What would happen if a person drank herbicide?
The hazards of drinking herbicides depend specifically on the type of herbicide. If it is paraquat, it usually poses a life-threatening risk after accidental ingestion, while other herbicides such as glyphosate are less toxic but may still cause severe itching, ulceration, and pus discharge. No matter what happens, people should never drink herbicides as they can directly harm the body, and failure to seek timely medical attention may lead to tragedy.
1. Hazards of Drinking Paraquat Herbicide
Accidental ingestion of paraquat herbicide or contact with its liquid on the skin can cause severe itching, ulceration, and pus discharge, which can penetrate the body parts and lead to chronic suicide. In severe cases, it can cause heart failure and death. Currently, there is no antidote for paraquat, so it has been banned and withdrawn from the market, and pesticide manufacturers are not allowed to produce it. Other herbicides such as glyphosate, ammonium glyphosate, alachlor, acetochlor, and butachlor are also toxic.
2. Is There a Chance of Survival After Drinking Herbicide?
Survival after drinking herbicide depends on the type. If it is paraquat, the chances of survival are extremely slim. Paraquat-type herbicides can cause lung fibrosis in patients, which usually occurs within 10 days. After lung fibrosis occurs, it leads to respiratory failure and death. However, for other herbicides besides paraquat, the chances of survival are high.
3. First Aid Measures for Drinking Herbicide
Since herbicides are absorbed quickly, hospitals usually perform hemoperfusion on patients after admission to remove the herbicide from their blood plasma and reduce its toxicity to internal organs.
