tissues, leading to the death of plants, and does not pollute the soil environment, so it has been widely used in agriculture. However, the toxicity of paraquat to humans and animals cannot be ignored. Scientists have found that the addition of 5 ml of paraquat in 20% of aqueous solution is sufficient to kill an adult and that there is no special antidote. Furthermore, long-term skin exposure to paraquat solution is equally fatal。
The toxic mechanism of paraquat poisoning is complex, at the core being the ability of its chemical structure to “grabbing” free electrons within cells and to combine oxygen with the generation of hyperoxidation ions, which in turn trigger oxidation of cells, leading to tissue damage. The main target organ for paraquat poisoning is the human lung, whose molecular structure is similar to that of polyamide in pulmonary bubble cells, which is easily absorbed and accumulates in the lung, resulting in irreversible lung fibrosis。
Paraquat is slightly intoxicated by nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, etc., while moderate severe poisoning is accompanied by symptoms of systemic poisoning, such as liver and kidney damage and low blood pressure, followed by respiratory failure caused by lung fibrosis。
Paraquat has been popular since its inception because of its efficient weeding capacity, but the resulting high mortality rate has also generated widespread concern in society. Since 2014, we have gradually strengthened our regulation of paraquat until 2020, when it was completely banned from sale and use in china。
Back to the first tragic events, this is not just an emotional extremism, but a profound reflection on paraquat abuse and regulatory deficiencies. This incident reminds us once again of the need for stricter regulation of highly toxic pesticides, along with increased public safety education and self-protection awareness. The production, sale and use of pesticides were subject to strict laws and regulations, and any form of abuse and illegal conduct should be severely combated。
Finally, it is recalled that, in the event of paraquat poisoning, immediate first aid measures should be taken and medical treatment should be taken as soon as possible. First aid measures include vomiting, stomach washing, cavity and skin cleaning to reduce the absorption of toxins. At the same time, depending on the level of poisoning, doctors may use integrated treatments such as blood purification and medication。
