NAS expert: chemical mixture used by Poles contains strong allergens
The chemical mixture used by Polish security forces against refugees on the border contains up to 39 organic compounds, some of them are quite strong allergens – as informed by Sergei Usanov, an academician-secretary of the Belarusian National Academy of Sciences’ Department of Chemistry and Earth Sciences
As samples, scientists were provided with soil and grass from the scene of the events. After their studies, up to 39 organic compounds were discovered.
“These can be divided into several groups. The first one contains compounds which cause irritation, with deltamethrin prevailing. It is an insecticide used to control insects. When its concentration exceeds the permissible threshold, the compound becomes dangerous to humans. Moreover, it has a high irritating activity,” Mr. Usanov said.
The second group includes organic compounds that dissolve the above-mentioned ones: deltamethrin, for example, cannot be dissolved in water, so derivatives of benzene, toluene and fatty acid esters were used for the chemical mixture.
Scientists also detected red pepper extract – capsaicin – which has a strong burning effect, and also its isomer: dihydrocapsaicin. Another irritating substance is camphor which is also poorly soluble in water and has a slight irritating property.
“Four compounds of this chemical mixture belong to the group of allergens, so some people's reaction to these substances can be very severe,” the expert added.
