Insecticide update
The name of the victim has been released. According to Captain Robert Chalker, with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the 58-year-old woman that died Thursday morning after exposure to a toxic chemical is identified as Rosa Gilmore Green.
Green’s 12-year old grandson, who lived with her and was also at some time exposed, was admitted into Georgia Regents Medical Center Thursday morning. His condition is not released.
Two other juveniles, identified as Green’s granddaughters, were also sent to Georgia Regents Medical Center Thursday morning. They were both examined and released. The girls were not at Green’s residence when Green was exposed to the poisonous gas.
The insecticide used in Green’s home was identified as “Fumitoxin” (Aluminum Phosphide). It was in a tablet form and when exposed to moisture in the atmosphere, it activates and emits phosphine gas. The insecticide is commonly used by farmers to kill weevils, mice, and all other insects in stored crops, such as small grain and corn. According to the applicator’s manual, it should never be used in a home or building occupied by humans.