Poison to the human body. Poisons in our homes. Wrestler or Aconite
Often people think of poisons as a myth from Shakespeare’s dramas, or torn from the pages of Agatha Christie’s novels. But in fact, poison can be found everywhere: in small pretty bottles under the sink in the kitchen, in our drinking water and even in our blood. Below are the ten most inconspicuous poisons in the world, some of which are exotic, while others are frighteningly everyday.
10. Hydrogen Cyanide (Hydrogen Cyanide)
Despite the fact that terrible stigma lies on cyanide, its history is rich and fruitful. Some scientists even believe that cyanide may have been one of the chemicals that formed life on earth. Today it is better known as the lethal substance, the active ingredient in Cyclone-B, which the Nazis used to exterminate Jews in showers. Cyanide is a chemical used as a capital punishment in United States gas chambers. Those in contact with this substance describe its smell similar to the smell of sweet almonds. Cyanide kills by binding to iron in our blood cells and destroying them, depriving them of the ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. Most states in the United States have stopped using the gas chamber, as this type of death penalty is considered unnecessarily cruel. Death can take several minutes and it is often terrible to watch, as convicts writhe in agony and saliva liberates abundantly as a result of the body’s attempt to prevent death.
9. Hydrofluoric or Hydrofluoric Acid(Hydrofluoric Acid) 
Hydrofluoric acid is used in a number of industries, such as metallurgy and even in the manufacture of Teflon. Much more powerful acids exist in the world than hydrofluoric acid, but only a few are just as dangerous to humans. In gaseous form, it can easily burn out the eyes and lungs, but in liquid form it is especially insidious. Initially, upon contact with human skin, it is completely imperceptible. Due to the fact that it does not cause pain during contact, people can get serious poisoning without noticing it. It penetrates through the skin into the bloodstream, where it reacts with calcium in the body. In the worst cases, it seeps through the tissue and destroys the bone underneath.
8. Batrachotoxin (Batrachotoxin)
Fortunately for most of us, our chance of encountering batrachotoxin is incredibly small. Batrachotoxin is one of the most powerful neurotoxins in the world; it is found in the skin of tiny frogs, poison frogs. Frogs themselves do not produce poison, it is produced in their body because of the food they eat, most likely due to eating tiny beetles. There are several different versions of the poison, depending on the type of frog, the most dangerous is the type of batrachotoxin produced by a Colombian frog called the terrible leafaz. This frog is so tiny that it can fit on the tip of your finger, but the poison on the skin of one frog is enough to kill about two dozen people, or a couple of elephants. The toxin attacks the nerves, opening their sodium channels and causing paralysis, essentially disabling the ability of the whole body to interact with itself. There is no antidote in the world, and death comes very quickly.
7. Nerve gas VX (VX Nerve Gas)
Prohibited by the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (the world’s reserves of this gas are gradually decreasing), nerve gas VX is considered the most powerful nerve gas in the world. The danger of this gas, discovered quite by accident in 1952 during chemical testing of organophosphates, was quickly discovered. Coming into mass sale as a pesticide called Amiton, it was soon removed from it because of its too great danger to society. He soon attracted the attention of world governments, as it was the time of the political unrest of the Cold War, and gas began to be stored for potential use in the war. Fortunately, no one started the war, and the VX was never used in battle. A sectarian from the Japanese group Aum Shinriyko stole some of this gas and used it to kill a person - this was the only known death of a person caused by VX gas. Gas stops the production of enzymes in the nerves, as a result of which the nerves are in a state of constant activity, there is a "storm" in the nervous system, which quickly overloads and destroys the body.
6. Agent Orange
Almost everyone has heard of Agent Orange, a defoliant created by Dow Chemical and Monsanto (which are considered the most evil corporations in the world). Agent Orange was used during the Vietnam War to eradicate trees that served as shelter for enemy soldiers, as well as to destroy crops in the countryside. Unfortunately, in addition to the plant killing agent, herbicides contained a chemical dioxin called TCDD (tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin), a known carcinogen that causes a significant increase in the risk of cancer, especially lymphoma, in those exposed to it. In addition, tens of thousands of Vietnamese children were born stillborn or with birth defects, such as a cleft palate, extra fingers and toes, and mental retardation. To this day, Vietnam remains very polluted.
5. Ricin
Derived from castor bean castor bean, ricin is one of the deadliest poisons. A small dose comparable to a few grains of salt is enough to kill an adult. The poison stops the production of proteins that the body needs in order to survive, which leads to the victims falling into shock. Due to the simple process of its production, ricin was used as a weapon by many governments of the world, and was used at least once for murder, when in 1978 Bulgarian dissident writer Georgi Markov was shot with ricin granules in London street. It is believed that the Bulgarian secret police and / or the KGB were guilty of the murder.
