Health Officials Seize Fish treated with formalin

(A representative image)

Idukki: Health Department officials seized  crates of fish poisoned with formalin from markets in Idukki. Fish are treated with formalin and other nitrogen-containing substances like ammonia, urea etc. so as to keep them ‘fresh’.

Formalin is a colourless chemical used to embalm dead bodies.  It is used to preserve plant and animal specimens as it can prevent leaching and rotting. Direct entry of formalin in the human body can cause serious health hazards.It can damage nephrons, the structural and functional unit of kidney,cause kidney dysfunction and can also affect liver.

Water used to make ice is initially mixed with formalin before freezing. This ice is then broken down and sprinkled over the fish crates. Once the ice melts, formalin seeps into the fish, preventing it from spoiling before it reaches the buyers.