Residents courting death in keeping looted toxic sodium cyanide

A high-ranking Health ministry official has disclosed that the government has only managed to retrieve one jerrican of sodium cyanide following an accident that caused a spill of the toxic chemical.

On Saturday, in an official statement, the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards at the Ministry of Health (MoH) through Principal Secretary (PS) Mary Muthoni, announced that a truck had overturned, causing spillage of a highly toxic substance known as Sodium cyanide in Kambembe area of Rironi, Kiambu County.

But in the usual Kenyan fashion, onlookers rushed to the scene of the accident to loot ‘free goodies’ thus putting their own lives and that of the public in danger.

They seemed not to know or care that hazardous concentrations of Sodium cyanide may develop quickly in enclosed, poorly-ventilated, or low-lying houses or structures.

PS Muthoni, however, remained tight-lipped about where the truck was coming from or going to, who owned it, and what the Sodium cyanide was going to be used for.

However, the Nation has established that the government has so far only recovered one plastic jerrican containing the poisonous chemical, and does not seem to know how many were stolen from the scene by some members of the public.

Missing jerricans

Speaking to Nation in a telephone interview on Sunday, July 21, the MoH official disclosed that the government will be appealing to the public to return the missing jerricans at a designated safe spot around the area.

“We will be updating the nation later but we are working to contain the situation,” the senior official said.

But what really is Sodium cyanide?

Amref Health Africa Chief Executive Officer Gitahi Githinji told Nation that it is a white powder (like salt) with a faint almond-like odour.

“Cyanide has a high affinity for metals, which leads to the high toxicity of this salt. It is used commercially for fumigation, electroplating, extracting gold and silver from ores as well as chemical manufacturing.”

For workers exposed to the substance in the manufacturing sector, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) via the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) places the airborne exposure limit of Sodium cyanide at 5 mg/m3, which should not be exceeded during any 10-minute work period.

The CDC also warns that the chemical is water-reactive and decomposes on contact with acids, acid salts, water, moisture, and carbon dioxide, thereby producing highly toxic, flammable Hydrogen cyanide gas. In water, it is a strong base, which means it reacts violently with acid and is corrosive, apart from being incompatible with strong oxidants.

“Carbon dioxide from the air is sufficiently acidic to liberate toxic Hydrogen cyanide gas on contact with Sodium cyanide,” CDC says.

Dr Githinji explains that indiscriminate ingestion of Sodium cyanide in large quantities may result in death: “This is why to avoid ingestion, make use of mouth covering while handling the chemical. Do not eat, drink or smoke in the environment where Sodium cyanide is being handled.”

Headache

In the statement confirming the accident, PS Muthoni had listed some of the risks associated with cyanide exposure.

“Exposure can cause immediate symptoms such as headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, while severe exposure can lead to loss of consciousness and convulsions within minutes.

Repeated exposure to lower levels can result in long-term health issues, including neurological damage, thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular problems,” she observed.

The poisonous substance damages the nervous system and causes changes in the blood cell count.

Experts also warn that repeated lower exposures can cause nose discharge, nosebleeds, and sores in the nose.

The Health ministry however advises the public to avoid the site of the incident and to cooperate with disaster response teams as they work to contain the situation.

“Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available, “she assured.

Earlier this month, six people died as a result of cyanide poisoning in a hotel in Bankok, Thailand. Officials found traces of the poisonous toxic substance in cups they had used.

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