4. Arsenic (Arsenic)
Arsenic metalloid has been used for centuries for a variety of purposes, ranging from weapons production to cosmetics during the Victorian era (when painful pallor was considered a ladies fashion). In the dark ages, arsenic became a popular poison for hired killers because of its effect - arsenic poisoning is similar in symptoms to cholera, which was widespread in those days. Arsenic attacks adenosine triphosphatase in human cells, blocking the flow of energy. Arsenic is a very unpleasant substance, which in a strong concentration can cause various types of gastrointestinal disorders with secretions of blood, convulsions, coma and death. In small amounts taken on an ongoing basis (for example, through arsenic-contaminated water), arsenic causes a range of diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
3. Lead
Lead is one of the very first metals used by man. His first heat was made 8,000 years ago. Nevertheless, its dangerous effect on the body became known only several decades ago - lead affects every organ in the human body, therefore lead poisoning manifests itself through a number of symptoms, starting with diarrhea and ending with mental retardation. Children are especially at risk for poisoning - exposure to lead in the fetus causes pathological neurological disorders. The strangest thing is that many forensics believe that the widespread decline in violent crime is at least partly the result of increased restrictions on lead use. Children born after 1980 were much less exposed to lead, and as a result they were less prone to violence.
2. Brodifacoum
Immediately after the end of World War II, warfarin poison began to be used as a rodenticide (and, quite interestingly, it was also used as an anticoagulant for people with blood clotting disorders). But rats are known for their ability to survive at all costs, and over time, many of them develop resistance to warfarin. Therefore, Broadifacum replaced him. An extremely deadly anticoagulant, brodifacum reduces the amount of vitamin K in the blood. Due to the fact that vitamin K is necessary for the blood coagulation process, the body has undergone severe internal bleeding since time, as the blood spills through the body from the rupture of the smallest capillaries. Brodifacum, which is sold under such brands as Havoc, Talon, and Jaguar, must be handled with great care, as it easily penetrates the skin and remains in the body for many months.
1. Strychnine
Obtained mainly from a tree called chilibuha, which grows in India and southeast Asia, strychnine is an alkaloid substance and is used as a pesticide, especially in the fight against rodents. Death caused by strychnine poisoning is terribly excruciating. Being a neurotoxin, strychnine attacks the spinal nerves, causing cramps and violent muscle contractions. Oskar Dirlewanger, the Nazi commander of the SS during World War II, injected strychnine with his prisoners and amused himself, stroking how they writhe. Strychnine is one of the few substances on this list that are both cheap and available on the market. It is possible that strychnine is sold at your local hardware store under the name Rodent Killer or something like that.
In the world there are a sufficient number of natural and artificially derived poisons. The effects of all toxic substances are different. Some can instantly take their lives, while others destroy the body gradually, causing a person to suffer for a long time. There are potent substances that in small doses poison a person asymptomatically, but there are also the most dangerous poisons that cause severe pain, which even in small amounts can lead to death.
Chemical compounds and gases
Cyanide
Hydrocyanic salts are an extremely dangerous poison. With the help of this potent substance, many lives were taken. On the battlefield, they poisoned the enemy with cyanide, spraying the poison, which instantly killed the soldier, falling on the mucous membranes and affecting the respiratory system. Currently, cyanide is used in analytical chemistry, in the extraction of gold and silver, in electrochemistry, in organic synthesis.
One of the salts of hydrocyanic acid - the potassium salt, known as potassium cyanide - is the strongest inorganic poison. It is similar to granulated sugar, and it can be safely attributed to poisons of instant action. Getting into the human body through the gastrointestinal tract, death occurs instantly, just 1.7 mg per 1 kg of weight is enough. Potassium cyanide prevents oxygen from entering tissues and cells, resulting in death from oxygen starvation. The antidotes of this poison are compounds containing hydrocarbon, sulfur and ammonia. Glucose is considered the strongest anti-cyanide, therefore, when poisoning, its solution is administered intravenously to the victim.
Apparently, in order to avoid prolonged death throes, this poison was chosen by some famous Nazis for committing suicide, since it acts instantly. According to one version, among them was Adolf Hitler himself.
Vapors of this toxic element are extremely toxic and insidious, because they are odorless. Mercury acts on the body through the lungs, kidneys, skin and mucous membranes. Soluble compounds of this substance are more dangerous than pure metal, however, it tends to gradually evaporate and poison a person.
It is especially harmful for the population when mercury compounds enter a water body. In the aquatic environment, the metal is converted to methylmercury, and then this strongest organic poison accumulates in the organisms of the inhabitants of the reservoir. If people use this water for domestic needs and engage in fishing in such places, then this is fraught with mass poisoning. Regular inhalation of mercury vapor is a delayed poison. Toxins accumulate in the body, which leads to nervous disorders, up to the onset of schizophrenia or complete insanity.
The effect of mercury on a pregnant woman can lead to irreversible consequences, as it spreads rapidly through the blood and easily penetrates the placenta. Even at first glance, a harmless broken thermometer, which contains a small amount of this potent toxic substance, can provoke the development of defects in a child inside the mother’s womb.
Zarin
The extremely toxic sarin gas, which was removed by two German scientists, kills a person in one minute. It was used as a chemical weapon in World War II and civil wars, after which both the USA and the USSR began to produce sarin and stockpile it in case of war. After an experimental incident that ended in death, the production of this poison was discontinued. Nevertheless, the Japanese terrorists managed to get this poison in the mid-nineties - the terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway received a wide response, during which about 6,000 people were poisoned by sarin.
