Formalin & It's Status in Bangladesh



Formalin
MD.ABDUL HAI ( BAU)

Abstract
Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula CH2O (H-CHO). It is the simplest of the aldehydes (R-CHO) and is also known by its systematic name methanol. Formalin is a colorless strong-smelling chemical substance usually used in industry of textiles, plastics, papers, paint, construction, and well known to preserve human corpse. It is derived from formaldehyde gas dissolved in water. A 37% aqueous (water) solution of formaldehyde, a pungent gas, with the chemical formula HCHO , used as an antiseptic, disinfectant, and especially today as a fixative for histology (the study of tissues under the microscope) is called formalin. The widespread use of formalin, in preservation of fish, fruit and other food items is posing a threat to public health. The chemical used as a solution in water keeps fish fresh and makes fruits like mangoes attractive. This chemical, usually used to stop dead bodies from rotting, is now being used to preserve edible items Fish. The fish will be stiff, have rubbery meat, hard scales, red gills, clear eyes, doesn’t have the “fishy smell” and no flies flying around. Squid. Very rubbery  consistency. Unable to break the meat by hand, which you usually could, only can be cut by a knife. Other sea  products, including dried salty fish. Formalin will make the fish become stiff, whitish and odorless. Even when cooked, i.e. fried, it will still be stiff. Tofu. Its consistency is more rubbery than usual, the surface tends to be hard, won’t spoil after 24 hours. Normally after 24 hours, tofu would become slimy, brittle and sour. If it is steamed, submerged in cold water, or kept in the fridge, it may last longer.Wet noodles. Has yellowish color, tends to be elastic, with a drug-like odor or ash-like odor when boiled or mixed with hot water. An aqueous solution of formaldehyde can be useful as a disinfectant as it kills most bacteria and fungi (including their spores). Formaldehyde solutions are applied topically in medicine to dry the skin, such as in the treatment of warts. Many aquarists use formaldehyde as a treatment for the parasites Ichthyophthirius multifiliis and Cryptocaryon irritans.[33]Formaldehyde is used to inactivate bacterial products for toxoid vaccines (vaccines that use an inactive bacterial toxin to produce immunity). It is also used to kill unwanted viruses and bacteria that might contaminate the vaccine during production.[34] Urinary tract infections are also often treated using a derivative of formaldehyde (methenamine), a method often chosen because it prevents overuse of antibiotics and the resultant development of bacterial resistance to them. In an acid environment, methenamine is converted in the kidneys to formaldehyde, which then has an antibacterial effect in the urinary tract. Some topical creams, cosmetics, and personal hygiene products contain derivatives of formaldehyde as the active ingredients that prevent the growth of potentially harmful bacteria. Formaldehyde is also approved for use in the manufacture of animal feeds in the US. It is an antimicrobial agent used to maintain complete animal feeds or feed ingredients Salmonella negative for up to 21 days. When treated with phenol, urea, or melamine, formaldehyde produces, respectively, hard thermoset phenol formaldehyde resin, urea formaldehyde resin, and melamine resin. These polymers are common permanent adhesives used in plywood and carpeting. It is used as the wet-strength resin added to sanitary paper products such as (listed in increasing concentrations injected into the paper machine headstock chest) facial tissue, table napkins, and roll towels. They are also foamed to make insulation, or cast into moulded products. Production of formaldehyde resins accounts for more than half of formaldehyde consumption. Formaldehyde is also a precursor to polyfunctional alcohols such as pentaerythritol, which is used to make paints and explosives. Other formaldehyde derivatives include methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, an important component in polyurethane paints and foams, and hexamine, which is used in phenol-formaldehyde resins as well as the explosive RDX.
History
Research in the early 1800s by Liebig discovered the chemical composition and nature of various aldehydes excluding formaldehyde due to the ease with which methanol was oxidized to formic acid and further synthesized to carbon dioxide and water.In 1859, Alexandra Mikhailovich Butlerov inadvertently discovered formaldehyde as a result of his proposed synthesis of methylene glycol [CH2 (OH)2]. During his laboratory experiment, Butlerov observed the distinctive odour of the formaldehyde solution while hydrolysing methylene acetate, which decomposed to form formaldehyde and water. He also produced formaldehyde in other forms which led him to publish a detailed report of formaldehyde solution, its gas and polymer. He gave additional evidence of its structure and described the chemical reactions together with the creation of hexamethylenetetramine, [(CH2)6N4] on reacting with ammonia, (NH3). The main way by which formaldehyde is still being produced till date was discovered by A.W. Hofmann but with other catalysts. In 1868, Hofmann made a successive breakthrough by passing a mixture of methanol and air over a heated platinum spiral. This process is currently industrialised by use of a metal catalyst. Over two decades later, the isolation and purification of formaldehyde was achieved by Friedrich Von Stradonitz (1892).1882 marked two significant improvements in formaldehyde research. Kekule then described the preparation of pure formaldehyde and Tollens discovered a method of regulating the methanol vapour: air ratio, thereby affecting the yield of the reaction.
The spiral platinum catalyst was replaced with more efficient copper gauze in 1886 by Leow. Commercial manufacture of formaldehyde was initiated by a German firm, Mercklin and Losekann in 1889 with the first use of silver catalyst patented by Hugo Blank, another German company in 1910.
Industrial development continued from 1900 to 1905, when plant sizes, flow rates, yields, and efficiency were increased. In 1905, Badische Anilin&Soda-Fabrik (BASF) started to manufacture formaldehyde by a continuous process employing a crystalline silver catalyst. Formaldehyde output was 30 kg/d in the form of an aqueous 30 wt% solution. The methanol required for the production of formaldehyde was initially obtained from the timber industry by carbonizing wood. The development of the high-pressure synthesis of methanol by BASF in 1925 allowed the production of formaldehyde on a true industrial scale.
Present Condition
The role of fisheries and livestock sectors in the development of agro-based economy of Bangladesh is very important and promising. They contribute around 8% to national income, which also is 32% of the total agricultural income. About 90% of animal protein in our diet comes from fish and livestock. The fisheries sector contributes 5.10%, of the country's export earnings, 4.91% of its GDP and provides 63% of the national animal protein consumption. Fish and fishery products are the country's third largest export commodity contributing 5.10% of its exchange earnings, in 2002–2003 Bangladesh earned US$ 324 million of which shrimp alone contributed 72% of the total by quantity and 89% by value. It is claimed that the total fish production has increased significantly over the last few decades but it is not sufficient to meet up the growing demand of the country. As a result imported fishes from neighboring countries enter in the domestic market and it was reported that more than 80 metric ton of fish and fishery products enter into Bangladesh every day through the Teknaf border from Myanmar. Available reports suggest that formalin is sometimes added or sprayed to the fishes by the fish traders while transporting to domestic marketing chain to prevent spoilage and increase shelf life. Studies conducted at different markets in Dhaka city and Mymensingh Sadar rationalizes the incidence of adding formaldehyde/formalin to fishes especially imported from neighboring countries.It was observed in a study conducted in Dhaka city that almost 5% shops of total consumable fishes contain formalin treated fishes those are sold in fish markets. They found this intensity to vary market to market and species to species. They found that Rui fish was highly affected by formalin whereas Karwan Bazar represented highest number of formalin treated fish. In this current study mainly big fish species were investigated which indicated a high percentage of presence of formalin in fish. Unabated sales of adulterated foodstuffs posing high health risks worry consumers across the country. The excessive use of chemicals like formalin, calcium carbide, pesticides and artificial growth regulators on a wide range of products from fruits to fish to vegetables keep consumers wonder where to buy safe food. They have long been complaining about the use of formalin on fish and tomato, and applications of carbide and growth regulators on banana, pineapples and other fruits. "I tend not to buy banana, pineapples these days for my daughter because of harmful chemicals they [producers, marketers] use to forcibly ripen and preserve those,” said SK Chowdhury, a resident in the city's Dhanmondi area.“We also feel unsafe while buying fish like rui, katla and mrigel as the fishmongers apply formalin to fishes." Agronomist Shahidul Islam, a consultant of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said environment pollution as well as the use of chemicals like formalin and carbide on food items poses serious health hazards to consumers.
Bangladesh Food Safety Laws and Regulations:

*The Act establishes a licensing system for any person or body wishing to import or use formalin. Once implemented, formalin control committees will be formed at every district and Upazila. Import, production, shipment, stock, sales and use of the preservative will require licence. It will be legally binding on licensed traders to show their sales document to the committees.The maximum punishment for breaching licence terms is seven years in prison with Tk 500,000 in fine, and revocation of the licence. Anyone shipping formalin without licence will spend two and a half years in jail and pay up to Tk 300,000 in fine. One in possession of equipment that may be used to produce formalin will be hauled in jail for two and a half years and fined up to Tk 200,000. The law will be effective for formalin, formaldehyde and other government-approved chemicals used for formalin production.
*To control the uses of formalin and make legal framework for its violation within all over Bangladesh are the two main objectives of this Act (preamble of the Act). However, the provisions of the Act lack the coherent of these purposes. Also this Act allows government to exempt any institution from the jurisdiction of this Act by government gadget notification (section 37). It may vitiate the purposes of the Act. Apart from these it has the followings specific drawbacks:
The word in the very title of the Act ‘the Formalin’ narrows down the scope of the different government agencies to monitor and control other preservatives and chemicals equally harmful as of formalin for human health. Also the Act failed to define formalin comprehensively. As per the Act formalin means formalin, formaldehyde and para-formaldehyde. As the definition fall short to include other additives and preservatives in its definition explicitly unscrupulous businessmen may attempt to use other chemicals in foodstuffs for long shelf life of foodstuffs.
*The Cabinet has approved in principle the draft of a proposed law to stop misuse of formalin with up to 10 years in jail and Tk 500,000 in fine for violations.

