BRAZIL: The life of a seven-year-old child was cut short on August 3, 2023, after he played on a pile of limestone powder, which was placed roadside. The last photo of Arthur Emanuel Bitencourt showed him sitting amongst the building material while posing with a double thumbs-up. It has been reported that the child inhaled the poisonous fine powder, which left him with breathing difficulties.

Arthur was soon taken to the hospital but before anything could be done, he died, the Daily Mail reported. The little boy’s uncle Romaldo Bitencourt took to Facebook to share his grief as he wrote in Portuguese, the English translation of which read, “This photo was the last and taken a few minutes before his tragic death, caused by inhaling limestone while playing…”

“The wake continues at Capela São Francisco, in Ponta Grossa… The coffin will leave at 2:00 pm for the Taquari dos Polacos cemetery in, rural town of Ponta Grossa… The memories I will have of you, my dear, will always be the best,” he further wrote.

How did Arthur Emanuel Bitencourt die?

The reason for Arthur’s death is reportedly the toxic construction material. The New York Post citing local media reports said that the “medics said Arthur’s sudden death was a result of breathing in the powder.” Besides, a probe has been initiated to examine the boy’s death thoroughly.

In another post, Romaldo wrote, “Arthur, my dear nephew, we will love you forever and one day, we will meet to receive that hug that only you knew how to give.” Several people paid their condolence to the devastated family on social media. One user said, “My feelings that. God console and many strength too. You. Romoaldo. Bitencourt and parents and grandparents and a. Family and friends and yours and very sad loss of your nephew.”

Another user wrote, “We cry out to God for comfort and comfort. They will be in our prayers, and we beseech God to give them strength!!!” “My condolences 😭😭😭💔 may God comfort you all in this difficult time 😭 we are in prayer for you. There are no words at this moment,” the third user wrote. The fourth user added, “My condolences to all the family members! May God bring comfort to all in this time of pain.”

How dangerous is limestone powder?

According to the National Library of Medicine, “Limestone processing is a global industry, but few studies have assessed respiratory health among limestone workers. A modified British Medical Research Council respiratory questionnaire was used for recording chronic respiratory symptoms.”

“The prevalence of symptoms was highest among the production workers. After adjusting for age, smoking, previous jobs, and past respiratory diseases, the production workers still had a significantly increased relative risk for cough[ing] day and night, cough[ing] 4 to 6 times daily in a month, and cough[ing] with sputum,” it read. “The results indicate that exposure to limestone dust is associated with increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms.”