Zarin acts on the body both through the skin and through the respiratory system, affecting the nervous system. Severe intoxication is observed due to ingestion of this substance by inhalation. This nerve gas kills a person quickly, but at the same time brings hellish torment. First of all, gas affects the mucous membranes, a person starts to have a runny nose and blurred eyes, after which vomiting and severe pain behind the sternum appear, and the last stage is death by suffocation.
Formaldehydes and phenols
Literally everyone came across these household poisons dangerous to humans.
Phenols are contained in varnishes and paints, without which not a single cosmetic repair is complete. Formaldehydes can be found in plastics, fiberboard and particleboard.
With prolonged inhalation of these potent toxic substances, breathing is disturbed, allergic reactions of various kinds, dizziness and nausea appear. Constant contact with these poisons can result in malfunctions of the reproductive system, and with severe intoxication a person can die from laryngeal edema.
Poisons of plant and animal origin
Amatoxin
Amatoxin is a poison that affects the gastrointestinal tract. The source of poisoning is some types of mushrooms, for example, pale and white grebe. Even with acute poisoning, amatoxin has a slow effect on an adult, which allows this potent substance to be attributed to delayed poisons. With poisoning, severe vomiting, pain in the stomach and intestines, continuous bloody diarrhea are observed. On the second day, the victim's liver increases and the kidneys fail, after which there is a coma and death.
A positive prognosis is observed with timely treatment. Despite the fact that amatoxin, like all slowly acting poisons, does irreparable harm gradually, there were lightning fatalities, mainly among children.
Ricin
This plant poison is six times more toxic than an instant killing cyanide. One pinch is enough to kill an adult.
Ritsin was actively used as a weapon in the war, with his help the special services got rid of persons posing a threat to the state. They found out about him quickly enough, since lethal doses of this potent substance were purposefully sent to the addressees along with letters.
Anthrax bacillus
It is the causative agent of an infectious disease that poses a huge danger to domestic animals and humans. Anthrax is very acute and, as a rule, the infected person dies. The incubation period lasts up to four days. Infection often occurs through damaged areas of the skin, and less commonly through the respiratory tract.
With pulmonary infection, the prognosis is poor and mortality rates reach 95%. Most often, the bacillus is localized in certain areas of the skin, so anthrax is one of the most dangerous contact poisons that are fatal to humans. With adequate and timely treatment, a person takes the path to recovery. Infection can affect the intestines and affect the internal organs, leading to sepsis. Another very difficult form that can be cured only in very rare cases is anthrax meningitis.
Despite the fact that massive infection with this poison in everyday life, fortunately, has not been observed for a long time, cases of this terrible disease are still being recorded in Russia to this day.
The Sanitary and Epidemiological Service regularly conducts veterinary surveillance on the territory of pig farms and agricultural enterprises that contain cattle.
Do not assume that potent toxic substances are only the hard-to-reach poisons listed above. Any large amount of chemical can be a deadly poison for a person in everyday life. This is chlorine, which is used for disinfection, and various detergents, and even vinegar essence. To be wary of toxic substances, to observe precautions when handling them and to hide them from children is the strict duty of every conscious adult.
October 7th, 2009
If you want to be healthy - get wet do not touch this rubbish, but it’s better to bypass it altogether ...
The deadliest things on our planet.
Death cap - Destroying Angel. The first physical signs of poisoning are usually nausea, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. After feeling a little discomfort, there is a sharp abdominal pain, severe vomiting, intense thirst, and cyanosis of the extremities, as well as yellowness of the eyes and skin as a liver lesion. The patient remains conscious almost to the end, with brief intervals of loss of consciousness, then coma and death.
Dog fish (Pufferfish). The poison tetraodontoxin is located in the ovaries of this fish and is not destroyed by heat treatment. With poisoning, speech is difficult, and paralysis of the respiratory system develops, accompanied by paralysis of the central nervous system. The cause of death is most often convulsions or respiratory arrest that occur within one to two hours after the poison enters the body.
Castor oil - Castor Beans. Signs of poisoning are bitterness in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, cramps, drowsiness, cyanosis, numbness, microcirculation disturbance, blood in the urine, resulting in coma, and death; a poisonous agent even in low concentrations causes the dissolution of red blood cells, in severe cases hemorrhages develop throughout the body. Castor oil can also lead to premature birth in pregnant women. Autopsy of patients who have died from castor-poisoning poisoning indicates that vomiting and stool contain blood.
Belladonna. All parts of the plant are deadly poisonous, especially its roots, leaves, and berries. The poison paralyzes the parasympathetic nervous system, blocking nerve endings.
Viper Venom. Snake venom acts on the blood and nervous system, is less toxic when it enters the mouth than in the blood ... The victim of a viper bite bleeds from a wound, fever and chills develop. Poisoning is accompanied by swelling or hemorrhages above the elbows or knees. These symptoms usually appear within two hours after the bite. Then fainting, bleeding from the nose and mouth, loss of vision, followed by loss of consciousness. Death due to cardiorespiratory disorders is unavoidable if an antidote is not given in time.
Barbados nut or Physical nut. The threat lies in the deceptively pleasant taste of the seeds. However, do not flatter yourself - each seed contains at least 55 percent of the active substance "Hell oil", which blocks protein synthesis in the intestinal wall and can lead to death.
