False Posts Tout 'health Benefits' Of Drinking Toxic Chlorine Dioxide

Oleh Admin 22 Sep, 2023 Posting Komentar

Social media users in Thailand who participated in repeated false claims about chlorine dioxide solution, a product used to make industrial bleaching water, possibly "all diseases" and other health benefits. But the solution is toxic to humans and should not be ingested, according to public health agencies and health experts.

The claim was shared on September 12, 2023 in a Facebook image here.

The Thai text on the image says: "CDS, Chlorine Dioxide Solution has the ability to 1. detoxify the body, 2. increase the oxygen level in the body, 3. clean and circulate the blood, 4. all diseases to kill without touching anything. he. does it." determine what disease it is.

The title of the post, which has been shared dozens of times, includes other purported benefits of chlorine dioxide, such as treating cancer, eliminating fungal infections and "natural rebalancing of the body."

Chlorine dioxide is a yellowish-reddish gas that disintegrates quickly in air, but also dissolves in water, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) list of toxic substances. .(archive link).

It is used industrially as a bleaching agent for the manufacture of paper and paper products. Because it can kill bacteria and microorganisms in water, it is used in small quantities to treat drinking water and disinfect public buildings.

This substance has been touted as a cure for Covid-19, something the AFP denies.

Similar false claims have also been shared on Facebook here, here and here; and on TikTok here and here.

Users have left comments indicating they believe the chlorine dioxide claims.

One wrote: "I want people to keep an open mind about using CDS. It will improve your health. I didn't believe it before, but my health wasn't good. When I tried it, I had nothing to fear, I have been drinking for 5 months and my health is better."

"This is the best of the best. It doesn't get any better than this," said another.

But ingesting chlorine dioxide is dangerous for humans and exposure to high concentrations can even cause death, a Thai health expert and an international health organization have warned.

Not for human consumption

Teerayut Vilaivan, a professor of chemistry at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, told AFP on September 19 that the solution was "not intended for human consumption" (archive link).

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"It should not be used in humans because it can damage cells and tissue," he said.

Misinformation has circulated for decades about chlorine dioxide being considered a cure for diseases including HIV and, more recently, Covid-19, Teerayut added.

The Thai government-run Anti-Fake News Center previously refuted the same false claim in a Facebook post on March 15, 2022 (archive link).

The publication stated that the use of chlorine dioxide solution has not been approved by the kingdom's Food and Drug Administration due to the associated risks.

Toxic if swallowed

The World Health Organization (PAHO) has warned against the use of chlorine dioxide.

In an August 2020 warning, he said the substance "may be toxic if ingested and may cause various adverse effects" (archive link).

These effects include irritation of the mouth, esophagus and stomach, as well as serious digestive disturbances such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, PAHO said.

In addition, the consumption of sodium chloride can also cause a drop in blood pressure, which can affect the blood's ability to carry oxygen and cause breathing complications, contrary to what the fake publication claims.

The PAHO warning also notes that heart and liver damage has been observed in patients who have consumed chlorine dioxide.

Regulatory agencies in the United States, Spain and Ecuador, as well as other countries, have also warned against its use (archive links here, here and here).