aluminum phosphide could be a killer in your home and the simple application of water to it has killed four children and resulted in others being hospitalized in Texas. The toxic gas generated by the chemical accidentally resulted in the death of the children and emergency responders were sent to hospital for treatment.
The incident happened when the Aluminum phosphide, which formed part of a pesticide placed under a trailer home was exposed to water. CNN reported that officials in Amarillo, Texas, explained how "a family member used water to try to wash off the aluminum phosphide, which had been administered before by someone beneath the residence."
There were ten people in the mobile home at the time and four of them died.
The children were aged between seven and 17.
Aluminum phosphide is extremely toxic when water is applied to it
According to the US government EPA regulations, the chemical is used as a fumigant to control insects and rodents. Red Fact data states that the use by "certified pesticide applicators with respect to rodent control for burrows at least fifteen feet from a residential structure is considered a residential use." In this incident, the chemical was applied underneath the residence. The application of water on the chemical produces phosphine gas which can be fatal to humans.
The chemical aluminum phosphide has killed people across the globe
Across the globe, many people have been killed by the pesticide.
It is considered a major killer of people in India where "The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India" produced studies on it in 1995. In 2009, the BBC reported that two Danish children had died accidentally from the gas in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The tragedy of these deaths was made even worse when it was discovered that the source of the phosphine gas was from a neighbor's house - where the occupants had gone away and left the tablets out on saucers to fumigate the apartment.
Two years ago, a family in Spain died after they tried to recycle containers that held aluminum phosphide. They had stashed them in the bathroom. According to Agencia EPE, they died after moisture in the bathroom created the toxic gas.
The Australians are extremely concerned about it as it is used across many farming activities. Watch to see how dangerous this stuff is in a video by Wild Warrior Bill on Youtube.
