Activated carbon or active carbon is a form of carbon that has been processed from source materials such as peat, petroleum pitch, wood, charcoal, coconut fiber, lignite, and walnut shells. Processing involves physical reactivation or chemical activation, which gives the charcoal an extremely porous form, making it have a very large surface area available for adsorption or chemical reactions.

Charcoal is “activated” when acid plus steam is added at a very high temperature to one of the source materials listed above. This oxidative process further erodes the internal surfaces of the carbon, increasing its adsorption capacity by creating an internal network of even smaller pores that make it two to three times more effective than regular carbon. Putting this into perspective, a standard dose of 50 grams of activated carbon has the surface area of ​​10 football fields.

One of the main areas of use of activated charcoal in medicine is the treatment of poisoning or overdose after oral ingestion. Although useful in acute poisoning, it is not effective in long-term accumulation of toxins, such as toxic herbicides. In effect, activated charcoal is used as an emergency decontaminant in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which includes the stomach and intestines, and is considered to be the single most effective agent available for removing ingested poisons. It is used after a person swallows or absorbs almost any toxic drug or chemical and, in most cases, eliminates the need for a stomach pump (gastric lavage), although the two may be combined when the patient reaches the hospital. hospital within 30 minutes of ingesting the drug or chemical. Gastric lavage is not very useful if the time lapse between ingestion and arrival at the hospital exceeds 30 to 45 minutes. The use of activated carbon is only preferable in such cases and is estimated to reduce the absorption of poisonous substances by up to 60%. It should be noted that gastric lavage does not have effects that go beyond the stomach, unlike activated charcoal which works throughout the entire stomach, small and large intestines (gastrointestinal tract). It is administered orally with water.

Activated carbon exerts its effects by adsorption, which is a process by which atoms and molecules move from a bulk phase (such as solid, liquid, or gas) to a solid or liquid surface. Toxic substances adhere to the surface of the carbon and, since no digestion occurs; nor is it absorbed into the bloodstream, it remains in the gastrointestinal tract and the toxins are eliminated when the person defecates. Because of this, it is often combined with sorbitol (a substance that stimulates bowel movement, like a laxative) to shorten the amount of time it takes to move through the GI tract and reduce the chance of constipation. However, to avoid complications, sorbitol is not administered with each dose of activated charcoal.

Other uses of activated carbon include:-

1. Use in household water carbon filters to purify drinking water and make it drinkable. In this sense, it is often combined with silver which acts as an excellent antibacterial agent, preventing bacteria from multiplying in the filter. It also breaks down toxic halo-organic compounds like pesticides into non-toxic organic products, further purifying the water and making it more drinkable.

2. As an odor eliminator in the home, especially in refrigerators, refrigerators, kitchen cabinets, etc.

3. It is used to relieve flatulence, stop diarrhea in cancer patients undergoing irinotecan treatments, and is good for relieving various “stomach upsets” in general.

4. It can be mixed with some face cream preparations to make a pore-rich active carbon exfoliating mask for facial cleansing and general body skin applications.

5. It can be used to relieve pain from stings, insect bites, bruises, and can be made into a poultice and applied to bruises and swellings on the body.

6. There is some evidence of its efficacy as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is also used for bowel preparation by reducing intestinal gas content prior to abdominal radiography to visualize gallstones, pancreas, and kidney stones.

7. A type of activated carbon biscuits is marketed as a pet care product.

In conclusion, activated charcoal is a very useful first aid medicine that every family should have in their first aid kit.

Author:Ola Suyee