A family of six thallium poisoning patients in Anhui was suspected of being poisoned.

Yesterday, Ms. Zhang’s family of six from Linquan, Anhui Province was still receiving treatment in the 307 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army. Ms. Zhang said that on November 24, after breakfast at home, she felt pain all over and her hair began to fall off. The same symptoms as her were Ms. Zhang’s husband, her nephew, niece, niece and 3-year-old grandson. After diagnosis and treatment in 307 hospital, all 6 patients were thallium poisoning. Ms. Zhang suspects that someone poisoned the food. At present, the local police have been involved in the investigation.

A family of six thallium poisoning in Anhui Province

Yesterday morning, in the Poisoning Treatment Department on the 6th floor of the 307 Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army, the reporter met Ms. Zhang’s family, who lived in two wards respectively. Ms. Zhang was infusion in the hospital bed, and her husband, nephew and niece had lost all their hair. The 3-year-old grandson was sleeping, and the hair on his head would fall when he touched it.

Ms. Zhang introduced that their family came from Linquan, Anhui Province, and usually looked after their little grandson at home. Most of their families were working outside before the incident. Ms. Zhang recalled that on the afternoon of November 23, seven people, including two nephews and nieces, came from other places and had dinner together in the evening. After dinner, one of the nephews returned home with four members, leaving another nephew and niece with three members, plus there were six of them.

The next morning, she mixed the remaining vegetables together and heated them for the whole family to eat. Then six people developed symptoms, including leg pain, stomachache and hair loss to varying degrees. However, my nephew’s family of four who came home the night before was fine. As the kitchen was not locked, she suspected that the food was poisoned and reported the case to the local police.

Ms. Zhu, the youngest daughter of Ms. Zhang, said that after the incident, they went to Fuyang, Shanghai and other places for examination, and they could not diagnose the results. Finally, they came to the 307 Hospital for treatment.

I was also suspected of poisoning a few months ago.

According to the attending doctor, blood and urine tests showed that all six of them were thallium poisoning, and the situation of Ms. Zhang and her husband was more serious. Ms. Zhu said that after arriving at the 307 Hospital, doctors detected thallium in the blood and urine of six of them. "At that time, we were shocked. We had never heard of thallium poisoning. Who would be so cruel and harm our whole family?" Ms. Zhu said that fortunately, medical treatment was timely, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

On a test report of her mother’s poison laboratory provided by Ms. Zhu, the reporter saw that the thallium content in the urine was 13030.ong∕ml, and no other poisons were detected in the blood and urine. Ms. Zhu said that now six people have basically controlled their illness, which is much better than before.

Ms. Zhang recalled that in August this year, their family of four had similar symptoms of poisoning, but the situation was relatively light and did not attract attention. At that time, it was also several daughters who took their children home for dinner. Four children ate too much snacks and didn’t eat, but four adults had symptoms such as pain and hair loss.

Because of the lack of relevant knowledge, everyone thought that the food was unclean after a long time, and that it was common to eat something bad, which did not attract attention. It was only now that I remembered that it might have been thallium poisoning.

Local police have been involved in the investigation.

"Now the cost can’t keep up, and the treatment has stopped." Ms. Zhu said that her family is in the countryside, and her parents are old and have no source of income. At present, the treatment expenses of her parents alone cost more than 400,000 yuan, the mother needs 10,000 yuan for a perfusion, and the father needs 10,000 yuan for a plasma exchange. Both of them have done it four times, plus other expenses, and all the borrowed money has been spent. There is no way to stop the treatment now.

Ms. Zhang said that they are honest farmers, and they seldom cause trouble. The only time was when they had a conflict with their neighbor in the front yard because of the homestead. The neighbor once threatened to "let her family be careful."

"But there is no evidence, and now no one dares to doubt it." Ms. Zhang said that thallium had never heard of it before, and had never been exposed to it. Someone must have poisoned them in the food. As for who it is, we can only wait for the police investigation results. Ms. Zhang introduced that Anhui local police had come to Beijing and took their hair samples.

Yesterday, the reporter called Anhui Linquan police station. A policeman said that two policemen had been sent to the hospital to understand the situation. The county and city police attached great importance to this case. It is not convenient to disclose the case now, and it is under further investigation.

■ Hazards of Thallium

Thallium (chemical element), a blue-white heavy and highly toxic metal. Soft, inelastic, easy to melt, tasteless and odorless. The main use is to make thallium sulfate, a powerful rodenticide. The symptoms of thallium poisoning are numbness or pain in lower limbs, alopecia and headache. Thallium compounds are also highly toxic. Generally, the minimum lethal dose to adults is about 12mg/kg, and the dose less than 1 gram can kill adults.

The person in charge of the Poisoning Treatment Department of 307 Hospital said in an interview that thallium is difficult to touch in life, with strong toxicity and strong water solubility. After dissolution, it is colorless and tasteless, but it can cause great harm. Thallium poisoning is very concealed. If it is not treated in time, the disease will develop rapidly, causing damage to the eyes and possibly death.

■ investigation

Thallium is sold in online stores.

Yesterday, the reporter asked in a number of pharmacies in Beijing, and the other party said that thallium was not sold in the store and was not allowed. Subsequently, the reporter called Deyouke Chemical Co., Ltd. and Yanya Chemical Co., Ltd., and their staff also said that there was no sales of this product.

However, on Taobao, the reporter easily found a shop named Henan Zhengzhou Heshun Electronics Co., Ltd., which has thallium unit standard solution for sale, with a price of 50 ml per bottle, 190 yuan, 20% nitric acid and a concentration of 1000μg/ml.

When the reporter called the company to explain that he wanted to buy thallium standard solution, a staff member said that there was no such product. The reporter said that when he saw the website propaganda, he insisted on repeatedly asking for the purchase. The staff member said that he could sell it to the unit, not to the individual, but he must issue a certificate. Although the standard solution has been dissolved, it also contains poison, and it usually arrives in about 5 days.

Ms. Zhang introduced that their family came from Linquan, Anhui Province, and usually looked after their little grandson at home. Most of their families were working outside before the incident. Ms. Zhang recalled that on the afternoon of November 23, seven people, including two nephews and nieces, came from other places and had dinner together in the evening. After dinner, one of the nephews returned home with four members, leaving another nephew and niece with three members, plus there were six of them. The next morning, she mixed the remaining vegetables together and heated them for the whole family to eat. Then six people developed symptoms, including leg pain, stomachache and hair loss to varying degrees. However, my nephew’s family of four who came home the night before was fine. As the kitchen was not locked, she suspected that the food was poisoned and reported the case to the local police.