Hemlock. Signs of poisoning are a gradual loss of coordination, accompanied by a fast and weakened pulse, muscle pain, as they atrophy and eventually die. Although the mind remains clear, vision is often impaired until the victim dies as a result of paralysis of the lungs. It is believed that the juice of this particular plant, and not cyclouts, as previously thought, Socrates was poisoned.
Cobra Poison possesses mainly neurotoxic effect. His strength is enough to cause the death of a person after the first full bite. In such cases, the death rate may exceed 75 percent. However, taking into account all the features of the behavior of a royal cobra, in general, only 10 percent of bites become fatal to humans.
Datura. All parts of the plant contain toxic alkaloids. When it enters the gastrointestinal tract, it affects the nervous system, causing a disturbance in cardiac activity and paralysis.
Lily of the valley. It contains a rather high concentration of cardiac glycoside, in small doses it stimulates the work of weakened heart muscle, but in case of an overdose it leads to arrhythmias and blockade of the electrical conductivity of the heart, which is necessary for its normal contractions. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Poisoning is manifested by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe head pain and pain in the pit of stomach. In severe cases, the rhythm and heart rate are disturbed, while the pulse, as a rule, becomes rare. Sometimes the nervous system is affected. This is evidenced by agitation, visual disturbances, convulsions, loss of consciousness.
Aconite It has neurotoxic and cardiotoxic effects. The symptoms of poisoning are nausea, vomiting, numbness of the tongue, lips, cheeks, fingertips and toes, crawling sensation, a feeling of heat and cold in the limbs. For aconitis intoxication, a transient visual disorder is characteristic - the patient sees objects in green. Salivation is also observed, followed by dry mouth, thirst, headache, anxiety, convulsive twitching of the muscles of the face and limbs, loss of consciousness. Breathing is rapid, shallow, it may suddenly stop.
Rhododendron. They contain substances of a glucoside nature - andromedotoxin, ericoline. Andromedotoxin has a local irritating and general narcotic effect, first exciting, then inhibiting the central nervous system; greatly upsets the activity of the heart, peculiarly, like veratrine, affects the muscle. Poisoning develops very quickly. Often, within a few hours after eating leaves and branches of rhododendron, death occurs.
Tubocurarine chloride. White crystalline powder, in traumatology sometimes use d-tubocurarine to relax muscles during reposition of fragments, reposition of complex dislocations ... Side effects from the use of tubocurarine are observed only with its overdose; however, the patient may develop respiratory failure due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles and, as a result, death.
Rhubarb. Rhubarb can only be eaten in early spring, until the air temperature rises above 15-17 ° C. In the early spring, malic acid predominates in rhubarb, then its content increases, and with increasing temperature in hot weather, oxalic acid is accumulated in the petioles, which is harmful to the body: it forms poorly excreted salts and removes calcium in the blood. The consumption of oxalic acid immediately in the amount of 3-4 g is already dangerous not only for children but also for adults. With poisoning, vomiting and convulsions, renal failure can appear. In the first two days, death can occur from asphyxiation, shock, cardiovascular failure. In the next 2 weeks after poisoning, severe complications such as acute renal failure, repeated collapses, profuse bleeding, hemorrhagic pneumonia, perforation of the stomach, which can lead to death of the patient, can be observed.
Gila monster - a large reptile, with a very beautiful black and orange pattern throughout the body. The Latin name for this beautiful lizard is Heloderma suspectum or Toadjack. On the upper and lower jaw there are grooves, to which the channels of highly developed poisonous glands are suitable. When bitten, the teeth go deep into the victim’s body. The venom stings are very painful and practically act the same as snake bites. The poison is neurotoxic, that is, when bitten, it paralyzes its victim. For small animals, the poison of the lizard is fatal, in humans it usually causes very severe edema, but sometimes it can lead to death.
Croton oil - liquid obtained from the seeds of the plant Croton tiglium. It has a strong laxative effect, irritates the skin and mucous membranes. Even in small quantities (over 20 drops) is life threatening. Crotonal is toxic and mutagenic. When inhaling its vapors by a person, irritation of the mucous membrane, pharyngitis, cough, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, shock or unconsciousness occur. Contact with the liquid directly will cause severe skin redness, irritation, pain, and burns. When poison enters the inside, poisoning of the whole organism, damage to the central nervous system, and the formation of tumors occur. In case of tactile contact, skin scarring is formed.
Digitalis. Nowadays, digitalis purpurea is used to produce drugs that stimulate the cardiovascular system. Digital active substances from digitalis tend to accumulate in the body and can be harmful or even fatal to a person with a healthy heart. Digitalis grasses and rhizomes are nourished with digitalin toxin. Poisoning is accompanied by irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, the pulse becomes rapid and arrhythmic, general weakness and shortness of breath are observed. Perhaps the development of seizures before death.
Codeine - almost transparent, odorless substance with a rather bitter taste, which is available in either powder or liquid form. High doses, like other opiates, can cause euphoria. Often when taking a large number of tablets of some codeine-containing drugs, serious poisoning is possible. Due to the fact that with the regular use of codeine, an addiction phenomenon (similar to addiction to heroin and other drugs of the opiate group) is observed, it is released with the same restrictions as other narcotic analgesics. In case of severe codeine poisoning, respiratory disorders are possible, up to paralysis with preserved consciousness, as well as a significant drop in blood pressure.
