Organophosphate poisoning
Organophosphate poisoning is poisoning due to organophosphates (OPs). Organophosphates are used as insecticides, medications, and nerve agents. Symptoms include increased saliva and tear production, diarrhea, vomiting, small pupils, sweating, muscle tremors, and confusion. While onset of symptoms is often within minutes to hours, some symptoms can take weeks to appear. Symptoms can last for days to weeks.
Organophosphate poisoning occurs most commonly as a suicide attempt in farming areas of the developing world and less commonly by accident. Exposure can be from drinking, breathing in the vapors, or skin exposure. The underlying mechanism involves the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), leading to the buildup of acetylcholine (ACh) in the body. Diagnosis is typically based on the symptoms and can be confirmed by measuring butyrylcholinesterase activity in the blood. Carbamate poisoning can present similarly.
Prevention includes banning very toxic types of organophosphates. Among those who work with pesticides the use of protective clothing and showering before going home is also useful. In those who have organophosphate poisoning the primary treatments are atropine, oximes such as pralidoxime, and diazepam. General measures such as oxygen and intravenous fluids are also recommended. Attempts to decontaminate the stomach, with activated charcoal or other means, has not been shown to be useful. While there is a theoretical risk of health care workers taking care of a poisoned person becoming poisoned themselves, the degree of risk appears to be very small.
OPs are one of the most common causes of poisoning worldwide. There are nearly 3 million poisonings per year resulting in two hundred thousand deaths. Around 15% of people who are poisoned die as a result. Organophosphate poisoning has been reported at least since 1962.
3M
For the fiscal year 2018, 3M reported earnings of US$4.858 billion, with an annual revenue of US$31.657 billion, an increase of 5.1% over the previous fiscal cycle. 3M's shares traded at over $200 per share, and its market capitalization was valued at over US$107.7 billion in October 2018.
In 1999 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began investigating perfluorinated chemicals after receiving data on the global distribution and toxicity of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). 3M, the former primary producer of PFOS from the U.S., announced the phase-out of PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid, and PFOS-related product production in May 2000. Perfluorinated compounds produced by 3M were used in non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics. The Cottage Grove facility manufactured PFCs from the 1940s to 2002. In response to PFC contamination of the Mississippi River and surrounding area, 3M stated the area will be "cleaned through a combination of groundwater pump-out wells and soil sediment excavation". The restoration plan was based on an analysis of the company property and surrounding lands. The on-site water treatment facility that handled the plant's post-production water was not capable of removing the PFCs, which were released into the nearby Mississippi River. The clean-up cost estimate was $50 to $56 million, funded from a $147 million environmental reserve set aside in 2006.