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Deaths caused by ingestion of rat poison containing yellow phosphorus is a major problem in a few States.
A six-month survey carried out in six districts in Tamil Nadu in 2019 by the Tamil Nadu chapter of Indian Society of Gastroenterology (TN-ISG).
It found 450 people suffered from liver toxicity caused by ingestion of rat poison.
Of them, 131 patients died while 28 were discharged in a moribund state.
Extrapolating it for the entire State, researchers estimated 1,584 such cases in 2019 in just six months with about 554 deaths.
Tamil Nadu has introduced a legislation to curb unrestricted access to rodenticide containing yellow phosphorus.
Yellow phosphorus
Yellow phosphorus, also known as white phosphorus, is a waxy, translucent solid that quickly yellows on exposure to light.
It's one of the several allotropes of phosphorus, meaning they are different structural forms of the element phosphorus.
Yellow phosphorus is highly reactive and dangerous.
Here are some of its key properties:
Highly flammable: It ignites spontaneously in air at temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) and continues to burn until it is fully oxidized or deprived of oxygen.
Toxic: Ingesting or inhaling yellow phosphorus can cause severe health problems, including liver damage, multi-organ failure, and even death.
Luminescent: It glows greenish in the dark when exposed to oxygen.
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