Phosphine (PH3), as a broad-spectrum and efficient fumigant, plays an indispensable role in many fields, especially in grain and oil storage, semiconductor industry, and organic compound preparation. However, its potential harm to human health cannot be ignored, especially when used as a fumigation gas, and the toxicity of phosphine is particularly prominent.
Phosphine has shown excellent efficacy in killing pests, and the principle lies in the strong toxic effect on the enzymes of pests and rodents. However, this intense biological activity also acts on the human body, and phosphine is recognized as a highly toxic gas. Phosphine can cause serious health damage to humans, whether it is short-term acute exposure or long-term exposure to low concentrations.
First of all, let's analyze in detail the acute poisoning symptoms caused by phosphine to the human body. In mild poisoning, the victim may have symptoms such as headache, fatigue, nausea, insomnia, thirst, nasopharyngeal dryness, chest tightness, cough, and low-grade fever; With the increase of inhaled dose, the disease can progress to moderate poisoning, which is mainly manifested as impaired consciousness, dyspnea and myocardial damage. In the most severe form of severe intoxication, coma, convulsions, pulmonary edema, and significant heart, liver, and kidney failure may occur.
Secondly, chronic phosphine poisoning also has irreversible harm. Prolonged exposure to low concentrations of phosphine in excess of occupational exposure limits can cause lasting damage to multiple organ systems in the body, including but not limited to the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, nervous system, and bones. Common diseases such as bronchitis, anorexia, neurasthenia, jaundice, liver disease, heart disease, nephritis, bone lesions, and even asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, etc.
According to China's current national standard "GBZ 2.".1-2019 Occupational Exposure Limits for Workplace Hazards Part 1: Chemical Hazards states that the occupational exposure limit for phosphine is set at 03 mg m (approximately equal to 0.)2ppm）。The grain industry standard LS T 1201-2020 Technical specification for phosphine fumigation further emphasizes this safe concentration threshold and clearly states that once the phosphine concentration in the ambient air exceeds 0 during the fumigation process2 ml m (i.e., 0..)2ppm), effective safety precautions should be taken immediately. In addition, after the fumigation operation, the phosphine concentration in the warehouse was reduced to 0Below 2 ml m is considered safe.
In order to prevent the occurrence of phosphine poisoning accidents and ensure the safety of workers, it is very important to be equipped with a portable phosphine detector. Taking the ERUN-QB9610-PX3 portable pump-suction phosphine gas detector as an example, when the concentration of phosphine in the air on site is too high, the instrument will send out an alarm signal in time to effectively prevent the staff from being accidentally exposed to toxic environments. Through the real-time monitoring and early warning mechanism, the risk of phosphine poisoning can be greatly reduced and the normal work of related industries can be guaranteed.
In summary, although phosphine has shown strong application value in many fields, its highly toxic characteristics to the human body also need to be paid great attention to. The rational and safe use of phosphine fumigation technology, strict compliance with the safety limits stipulated by the state and industry, and real-time monitoring with the help of advanced testing equipment are the cornerstones of preventing phosphine poisoning accidents. While making full use of the unique properties of phosphine, all walks of life must strengthen safety awareness and scientific management to minimize its potential health risks.