A somber incident in Madhya Pradesh has led to the deaths of at least nine children after they allegedly consumed cough syrup tainted with harmful substances. Authorities have since banned certain syrup brands and launched investigations to pinpoint the source of contamination. This tragic event has once again spotlighted diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG), two highly toxic industrial chemicals, raising serious public health concerns.
Why are cough syrups causing these deaths?
The recent deaths of children in Chhindwara, allegedly due to contaminated cough syrup, have placed DEG and EG at the forefront of a public health crisis. Sadly, this is not the first instance of these dangerous chemicals causing mass poisonings in India or globally.
What are DEG and EG?
Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol are colorless, viscous liquids with a deceptively sweet taste. They are typically used in industrial applications like antifreeze, brake fluids, paints, and inks. Crucially, both are highly toxic to humans and have no place in medicinal products.
How do cough syrups become contaminated?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), DEG and EG often contaminate glycerin, a common sweetener in pharmaceutical syrups. The CDC points to the complex supply chains for glycerin and other raw pharmaceutical materials, involving numerous handlers, as a pathway for these contaminants to enter medical products.
Furthermore, DEG has been illegally used as a cheaper solvent in drug manufacturing due to its similar properties to safe pharmaceutical ingredients. Scientists attribute this adulteration to inadequate international regulations and a lack of rigorous analytical testing methods.
What are the effects of consuming these contaminants?
Ingestion can lead to severe symptoms including abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, bladder dysfunction, headaches, altered mental states, and acute kidney injury. These contaminants primarily target the kidneys and brain, causing renal and neurological toxicity. Acute kidney injury is frequently the fatal outcome, often occurring within 8 to 24 hours of exposure, depending on the dose.
Is this a recurring problem?
This is a deeply rooted issue. Mass poisonings linked to DEG date back to 1937 in the US, where 105 deaths occurred, leading to stricter legislation in 1938. In India, a similar tragedy struck Mumbai in 1986, causing 14 deaths from DEG-contaminated glycerin. Another incident in 1998 resulted in at least 33 child fatalities.
More recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued alerts in 2023 concerning Indian-made cough syrups linked to deaths in The Gambia and Uzbekistan. Laboratory tests confirmed that these products contained “unacceptable amounts” of DEG and EG.
What levels are considered acceptable?
While trace amounts of these contaminants might sometimes be present in glycerin-based medicines, the WHO’s 2023 alert clearly stated that the levels found in the implicated products were “unacceptable,” indicating a dangerous exceeding of established safety thresholds.