Poison octopus(blue ringed octopus). Its poison, which belongs to the group of neurotoxins, is so powerful that it can kill an adult, especially if the octopus is bitten in the neck or in an area close to the spine. There is simply no vaccine from his poison
Dimethyl sulfate. Used in the manufacture of paints, drugs, perfumes and pesticides, most poisonings from dimethyl sulfate occur due to leakage of liquid or vapor. Signs of poisoning will be more pronounced if alcohol is present. Nausea, vomiting, weakness, dizziness, headache. Possible increase in temperature, irritability, pain in the extremities, visual and hearing impairment, mental disorders. In severe cases, tremor, ataxia, loss of consciousness, paroxysmal clonic-tonic convulsions resembling epileptic seizures, coma. Pathological examination reveals pronounced vascular disorders and degenerative changes in the parenchymal organs, brain and adrenal glands.
Nicotine.It is estimated that the lethal dose of nicotine for humans is 1 mg per 1 kg of body weight, i.e. about 50 to 70 mg for a teenager. Therefore, death can occur if a teenager simultaneously smokes half a pack of cigarettes, because the whole pack contains just one lethal dose of nicotine.
Wart. A fish with a row of spikes on its back that release a toxic toxin. This is the most dangerous of the known poisonous fish and its poison causes severe pain with possible shock, paralysis and tissue death, depending on the depth of penetration. At the slightest irritation, the wart raises the spines of the dorsal fin; sharp and durable, they easily pierce the shoes of a person who accidentally stepped on a fish, and penetrate deep into the leg. With deep penetration, an injection can become fatal for a person if he is not provided with medical care for several hours. If the thorn gets into a large blood vessel, death can occur in 2-3 hours. Survivors are sometimes sick for months. The poison consists of a mixture of proteins, including hemolytic stonustoxin, neurotoxin and cardioactive cardioleptin. Usually, surviving victims suffer local nerve damage, sometimes leading to atrophy of the attached muscle tissue. The pain can be so severe that those affected by the injection want to cut off the damaged limb.
Hydrogen sulfide - colorless poison gas is heavier than air with an unpleasant smell of rotten eggs. It can stand out in the process of decay, accumulates in the lowlands. Very toxic. At high concentrations, a single inhalation can cause instant death. At low concentrations, adaptation to the unpleasant smell of “rotten eggs” occurs rather quickly, and it ceases to be felt. A sweet metallic taste appears in the mouth. The first symptom of acute poisoning is the loss of smell. In the future, headache, dizziness and nausea appear. Sometimes, after a while, sudden fainting occurs.
Oleander- a large evergreen shrub. All parts of the plant are poisonous, moreover, the smoke from the burned plant and the water in which the flowers stood are poisonous. The plant contains a number of cardiac glycosides (oleandrin, cornerin, etc.). Oleander juice consumed inside causes severe colic in people and animals, vomiting and diarrhea ... It also affects the nervous system (up to coma). Cardiac glycosides cause cardiac arrest.
Phencyclidine(phencyclidine, PCP) - widely used in veterinary medicine for short-term immobilization of large animals. It is noted that it causes dissociated anesthesia. Phencyclidine is easy to synthesize. Persons who use phencyclidine are primarily young people and poly-addicts. The true prevalence of phencyclidine addiction is unknown, however, according to national data, its cases in the USA have recently become more frequent. Phencyclidine is either taken orally, or smoked, or administered iv. It is also used as an adjunct to the illicitly sold deltatetrahydrocannabinol, LSD and cocaine. The most common artisanal drug phencyclidine is called "angel dust." Low doses of phencyclidine (5 mg) cause anxiety, agitation, impaired coordination, dysarthria and anesthesia. Horizontal and vertical nystagmus, flushing, profuse sweat, hyperacusis are also possible. Mental disorders include impaired body structure, incoherent thinking, derealization, and depersonalization. Higher doses (5-10 mg) cause increased salivation, vomiting, myoclonus, hyperthermia, stupor and coma. At doses of 10 mg or more, phencyclidine causes epileptic seizures, opisthotonus and decerebral rigidity, followed by a prolonged coma. Acute psychosis caused by phencyclidine should be considered an emergency psychiatric condition with a high risk of suicide or violent crime.
Parathion (Parathion) - organophosphorus compound - pesticide; when it is inhaled, if it enters the gastrointestinal tract or is absorbed through the skin, poisoning occurs. Like some other organophosphorus compounds, parathion acts on the cholinesterase enzyme, leading to excessive stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning include headaches, excessive sweating, and salivation, lacrimation, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle spasms.
TEPP Cholinesterase Inhibitor - It is used mainly as insecticides and can cause poisoning. Symptoms - headache, loss of depth perception, cramps, sweating, chest pain, shortness of breath, vomiting, general paralysis, involuntary urination and defecation, pressure drop, death.
Yew tree. All parts of the plant are poisonous, except for red fruits. The wood, bark and leaves of yew contain an alkaloid, Thaksin, and are therefore poisonous to humans and many other animals, although, for example, hares and deer, eat yew willingly and without harm to themselves. The older the yew needles, the more poisonous it is.
