Epidemic of Poisoning with a Surface Sealing Spray for Consumers

Since 2006-03-27 German poisons centres have detected a series of poisonings with household products of a product series called „MagicNano“. All products contain silica/silicones in nano particles form (<100 nm diameter), ethanol, water and other ingrediences in small quantities not reported by the manufacturer. The products should be used for sealing of surfaces of glass and ceramics - after treatment cleaning of surfaces should become much easier.

Callers to the poisons centres had used one of two MagicNano spray products containing propellant gas mostly in kitchen or bathroom.

All callers report on dyspnoe, many of them report on cloughing, fever, and headache. During the next days 79 patients have called a poisons centre and have reported symptoms. At least 12 patients have been treated at a hospital and at least 6 of them have developed diffuse alterations of the chest radiography and fever, interpreted as toxic pulmonary edema. Laboratory results for these patients indicate inflammation (e.g. leukocytosis). Radiographic signs and symptoms improved within 12 -24 hours but many patients suffered from dyspnoe for 4 days and longer.