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Iron Poisoning Question

2004

HI I am a 43 yr. old male from Utah. I have been suffering from polycythemia or high red blood cells, and syncope fainting spells, migraine headaches, stomach problems, diarrhea, loss of appetite, severe fatigue. I worked as a laborer in a plant that manufactures magnesium. While doing some maintenance on a ferrous chloride pipeline that had ruptured. I came into direct contact with the pipes contents (ferrous chloride) The chemical was liquid orange/brown in color and it dyed my hands and wrists as well as my feet/ ankles orange this lasted for almost two weeks. the company said it would not hurt us ? just wash it off quickly which I did.

This was May of 2002.

On June 13 2002 I was working driving a vacuum wagon at the plant when I started vomiting, got very dizzy, do not remember all of it got my wits again and left work in a daze . Upon arriving home my wife took me to the E.R. where they said I had an irregular heart beat on an EKG. was having severe chest pains couldn't catch my breath. The ER doctor called in a heart doctor. my question is. Could this have been chemical poisoning thru my skin ? as the doctors have not offered any explanations for my symptoms. It was almost 12 months before I could convince my heart doctor to refer me to a toxicologist after some research (msds) I have discovered that iron salts are very dangerous and can be absorbed into the skin. Could the antibiotics and saline solution iv have flushed my system enough it didn't kill me ?

I am not sure if this is enough information or not. this has been going on since June 2002 any help I can get will be welcomed.

Thanks in advance,

David Fox
Iron worker - Grantsville , Utah

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2004

Good afternoon, Mr. Fox:

Your letter really aroused my curiosity for two reasons. First, I'd never heard of polycythemia before your letter. Second, I've dealt with ferrous chloride solution and wasn't aware of any problems with skin contact, other than that it can be somewhat corrosive depending on concentration.

After reading a summary of polycythemia on the National Institutes of Health website (www.nih.gov), and other websites, I can understand why your physician had no explanation for your symptoms. If you were diagnosed with polycythemia vera, there is no known cause. If you were diagnosed with secondary polycythemia, exposure to iron salts is not listed as one of the causes.

As far as whether ferric chloride ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] solution could be causing you medical problems, it would probably be best to get medical advice from an expert. Finishing dot com is a great website, but it is not the best forum to discuss personal industrial hygiene issues.

Steve Bizub
- St Louis, Missouri