Carbon tetrachloride (Carbon Tetrachloride) is a caustic volatile liquid used as a dry cleaner. When inhaled, its vapor or ingestion leads to severe damage to the heart, liver and kidneys (for example, the patient may develop cirrhosis of the liver or nephrosis of the kidneys), affects the optic nerve and some other nerves in the human body.
Strychnine - alkaloid contained in the seeds of tropical plants of the genus strychnos. It has an exciting effect on the central nervous system, in toxic doses causes characteristic tetanic convulsions ...
Clostridium botulinum (Clostridium botulinum) - a gram-positive bacterium of the clostridium genus, the causative agent of botulism - severe food intoxication caused by botulinum toxin and characterized by damage to the nervous system. Botulinum toxin accumulates in foods infected with spores of C. botulunum, when they germinate, if anaerobic conditions are created (for example, when canning). For humans, botulinum toxin is the most potent bacterial poison, fatally acting at a dose of 10-8 mg / kg. Spores of C. botulinum can withstand boiling for 6 hours, sterilization at high pressure destroys them after 20 minutes, 10% hydrochloric acid after 1 hour, 50% formalin after 24 hours. Botulinum toxin type A (B) is completely destroyed by boiling for 25 minutes. The incubation period for botulism ranges from several hours to 2-5 days (rarely up to 10 days). On the first day, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea are noted. Further, the neurosymptoms associated with damage to the nerve centers predominate: impaired accommodation, double vision, difficulty swallowing, aphonia. In severe forms of botulism, death occurs from respiratory paralysis, sometimes from sudden cardiac arrest.
Potassium cyanide - potassium salt of hydrocyanic acid, chemical formula KCN. Strong inorganic poison. If ingested through the digestive tract, the lethal dose for humans is 1.7 mg / kg. Large doses are sometimes tolerated; a slowdown is possible when the stomach is filled with food. Potassium cyanide is a potent inhibitor. When it enters the body, it blocks the cellular enzyme cytochrome c-oxidase, as a result of which the cells lose their ability to absorb oxygen from the blood and the body dies from interstitial hypoxia.
The Swiss doctor and alchemist Paracelsus said coolly: “All substances are poisons; there is not one that is not one. The correct dose distinguishes poison, ”and he is right. Too much water will kill you. However, some substances require a very small amount to cause death - sometimes it is enough that a drop falls on a gloved hand - so they initially fell into the class of poisons. From flowers to heavy metals, from gases produced by humans, to true poison, these are the 25 most dangerous poisons known to mankind.
25. Cyanide can be in the form of a colorless gas or crystals, but in any case it is quite dangerous. It smells of bitter almonds, and when it is ingested, it only leads to symptoms such as headache, nausea, rapid breathing and increased heart rate, as well as weakness. If no action is taken, cyanide kills because the cells are deprived of oxygen. And yes, cyanide can be obtained from apple seeds, but don’t worry if you eat a few. You will need to eat about ten kernels before your body has enough cyanide to have a negative effect. Please do not do this.
24. Hydrofluoric acid (Hydrofluoric acid) is a poison used, inter alia, for the production of Teflon. In a liquid state, this substance can easily seep through the skin into the bloodstream. In the body, it reacts with calcium and can even destroy the lower bone. The worst thing is that contact does not cause any pain at first, which leaves more time and opportunity for serious damage.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
23. Arsenic is a natural crystalline semimetal and, possibly, one of the most famous and common poisons used as a murder weapon in the late 19th century. However, its use for such purposes began in the mid-1700s. Arsenic poisoning can lead to death in a few hours or in a few days. Symptoms of poisoning are vomiting and diarrhea, which is why 120 years ago it was difficult to distinguish arsenic poisoning from dysentery or cholera.
Photo: maxpixel
22. Beladonna or Deadly nightshade is a very poisonous grass (flower) with a very romantic story. The alkaloid, called atropine, makes it poisonous, and the entire plant is poisonous, with the root containing the most poison, and the least berries. However, even two eaten is enough to kill a child. Some people use belladonna to relax as a hallucinogen, and in Victorian times, women often put belladonna tincture in their eyes so that the pupils dilate and their eyes begin to shine. Before dying under the influence of a belladonna, you may develop a seizure, pulse and confusion become more frequent. Do not play with belladonna, children.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
21. Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) is an odorless, tasteless, colorless substance and slightly less dense than air. It will poison and then kill you. Partially, carbon monoxide is so dangerous precisely because it is difficult to detect; sometimes called the “silent killer”. This substance prevents oxygen in the body from being delivered to where it is needed, for example, to the cells in order to keep them alive and working. The early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to a flu that runs without fever: headache, weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, insomnia, nausea, and confusion. Fortunately, you can purchase a carbon monoxide detector in almost every specialist store.
Photo: wikimedia commons
20. The deadliest tree in all of North America grows in Florida. Otherwise, where else would he grow? The Mancinella Tree or Beach Apple has small green fruits that look like apples and look like they will taste sweet. Do not eat them. And do not touch this tree. Do not sit next to him or under him, and pray that you will never be under him in the wind. If the juice gets on your skin, it will be blistered, and if it gets in your eyes, then you can go blind. Juice is found in the leaves and in the bark, so do not touch them. The juice of this plant probably killed the conquistador Ponce de Leon, who discovered Florida.
