The dangers of mixing dry ice in a swimming pool

Three people died in a pool party in Moscow Russia because swimming pool water is mixed with dry ice or dry ice. A total of 25 kg dry ice immersed in the swimming pool unthinkable of any further harm and effect.

This disaster occurred at a celebgram party named Yekaterina Didenko who is also a certified pharmacist celebrating her 29th birthday.

How did this disaster happen and why dry ice danger?

Didenko, the host of this party ordered 25 kg dry ice to be immersed in the swimming pool, where the party is being held.

Launched The Moscow News the purpose of mixing dry ice this to the pool is meant to create fog on the water and create the effect of swirling clouds. However, other information is known to be 25 kg dry ice it was booked and mixed into the swimming pool as guests complained about the warm pool water.

After dry ice it was dumped into the pool, the guests immediately plunged themselves into the pool without knowing the dangers that lurked them. At that instant, those who swam immediately felt suffocated and some fell unconscious.

As a result of the incident, four people received treatment for burns and chemical poisoning. Two people died at the scene while another person died in hospital. Didenko's husband was one of the victims who died.

The results of preliminary investigations indicated the cause of death was weakness and lack of oxygen.

Why Dry Ice could it be dangerous?

Despite the name 'dry ice', dry ice is carbon dioxide (CO2) which is compressed. This CO2 is pressurized at a very low temperature of -78 ° C (-109 ° F) so it gets very cold.

When brought to normal temperatures, this carbon dioxide ice does not melt into liquid, but it will change from a solid form back into a gas. This process is known as sublimation.

The New York Department of Health says dry ice can be a very serious hazard in small spaces that are not well-ventilated. When this 'ice' sublimes, the carbon dioxide gas will build up making people inhale large quantities of the gas and dangerous.

When the carbon dioxide gas is inhaled by humans it has the potential to cause headaches and difficulty breathing, as well as nausea and vomiting. In extreme cases, overexposure can cause a person to lose consciousness, and in some cases lead to death.

This dry ice death incident also occurred in 2008. This incident happened to a woman and her mother-in-law. This woman and her mother-in-law carry four bags of dry ice in the back seat of the car to be escorted to her husband who sells ice cream.

The two women were found unconscious in their car due to lack of oxygen. In this tragic incident the 77-year-old mother-in-law was not saved, she was pronounced dead from inhaling too much gas from dry ice.

Well, in the case of mixing dry ice and the water in this pool, the water molecules in the pool are at a higher temperature than frozen CO2. So there is a collision process of sending energy from water and dry ice, dry ice cool the water while the water warms up dry ice . Because of that, the carbon dioxide molecules in the form of ice move and change into gas form more quickly.

Here are some of the dangers of inserting dry ice to the pool:

• Dry Ice Frostbite (frostbite): This freezing CO2 is very cold, if it comes into contact it can cause burns that can kill cell tissue. The worst part is that it only takes seconds of contact to catch fire.
• Asphyxia: As already explained dry ice will change form to CO2 gas. Even though the gas is not poisonous, the CO2 content will disturb the composition of the air. Oxygen supply is limited and will cause difficulty breathing.
• Explosion Hazard: Dry ice does not explode or burn easily, but exerts a lot of pressure as it turns into a gas. If you place dry ice in a closed container near a swimming pool, it may explode. The frozen CO2 explosion produces loud noises, ice chips and crushed containers can bounce and injure those around them.

Use dry ice secure

When stored and used as directed, dry ice is harmless and can make some pretty cool party tricks.

The following are things that need to be considered when using dry ice :

• Message dry ice with the appropriate number and size that can be used in a reasonable number. Because large dry ice is very dangerous to cut.
• Wear gloves when touching dry ice , wear safety glasses or face shield if you want to cut it.
• Save dry ice in a container that has a hole to allow the gas to escape so that when the ice changes shape it does not cause pressure in the container.
• Keep out of reach of children
• Don't try to eat or swallow dry ice .

From this incident can be underlined the dangers of using chemicals, including using dry ice , outside of the general use suggested.