Literature Review

Journal Name:

1. The extent and magnitude of formalin adulteration in fish sold in domestic markets of Bangladesh (Researchgate.net)

2. Present Status of Marketing of Formalin Treated Fishes in Domestic Markets at Mymensingh District in Bangladesh (Researchgate.net)

3. Food and Nutrition Sciences
Vol.06 No.01 (2015), Article ID: 53168, 10 pages
10.4236/fns.2015.61013 A Comparative Study of Present Status of Marketing of Formalin Treated Fishes in Six Districts of Bangladesh (scirp.org)
4. Detection of Formalin in Fish sample in Bangladesh (Banglajol.info)
 5.Food Adulteration: The Bangladesh Paradox (lawjournalbd.com)


Objectives
To show the impact of formalin use on human health

Methodology
As we are not taking the information by going man to man, so it is definitely no primary source. It is definitely Secondary source (like FAO, WHO, different journal etc.)

Scope of Study
Impacts on Health:
1. The inhalation of formaldehyde gas in even small quantities is followed by bronchitis and pneumonia. Pneumonia is due to the inhalation of the gas and not to secondary infection.
2. Formalin belongs to that rare group of poisons which are capable of producing death suddenly when swallowed.
3The introduction of formalin into the stomach is followed by the production of a gastritis which varies greatly in character. The duodenum and upper jejunum may also be involved in the inflammatory process.
 4. Intraperitoneal injections of formalin cause peritonitis of a fibrino-haemorrhagic character. A definite reaction is obtained when very dilute formalin (1–1000) is employed. In the peritoneal cavity formalin exercises a destructive action upon all organs (pancreas, liver, peritoneal fat, Fallopian tubes, etc.) with which it comes in contact and causes inflammation in these organs.
5. The lethal dose of formalin when injected intraperitoneally into guinea pigs is approximately 2 cc. of 1–1000 formalin for each 100 grm. of body weight.
 6. The injection of formalin into the lungs is followed by pneumonia and bronchitis.
7. The inflammation which follows subcutaneous injections of formalin is characterized by intense exudation.
 8. The injection of formalin into the muscles produces myositis.
9. The injection of formalin into the anterior chamber of the eye causes the accumulation of an exudate containing leucocytes and fibrin. When formalin is dropped into the conjunctival sac iritis follows and may be severe enough to destroy the eye.
10. Formalin in whatever way introduced into the body is absorbed, and is then capable of producing lesions in the parenchymatous organs.
11. Changes in the liver after absorption of formalin consist of mild or severe grade of cloudy swelling accompanied by vacuolation of the protoplasm, changes in the nuclei and leucocytic infiltration. Focal necrosis may result. Similar changes follow the inhalation of formaldehyde.
12. The injection of formalin or the inhalation of the vapors of formaldehyde produces cloudy swelling of the parenchyma of the kidney. Focal necrosis may result.
13. Pneumonia and bronchitis are found in all animals after the injection of formalin.
14. The leucocytic infiltration which follows the introduction of formalin into an organ has these general characteristics: The eosinophiles are the first leucocytes to appear; these are followed by the other polynuclear leucocytes; last appear the large and small mononuclear leucocytes. Similar phenomena occur in the trachea, bronchi and lungs of animals subjected to formaldehyde inhalations.
15. Formalin is, directly or indirectly, chemiotactic for leucocytes. The tissues which are not infiltrated with leucocytes after the injection of formalin are those which have been so injured by the chemical that an inflammatory reaction is impossible.
16. Animals subjected to chronic poisoning with formalin administered by intraperitoneal injection develop fibrinous peritonitis, associated with marked eosinophilia. The changes in the kidneys and liver consist of cloudy swelling, fatty degeneration, focal necrosis and leucocytic infiltration.
        
Ref.

 Contact: Md.Abdul Hai 
Email: abdulhai_bau_bd@asia.com
Cell:  +8801752003007

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