Photo: nps.gov
19. Fluoride is a pale yellow gas that is very toxic, corrosive, and reacts with almost anything. For fluoride to be fatal, a concentration of 0.000025% is sufficient. It causes blindness and suffocates the victim, like mustard gas, but its effect is much worse.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
18. Compound 1080, also known as sodium fluoroacetate, is used as the pesticide. In its natural form, it is found in several plant species in Africa, Brazil and Australia. The terrible truth about this odorless and tasteless deadly poison is that there is no antidote to it. Oddly enough, the bodies of those who died from swallowing this poison remain poisonous for a whole year.
Photo: lizenzhinweisgenerator.de
17. The most dangerous artificial poison is called dioxin, and it takes only 50 micrograms to kill an adult. This is the third most toxic poison known to science, 60 times more toxic than cyanide.
Photo: wikimedia commons
16. Dimethylmercury (neurotoxin) is a terrible poison, as it can penetrate most standard protective equipment, such as thick latex gloves. This is precisely the story that happened to a woman chemist named Karen Wetterhahn in 1996. A single drop of a colorless liquid hit the gloved hand, and that’s it. Symptoms began to manifest FOUR MONTHS later, and six months later she was already dead.
Photo: wikipedia.org
15. Aconite (Wrestler) also known as the “monk's hood”, “wolf poison”, “leopard venom”, “female curse”, “devil's helmet”, “queen of poisons” and “blue rocket”. In fact, this is a whole genus, including more than 250 herbs, and most of them are extremely poisonous. Flowers can be either blue or yellow, and although some of the plants are used for traditional medicines, it has also been used as a murder weapon for the past decade.
Photo: maxpixel
14. The toxin found in poisonous mushrooms is called amatoxin. It acts on the cells of the liver and kidneys and kills them within a few days. Sometimes it also affects the heart and central nervous system. There is treatment, but the result is not guaranteed. The poison is resistant to temperature and cannot be eliminated by drying. Therefore, if you are not 100% sure that they are safe, do not eat mushrooms.
Photo: maxpixel
13. In fact, anthrax is caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. What makes you sick is not so much the bacteria as the toxin they produce when they enter the body. Bacillus Anthracis may enter your system through your skin, mouth, or respiratory tract. Mortality from anthrax transmitted by airborne droplets reaches 75% even with treatment.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
12. The hemlock plant is a classic poisonous plant that was regularly used for execution in ancient Greece, including the philosopher Socrates. There are several varieties, and in North America, water hemlock is the most common plant. You can die by eating, but people still do it, believing that hemlock is a perfectly acceptable ingredient for a salad. Water hemlock causes painful and severe convulsions, convulsions and tremors. Those who survive can subsequently suffer from amnesia, or other long-term problems. Aquatic hemlock is considered the deadliest plant in North America. Serious note: keep an eye on your children, even older ones, when they walk outside. Do not eat anything if you are not 100% sure of its safety.
Photo: flickr.com
11. Strychnine is commonly used to kill small mammals and birds, and often it is the main ingredient in rat poison. In high doses, strychnine can also be fatal to humans. It can be swallowed, inhaled, or it enters the body through the skin. First symptoms: painful muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting. Muscle contractions ultimately lead to suffocation. Death can occur within half an hour. This is a very unpleasant way to die, both for humans and for rats.
Photo: flickr.com
10. Most of those who understand such things consider maytotoxin to be the most powerful marine toxin. It is found in dinoflagellate algae called Gambierdiscus toxicus, and if these words confused you, just think about deadly plankton to catch the meaning. For mice, meiototoxin is the most toxic of non-protein toxins.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
9. Mercury - the silvery liquid in old school thermometers - is a heavy metal that is quite toxic to people if you inhale it or touch it. Touching it can cause your skin to flake off, and if you inhale the mercury vapor, it will eventually shut off your central nervous system and you will die. Prior to this, you are likely to experience kidney failure, memory loss, brain damage, and blindness.
Photo: flickr.com
8. Polonium is a radioactive chemical element and is implicated in the deaths of everyone, from Yasser Arafat to Russian dissidents. Its most common form is 250,000 times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid. It is radioactive and emits alpha particles (they are not compatible with organic tissues). Alpha particles cannot penetrate the skin, so polonium must be taken orally or injected to the victim. However, if this happens, the result will not be long in coming. According to one theory, a gram of polonium 210 can kill up to ten million people if it is introduced into the body or taken orally, causing radiation poisoning first and then cancer.
Photo: flickr.com
7. The tree of suicides or Cerbera odollam acts by disrupting the natural rhythm of the heart and often causing death. A member of the same family as Oleander, the plant was often used to conduct an “innocence test” in Madagascar. An estimated 3,000 people died each year from consuming Cerberus's venom before the practice was outlawed in 1861. (If you survived, you admitted not guilty. If you died, it did not matter because you were dead).
