What is Napalm Toxicity?
Napalm is a mixture of chemicals that’s specifically designed as a weapon. It’s a highly flammable liquid with a jelly-like texture. The original thickening agent consisted of a combination of specific types of acids, leading to the name “na-palm.” However, it’s commonly known as the fuel of a firebomb. The chemicals used in napalm have many versions, but the most usual current composition includes elements like aluminum salts, polystyrene, and benzene. It’s detonated or ignited by various explosive compounds like phosphorous, which helps light up the fuel mixture.
The sticky consistency of napalm makes it cling to exposed surfaces, which increases its power to harm or destroy. At the same time, this high consistency helps it maintain a stream that can be directed when scattered under pressure, that’s why it’s used in military flamethrowers.
It’s important to note that napalm is harmful in many ways. The most visible harm comes from burns, but it’s also possible to get injured from the explosions used to deliver the napalm, leading to shock-wave burns. Additionally, burning napalm quickly use up oxygen from the surroundings, potentially causing suffocation. The burning process of napalm also creates harmful gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which can become toxic. Some types of napalm use chemicals that can turn into styrene, a substance that’s harmful to the nervous system and could potentially cause cancer.
What Causes Napalm Toxicity?
Napalm, a substance used in bombs and flamethrowers, can cause harm to the human body, mostly during wars. It’s mainly used in the military, in air bombing, ground explosives, and flamethrowers that can be held by hand or mounted on vehicles. However, sometimes people can be exposed to napalm even without being in a war zone. This can happen when homemade firebombs, also called ‘Molotov cocktails’, are used. These DIY weapons are made with materials similar to those used in military-grade napalm, which allows them to ignite and cause similar damage.
It’s important to clarify that people or groups who make and use these weapons do not always belong to an official military organization. There’s also something known as ‘Prison napalm’. This is a boiling mix of sugar used in prisons that can lead to serious burn injuries. The sugar acts as a thickening agent, making the mixture extra sticky. This means that it sticks to skin for longer, reaching higher temperatures and causing more serious damage.
Risk Factors and Frequency for Napalm Toxicity
Napalm, a substance developed by chemists in 1942, was first used in warfare in 1944. During World War II, it was employed in bombs by Allied forces across Europe and the Pacific. Napalm was mainly used against fortified positions due to its power to kill or remove defenders when other weapons failed. It was also used in handheld or vehicle-mounted flamethrowers. Besides the World War II, napalm was used in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, as well as other smaller conflicts.
In most cases, civilians don’t come in contact with napalm unless there’s a military conflict. In 1980, the United Nations banned the use of napalm on civilian targets. But, there are still reports that it has been used in some recent conflicts. Furthermore, some injuries have been caused by homemade mixtures similar to napalm that exploded during creation or use outside of war situations.
Signs and Symptoms of Napalm Toxicity
When napalm, a highly flammable sticky jelly, is used in a military context, evidence of exposure is usually clear from the victim’s report or the broader circumstances. However, identifying exposure to homemade napalm can be more difficult. The physical signs seen in survivors will depend on the type of exposure. Quick response from emergency services could find victims with full-thickness burns, sometimes still actively burning, from direct contact with the napalm. The extreme heat can even result in all clothing being burned away. Victims with second-degree burns will be in severe pain, while those with third-degree burns might surprisingly seem pain-free.
If the napalm was dropped from a plane, rather than deployed by a flamethrower, victims might also suffer typical blast injuries. These could include blunt and penetrating injuries from the blast impact that could cause dangerous internal or external bleeding, pressure build-up in the heart or lungs, or an open lung wound needing immediate treatment. It’s important for medical professionals to not be so focused on the severe burns that they miss these possibly life-threatening injuries. Therefore, a structured approach is needed when treating blast-burn injuries.
The initial evaluation of the patient should look for signs of burns to the airway, like singed facial and nasal hair and fire debris in the throat or nasal passageways. Checking the appearance of the throat and mouth areas, like the uvula, tongue, lips and palate, for signs of swelling that could suggest incoming airway blockage, is crucial. In addition, patients not directly exposed to the flaming napalm might show signs of mental confusion from a blow to the head caused by the blast, or from lack of oxygen, carbon monoxide, or carbon dioxide poisoning.
Testing for Napalm Toxicity
If you’ve been exposed to napalm, the top priority is to put out any ongoing burning. This is usually done by smothering the flames or using a chemical fire extinguisher. If the exposure was due to an explosion, doctors will look for any immediate injuries that need to be treated.
In more serious cases, healthcare providers may decide to secure the patient’s airway early on. This is to avoid complications from swollen airways which can make it hard to breathe. Strong painkillers might be needed for severe pain, but these could affect breathing in patients already stressed. For those not given an airway tube early, doctors will closely monitor for signs like drooling, changes in voice, and swelling of the mouth or lips. These could mean the airway is getting worse, and they might need a breathing tube put in.
After cleaning and securing the airway, doctors will then check how well you’re breathing and your oxygen levels. Difficulty in breathing could be due to a head injury, exposure to certain gases, a chest injury which restricts movement, or chemicals breathed in from the environment. Those injured in a blast might have trapped air or open wounds in the chest, which demands immediate care. Similarly, burns on the torso might need early treatment to allow for better breathing.
