Bromate is an oxidizing agent used as a permanent wave neutralizer. Accidental or deliberate ingestion of bromate has rarely been reported, but is potentially severe. We report a 36-year-old female hairdresser, who was admitted due to nausea and vomiting after ingestion of sodium bromate. The patient was successfully treated with hemodialysis therapy and renal function recovered without any complication. The clinicians must remember that early therapeutic measures, including hemodialysis, should be taken as soon as possible to prevent irreversible hearing loss and renal failure.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Bromates ; Eating ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Nausea ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Sodium ; Sodium Compounds ; Vomiting

Sodium bromate is a strong oxidant used as a neutralizing solution in hair permanents, as well as an auxiliary agent in printing and dyeing. Accidental or deliberate ingestion of bromate solution has rarely been reported in Korea. The clinical manifestations of bromate intoxication are vomiting, diarrhea, central nervous system symptoms, oliguric or non-oliguric acute kidney injury, hemolytic anemia, and deafness; most of these manifestations are reversible, with the exception of renal failure and deafness. Here, we report on two patients who demonstrated distinct clinical progressions. In the first case, a 16-year-old woman was successfully treated with hemodialysis and recovered renal function without hearing loss. However, in the second case, delayed hemodialysis resulted in persistent renal failure and hearing loss in a 77-year-old woman. This suggests that emergency therapeutic measures, including hemodialysis, should be taken as soon as possible, as the rapid removal of bromate may be essential to preventing severe intoxication and its sequelae.
Acute Kidney Injury/*chemically induced/therapy ; Adolescent ; Aged ; Bromates/*toxicity ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*therapy ; Renal Dialysis ; Sodium Compounds/*toxicity

Poisoning due to potassium bromate, cold wave neutralizer for permanent waving solution in hair styling, is rarely encountered and only few cases are as a cause of acute renal failure reported in medical literature. Recently, we saw a 18 year-old-female patient, hair stylist, who was admitted to Severance Hospital due to acute renal failure after accidental ingestion of potassium bromate. This is the first known case of acute renal failure due to potassium bromate poisoning in Korea.
Adolescent ; Bromates/poisoning* ; Bromine/poisoning* ; Female ; Hair Preparations/poisoning* ; Human ; Kidney Failure, Acute/chemically induced* ; Kidney Failure, Acute/diagnosis ; Korea ; Potassium/poisoning

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of reducing THM precursors and controlling bromate taste and odor in drinking water taken from the Yellow River by an ozonation combined system.

METHODSThe appropriate ozone dosage was determined, and then the changes of TOC, UV254 and THM formation potential (THMFP) in the combined system were evaluated.

RESULTSOne mg/L ozone could effectively remove taste and odor and meet the maximum allowable bromate level in drinking water. The pre-ozonation increased THMFP, but the conventional treatment system could effectively reduce the odor. The bio-ceramic filter could partly reduce CHCl3FP, but sometimes might increase CHCl2BrFP and CHClBr2FP. The biological activated carbon (BAC) filter could effectively reduce CHCl3FP and CHCl2BrFP, but increase CHClBr2FP. Compared with other filters, the fresh activated carbon (FAC) filter performed better in reducing THMFP and even reduced CHClBr2FP.

CONCLUSIONThe combined system can effectively reduce taste, odor, CHCl3FP, and CHCl2BrFP and also bring bromate under control.

Bromates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; China ; Chlorine ; Humans ; Odorants ; analysis ; prevention & control ; Ozone ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Rivers ; chemistry ; Taste ; Trihalomethanes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Water Supply ; analysis ; standards

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to elucidate the effect of vanillin on behavioral changes, oxidative stress, and histopathological changes induced by potassium bromate (KBrO3), an environmental pollutant, in the cerebellum of adult mice. METHODS: The animals were divided into four groups: group 1 served as a control, group 2 received KBrO3, group 3 received KBrO3 and vanillin, and group 4 received only vanillin. We then measured behavioral changes, oxidative stress, and molecular and histological changes in the cerebellum. RESULTS: We observed significant behavioral changes in KBrO3-exposed mice. When investigating redox homeostasis in the cerebellum, we found that mice treated with KBrO3 had increased lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation in the cerebellum. These effects were accompanied by decreased Na+-K+ and Mg2+ ATPase activity and antioxidant enzyme gene expression when compared to the control group. Additionally, there was a significant increase in cytokine gene expression in KBrO3-treated mice. Microscopy revealed that KBrO3 intoxication resulted in numerous degenerative changes in the cerebellum that were substantially ameliorated by vanillin supplementation. Co-administration of vanillin blocked the biochemical and molecular anomalies induced by KBrO3. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that vanillin is a potential therapeutic agent for oxidative stress associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Benzaldehydes ; pharmacology ; Bromates ; toxicity ; Cerebellum ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cytokines ; genetics ; metabolism ; Environmental Pollutants ; toxicity ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Mice ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Rotarod Performance Test

Hair neutralizer in home permanent cold wave kits contains a 2% to 10% potassium or sodium bromate, which is colorless, odorless and tasteless solution. Bromate salts are extremely toxic oxidants. The reported toxic effects of bromates poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, depression of central nervous system, oliguric acute renal failure, sensorineural hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy and hemolytic anemia. Deafness seems to be almost permanent. In many cases, the recovery of renal function is not complete and some of them are transformed to chronic renal failure and maintained on hemodialysis. Since the serious side effects of deafness and acute renal filure usually occur within 4-16 h after ingestion, prompt removal of the bromate from blood by peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis, which are proven method of removal, should be performed immediately. Recently, we encountered a 37 year old female hairdresser who was admitted to St. Mary Hospital due to oligura, hearing loss and visual loss after ingestion of sodium bromate. The patient required regular hemodialysis therapy and no recovery of hearing and visual loss was evident up to 8 month follow up.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Bromates ; Central Nervous System ; Deafness ; Depression ; Diarrhea ; Eating ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hair ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Oxidants ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Peritoneal Dialysis ; Poisoning* ; Potassium ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency* ; Salts ; Sodium* ; Vomiting