Chlorine poisoning caused by improper mixing of household disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic:Case series

BACKGROUND Misuse of disinfectants during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has led to several poisoning incidents.However,there are few clinical case reports on poisoning caused by improper mixing of household disinfectants.AIM To summarize the clinical characteristics and treatment effects of chlorine poisoning caused by improper mixing of hypochlorite bleach with acidic cleaning agents.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed baseline and clinical data,clinical symptoms,and treatment methods of seven patients with chlorine poisoning who were admitted to the National Army Poisoning Treatment Center.RESULTS Among the seven patients,the average poisoning time(exposure to admission)was 57 h(4-240 h).All patients were involved in cleaning bathrooms.Chest computed tomography scans revealed bilateral lung effusions or inflammatory changes in five patients.The partial pressure of oxygen decreased in six patients,and respiratory failure occurred in one.Five patients had different degrees of increase in white blood cell count.Humidified oxygen therapy,non-invasive mechanical ventilation,anti-inflammatory corticosteroids,antioxidants,and antibiotics were administered for treatment.The average length of hospital stay was 7 d(4-9 d).All seven patients recovered and were discharged.CONCLUSION Improper mixing of household disinfectants may cause damage to the respiratory system due to chlorine poisoning.Corticosteroids may improve lung exudation in severe cases,and symptomatic supportive treatment should be performed early.

Switching of CO_(2)hydrogenation selectivity via chlorine poisoning over Ru/TiO_(2)catalyst

It is fascinating to explore the distribution of CO_(2)hydrogenation products regulated by heterogeneous catalysts,as both the chemical state of surface metals and structure of the support itself of the supported catalysts may affect the performance of CO_(2)hydrogenation.Herein,the complete switching of CO_(2)hydrogenation products from CH4 to CO can be realized by induction of Cl into Ru/TiO_(2)catalyst.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations indicated that Cl ions were mainly located on the Ru metal sites of Ru/TiO_(2)catalysts.Bader charge analysis and Ru 3p X-ray photoelectron spectra(XPS)results suggested that electrons transferred from Ru to Cl,resulting in the decrease of electron density of Ru.In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy(DRIFTS)of CO_(2)hydrogenation and CO adsorption proved that with the increase of the Cl ion content,the adsorption of CO on the catalyst surface was significantly weakened,and resulted in the high CO selectivity.Our work demonstrates the role of Cl ions in regulating the distribution of CO_(2)hydrogenation products,and provides new ideas for regulating other catalytic processes.