BREAKING NEWS

Fire-fighting chemical can irritate respiratory tract, eyes

DECEMBER 5, 2010 17:48

The fire-dousing chemicals that have been poured down by aircraft can pose a health danger if residents of and visitors to the north are not careful, the Health Ministry warned on Sunday. Comprised of aluminum phosphates, the chemicals are liable to irritate the respiratory system as well as the eyes. The ministry advised teams in the field and any others in contact with the chemical on the ground to wear protective masks.

In the event of symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath and chest pains, the sufferer should wash his whole body. People who live in the area affected by the spraying should remain shut up in their homes, the ministry said. Children should keep their hands clean and not be allowed to play on affected surfaces or with objects that were sprayed with the chemicals. Fortunately, the chemicals have such effects only for short periods.

Dr. Daniel Ben-Dov, chief of the emergency medicine unit at Haifa’s Carmel Medical Center, added that a number of firefighters and rescue staffers have come to the hospital with complaints about symptoms affecting their eyes and the mucous membranes in their throats that resulted from exposure to the red chemical. They were treated and discharged.

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