This document discusses iron poisoning from excessive iron intake. Sources of excess iron include supplements, red meat, pollution, and occupational exposure. Too much iron can replace other minerals, cause inflammation, form toxic iron oxide, and stimulate bacterial growth. It affects organs like the pancreas, liver and kidneys. Acute poisoning causes stomach pain and organ damage while chronic poisoning risks diabetes, cancer and nervous system diseases. Treatment involves chelating agents and iron antagonists while a fatal dose is over 50mg/kg of elemental iron.

1. IRON POISONING

2. SOURCES WITH AN EXCESS OF IRON
(EXCESSIVELY CONSUMING WHICH MAY LEAD
TO TOXICITY)
 White Flour products
 Some iron supplements, containing iron
alone as the ingredient.
 Red meat, especially beef.
 Pollution -- Iron contamination of the air,
water and soil is quite common, especially in
iron-producing areas.

3. SOURCES WITH AN EXCESS OF IRON
(EXCESSIVELY CONSUMING WHICH MAY LEAD
TO TOXICITY)
 Occupational Exposure. Welders, electrical
workers who use solder, iron and pipe
workers.
 Congenital Iron Toxicity (excessive iron
present at birth). Most children today are
born with some excess iron. They may still
be anemic because their iron is not all
bioavailable.

4. SOURCES WITH AN EXCESS OF IRON
(EXCESSIVELY CONSUMING WHICH MAY LEAD
TO TOXICITY)
 Emotional Iron Sources. Holding on to one’s
anger or rage appears to keep iron in the
body. While this is not a source of iron
toxicity, it still has an extremely damaging
effect.

5. IRON’S EFFECTS ON THE BODY
 Iron Replaces Other Vital Minerals Causing Enzyme
Dysfunction.
 Inflammation. When iron replaces other elements in
the body, in addition to enzyme malfunction, the next
most important problem it causes is inflammation.
 Toxic Iron Oxide. Iron oxide is formed when iron
combines with several atoms of oxygen at once. It is
biologically useless and quite toxic as well
 Bacterial Growth Stimulant. Due to its properties as
an excellent oxygen transporter, iron tends to stimulate
the growth of common bacteria.
 Cellular Poison (Cancer). Imbalances related to iron
reduce the output of cellular energy in the body. This
leads directly to cancer

6. ORGANS AFFECTED BY IRON OVERLOAD
 Organs that may be most affected by iron are
the pancreas, liver, kidneys, brain, heart, a
rteries, and joints.

7. ACUTE POISONING
 Pain in the stomach (due to ulceration)
 Nausea, vomiting
 The pain then reduces for 24 hours as the
iron passes deeper into the body and
damages internal organs, particularly
the brain, kidneys and liver, and metabolic
acidosis develops (due to renal insufficiency).
The body goes into shock and so occurs
death from liver failure.

8. CHRONIC POISONING
 Diabetes (referred to as bronze diabetes): Iron replaces
many minerals that can give rise to symptoms of
diabetes.
 Cancers
 Nervous System Diseases. These may include
Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and behavioral
abnormalities, including violence, anti-social behavior,
ADHD, autistic characteristics and other. A bad temper is
often related to iron toxicity, as mentioned earlier.
 Hypertension
 Renal Failure
 Inflammatory symptoms

9. FATAL DOSE
 The therapeutic dose for iron deficiency
anaemia is 3–6 mg/kg/day. Toxic effects
begin to occur at doses above 10–20 mg/kg
of elemental iron. Ingestions of more than
50 mg/kg of elemental iron are associated
with severe toxicity.

10. TREATMENT
 Chelating agents, such as deferoxamine.
 Iron Antagonists: These include minerals
such as zinc, selenium, sulphur, and
manganese.
 Dialysis
 Phlebotomy

11. MEDICOLEGAL ASPECTS
 Iron toxicity has been primarily associated
with young children who consumed large
quantities of iron supplement pills, which
resemble sweets and are widely used.
 Excessive dietary intake of iron is not yet
associated with bodily effects too large to
indicate serious toxicity.

12. POSTMARTOM APPEARANCE
 Elevated iron concentrations in most major
body organs: Liver, stomach, brain, heart,
lungs, small bowel and kidneys, indicating
oxidative damage.
 Congestion, edema, necrosis, and iron
deposition in gastric and intestinal mucosa.
 Haemorrhage and congestion in the lungs.