Professional paper

Household Chemicals – Common Cause of Unintentional Poisoning

Tajana Klepac
Ivana Bušljeta
Jelena Macan
Davor Plavec
Rajka Turk

Abstract

Of 4736 poisoning incidents registered in the Poison Control Centre in Zagreb from 1985 to 1999, household chemicals caused 23%. In the group of cleaning products, 11% of poisoning incidents were caused by corrosives, 9% by liquid detergents and 4% by hypochlorite. Ingested organic solvents caused 18% of household chemical poisonings; among them gasoline and thinners were the most frequent. Cosmetics were responsible for 7% of poisoning incidents; the most frequent were hair shampoo, hydrogen peroxide, and acetone. In the group of other chemicals, the most common were ingestion of thermometer mercury and of silica gel, while poisonings with highly toxic antifreeze, mothballs, or liquid fertilisers were rare. Ingestion or other exposure to household chemicals often caused excessive concern and therapeutic measures. It is therefore advisable to consult a Poison Control Centre in order to get proper information about the composition of a chemical and toxicity of a product.

Keywords

corrosives; household cleaning agents; organic solvents; Poison Control Centre; poisoning

Hrčak ID:

743

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/743

Publication date:

15.3.2001.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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