Checking your blood circulation is also important. This involves measuring blood pressure and other signs of shock. If your blood pressure is low, this could mean internal injuries from the blast, and the doctors will think about whether surgery is needed. They’ll also check for signs of serious conditions like external bleeding, a build-up of blood around the heart, trapped air in the chest, blood in the chest or belly, or signs of bleeding hidden by the visible burns. Breathing in cyanide from nearby burning materials could also cause a shock-like state and increased lactate level in your blood.
Once your airway, breathing and circulation are stable, the next steps will depend on how the doctor assesses your condition. Serious injuries may warrant a comprehensive scan of the brain, neck spine, chest, abdomen, and pelvis to check for internal injuries. Altered patients may need blood tests for carbon monoxide exposure. In severely ill patients, very high lactate levels could suggest cyanide exposure. Knowing the total burnt surface area of your body is necessary to plan the right fluid therapy and to decide whether you need to be transferred to a burn center.
Treatment Options for Napalm Toxicity
When someone is injured by napalm resulting in blast-burn injuries, doctors follow standard trauma procedures. They ensure they don’t overly focus on the burns initially and instead prioritize treating any other possibly life-threatening injuries. The person may require assistance to breathe, and in some cases, a tube is inserted into the throat (known as airway control). Mechanical ventilation, providing breaths with a machine, might also be necessary.
In cases where the patient’s condition deteriorates, various procedures may be needed. These may include making an opening in the chest (chest thoracostomy), sealing wounds on the chest, performing an escharotomy (a procedure to relieve pressure from burned and hardened skin), performing transfusions of blood, and carrying out exploratory laparotomy or thoracotomy – surgeries to look into the abdomen or chest, respectively. If the person’s lactate levels are high and they have been in a closed space during the burn, treatments to counter cyanide toxicity may help.
It’s common for people with these injuries to have been exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which can affect their breathing. To treat this, supplemental oxygen is provided. Pain management is also a priority; typically, doctors achieve this with opioid medications, although they need to pay attention to the side effects such as lowering of blood pressure or slowing of breathing. Another option that some medical providers prefer is a drug called ketamine, which can help control pain at either low doses or higher, dissociative doses.
Even though there are established protocols for fluid resuscitation (replacing lost body fluids) in burn patients, blast-burn victims may present additional challenges, especially if there are also blast injuries that cause bleeding. Some patients with low blood pressure may require a blood transfusion in addition to fluid replacement. A common formula doctors use to predict how much fluid a burn patient will need (called the Parkland formula) suggests providing 4 mL of fluid per percentage of body surface area that’s burnt per kg of patient’s weight. This total volume is given over 24 hours, with half given in the first 8 hours from the time of the burn and the rest over the remaining 16 hours.
Because of the unique nature of napalm burns and their potential complications, such as unusual scars known as keloids, patients with these burns are usually transferred to a specialist burn center for further treatment.
What else can Napalm Toxicity be?
Usually, if someone has been burnt by napalm, it becomes quite clear when looking at their medical history. But sometimes, the patient might not have been burnt, but they could still be affected by napalm exposure. These folks might come in showing signs of confusion or other mental changes, trouble breathing, a sharp drop in blood oxygen levels, or even go into shock. If you look at their initial position, there might be clear signs of something having burned up.
Doctors examining these patients should think about whether these symptoms could be from inhaling toxic gases like carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, or cyanide. Or it might even be due to a blunt force trauma to the head. It’s important to consider all these possibilities while diagnosing.
What to expect with Napalm Toxicity
The outcomes of being exposed to napalm can differ greatly. Many people who die from exposure tend to do so straight away due to being consumed by fire, suffering a powerful explosion impact, or experiencing breathing failure. Those who endure burns that cover a large portion of their body run the risk of dying from infection and failure of multiple organs in a matter of hours or days. However, patients with less severe burns usually have a higher survival chance if they receive proper treatment from burn-specialized centers and specialists.
Possible Complications When Diagnosed with Napalm Toxicity
Napalm burns are extremely serious and can lead to extensive damage to the skin. This can potentially lead to complete failure of multiple organs in the body and, in the worst cases, can even cause death. Those who survive often have significant physical changes and may lose the ability to use certain parts of their body. They typically need special care and skin graft surgeries. Some people may form keloids – thickened, raised scars – following napalm burns. Furthermore, having a traumatic experience like napalm burns can have a severe psychological impact.
Here are the common consequences of napalm burns:
- Severe skin damage
- Possibility of multi-organ system failure
- Risk of death
- Physical disfigurement
- Loss of body functions
- Need for skin grafting and specialized care
- Potential for keloid formation (thick, raised scars)
- Severe psychological impact due to trauma
Recovery from Napalm Toxicity
People who have been exposed to napalm often need help from specialists who know how to treat burns, such as plastic surgeons. Some may need extra help from physical and occupational therapists to regain their physical abilities. In some cases, counseling for mental health could be beneficial.
Preventing Napalm Toxicity
In 1980, the United Nations put a ban on using napalm, a highly flammable sticky jelly used in warfare, against civilians. However, despite this ban, its usage has not stopped in several conflicts worldwide. Traditional napalm has mostly become unused, but modern versions have been deployed. This has allowed some countries to claim they do not use napalm.
There are instructions available online for making homemade napalm, which some individuals find attractive. These guides suggest making napalm for everyday purposes like destroying insect colonies or burning tree stumps, as well as for harmful intentions. The process usually involves heating a combustible substance such as gasoline or kerosene and then slowly mixing in different gel-like agents such as soap. If not cautious, the mixture can accidentally catch fire when used over an open flame, leading to severe burns.
