Formalin: What harms health?

The Dhaka Times Desk What exactly is formalin? If we had a complete understanding of formalin, we might have avoided using such a deadly harmful substance.

What is formalin?

A 40% aqueous solution of falciparum is called formalin. Formaldehyde looks like a white powder. Easily soluble in water. An aqueous solution of 30-40% formaldehyde is called formalin. Formalin is extremely dangerous in the European Union. The use of highly dangerous images on formalin bottles has been mandated. Scientifically the lethal dose of formalin for humans is 30 mg. And levels below 2ppm in air are considered acceptable.

What is formalin used for?

Formalin is commonly used in textiles, plastics, paper, paints, construction, and preservation of corpses. In developing countries like ours (Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nigeria etc.) formalin is currently being used unethically in addition to its original use in food preservation.

How to understand that formalin has been given in food

fruit

It is very difficult to identify the result of formalin administration. Because many fruits contain formalin.

the fish

Formalinized fish and fish scales are hard, the inside of the fish is red when the ears are turned over, the fish has no smell, and usually very few flies sit on the formalined fish (if the fish from the fish market is used to formalin for a long time, if you bring the formalined fish home, the flies will easily sit on the fish. no). Even after cooking dried fish in formalin, the firmness does not go away.

How to remove formalin from fish

The # test showed that soaking fish in water for about 1 hour reduced formalin levels by 61 percent.

Soaking formalinized fish in # salt water for 1 hour reduced formalin levels by about 90%.

# First washing the fish with formalin in rice washing water and then in plain water removes about 70% formalin.

# The best method is to soak the fish in a mixture of vinegar and water (10% water by volume) for 15 minutes to remove about 100% formalin.

Apart from this, formalin detection chemicals are also available in the market nowadays at affordable prices. Formalin contains methanol in addition to formaldehyde, which is harmful to the body. In the liver, methanol is first converted to formaldehyde and then to formic acid in the presence of enzymes. Both are very harmful to the body.

Harmful side of formalin

It can harm in two ways:

# results in immediate or one-time use-

A. Generally the skin, eyes, mouth, esophagus and digestive tract will irritate the respiratory tract.

b. Watery eyes, loss of cornea, changes in vision and even blindness can occur.

c. Weakness and headache.

d. Coughing and coughing, bronchial constriction, bronchial collapse, water retention in the respiratory tract, respiratory obstruction resulting in suffocation, sometimes death, water retention in the respiratory tract, or respiratory failure.

e. Nausea, vomiting, hemoptysis, chest and abdominal pain and burning, black stools, flatulence, stomach ulcers, abdominal pain, metabolic acidosis may occur.

f. May cause red urine, immediate kidney failure.

G. Touch diseases, skin diseases, skin infections can also occur.

h. Convulsions, central nervous system depression, fainting may occur.

2. As a result of long-term or repeated intake:

A. Formaldehyde attacks the retina of the eye and destroys retinal cells. As a result people can become blind.

b. Abdominal pain, sneezing, cough, shortness of breath, indigestion, diarrhea, ulcers, skin diseases are caused due to the use of various harmful chemicals including formalin, hydrogen peroxide, carbide.

c. Gradually these chemicals destroy the liver, kidney, heart, brain. Liver and kidney become useless. Weakens the heart. Memory declines.

d. Eating food containing formalin can cause cancer in the stomach, lungs and trachea. Bone marrow involvement can lead to anemia, other blood disorders, and even blood cancer. Death is inevitable.

In the human body, formalin converts into formaldehyde and increases the acidity of the blood. Formalin abuse is increasing day by day in our country. In order to prevent it, increasing public awareness, information about abuse and increasing various promotional activities including laws to remedy it, the cooperation of the government and the people is necessary.

# Author: Dr. Md. Tanveer Ali, Medical Center, University of Dhaka.