Chemicals sprayed on protesters identified
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The violet-coloured water that police used against anti-government protesters wasn't a chemical weapon but water mixed with potassium permanganate and sodium thiosulphate, a Disease Control Department academic said Tuesday.
Dr Chanthana Phadungtos from the Bureau of Occupational and Environmental Diseases, said combining the two chemicals created sulphur dioxide, which caused skin and conjunctiva irritation. Mixed with water it creates a mild sulphuric acid, slightly more intense than vinegar. People exposed to it could feel itchy and burning sensations. It was not a liquid form of tear gas and wasn’t a chemical weapon.
It was allowed for use under a riot control law. However, as this combined substance yields an acid, it could harm people who touch it, if it was mixed too intensely, she said.
The Nation
