Citation

Koirala S, Leinenkugel K. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 2015; 64(49): 1365-1366.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, (in public domain), Publisher U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

DOI

10.15585/mmwr.mm6449a4

PMID

26678598

Abstract

In March 2014, a man, aged 59 years, who lived alone and had been using different smelting techniques viewed on the Internet to recover gold and silver from computer components, was evaluated at a local emergency department for shortness of breath, tremors, anorexia, and generalized weakness. During the smelting processes, he had used hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, muriatic acid, and sulfuric acid purchased from local stores or Internet retailers. For protection, he wore a military gas mask of unknown type. The mask was used with filter cartridges, but their effectiveness against chemical fumes was not known.

Language: en