Photo: wikipedia.org
6. Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum, and it is an incredibly powerful neurotoxin. It causes paralysis, which can lead to death. You can know the botulinum toxin by its commercial name - Botox. Yes, this is what the doctor injects into your mom's forehead to make it less wrinkled (or to the neck to help with migraines) to cause muscle paralysis.
Photo: flickr.com
5. Pufferfish is considered a delicacy in some countries where it is called Fugu; this is a dish for which some are literally ready to die. Why? Because the intestines of fish contain tetrodotoxin, and in Japan, about 5 people die every year from the use of puffer fish as a result of a violation of cooking technology. But foodies continue to persist.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
4. Gas Zarin will give you the opportunity to survive the worst moments in life. Your chest tightens, stronger, stronger, and then ... it relaxes because you are dead. Although Zarin was outlawed in 1995, he was no longer used in terrorist attacks.
Photo: flickr
3. The Golden Frog Poisonous Arrow is tiny, charming, and quite dangerous. Only one frog the size of the end of your thumb contains enough neurotoxin to kill ten people! A dose of about two grains of salt is enough to kill an adult. This is why some Amazon tribes used poison, covering them with the tips of hunting arrows. One touch of such an arrow will kill you in a few minutes! Here's a great rule: if you see a frog and it is yellow, blue, green or red, do not touch it.
Photo: maxpixel
2. Ricin is more deadly than anthrax. This substance is obtained from castor beans, the same plant from which we get castor oil. This poison is especially toxic if inhaled, and its pinch will kill you very quickly.
Photo: wikimedia commons
1. Codenamed Purple Possum, VX Group, the most powerful neuroparalytic gas on Earth. He is fully created by man, and we can thank the United Kingdom for that. Technically, it was banned in 1993, and the United States allegedly destroyed its reserves. Other countries are "working on it." What we must fully trust, because the governments of the countries are known for being 100% honest in such things.
Photo: wikimedia commons
Poisonous substances lurk us everywhere. Some of them have an almost instant effect, while others may act slowly. The degree of intoxication in each case is different. It depends on the characteristics of the body and the amount of poison ingested. Therefore, to determine the strongest poison in the world is problematic. Nevertheless, a list of toxic substances that pose the greatest danger can be highlighted.
The most powerful toxic chemicals
Strong poisons synthesized by scientists for military purposes. But sometimes toxic substances can also be found in domestic conditions. Among the most dangerous of them can be identified:
- Mercury. It is found in ordinary thermometers. If the integrity of the flask is not broken, then mercury does not pose any health hazard. Irreversible harm can be caused by mercury vapor from a broken thermometer. The evaporation process starts even at room temperature. Collect spilled mercury yourself is prohibited. You should immediately seek help from a specialized service.
- Methanol. This substance is often confused with food ethanol, which leads to serious poisoning. Methanol is colorless and odorless; therefore, it is impossible to detect it without a laboratory examination. The use of even a small amount of this substance is fatal. a person loses sight.
- Potassium cyanide. This is the most powerful poison for humans. It is widely used in the manufacture of plastic products, photography, gold mining and some other areas. Poisoning occurs even from inhalation of cyanide vapors. In the shortest time, respiratory failure develops, convulsions appear. In case of severe intoxication, death occurs.
- Zarin. This is a substance that was synthesized by German scientists. They aimed at creating the world's strongest pesticide. The resulting gas has received the glory of poison, which causes a long and painful death. Today, the deadly poison Sarin is officially banned, but terrorists are trying to use it as a chemical weapon.
- Arsenic. This element of the periodic table has long been used as a poison. He was poisoned by many politicians. Symptoms of poisoning are similar to cholera. First of all, cramps and severe pain in the abdomen appear. After a large amount of arsenic is ingested, heart disease, diabetes mellitus or cancer develop.
These substances are extremely dangerous to humans. Therefore, their features must be remembered.
The most dangerous poisons for humans are found in plants. Such poisoning often lies in wait for inexperienced mushroom pickers and other flora lovers. The following substances deserve special attention:
- Amatoxin is the most powerful poison of protein nature. It is found in some mushrooms, including a pale grebe. Once in the human body, the toxin immediately begins to destroy internal organs. The first signs of intoxication can occur only after a few days. In this case, valuable time for saving a person has been missed, and doctors cannot guarantee a favorable prognosis. Even if the patient succeeds in preserving life, his health will be greatly undermined. Most likely, a person will suffer from kidney or liver failure all his life, problems with the respiratory system. Often people ask themselves what is more toxic than pale grebe or potassium cyanide. In fact, these poisons can be put on one stage in terms of toxicity.
- Strychnine. This poison is part of the nuts of the chiliibu tree. In microscopic dosages, it is used for medical purposes. If the permissible amount is exceeded, death occurs, but before that the person experiences severe torment.
- Ricin. Contained in castor oil. Inhalation of small grains of this substance is dangerous. Its toxic ability is several times higher than potassium cyanide. A person’s death occurs if ricin is injected directly into the blood.
- Curare. It is a poison that is made from a mixture of plants in South America. Its main component is an alkaloid, which, when ingested, leads to paralysis and cardiac arrest. Death from curare is painful.
To avoid poisoning with such poisons, never eat unknown plants. Teach your children safety precautions when traveling in nature.
If you find the first symptoms of poisoning, consult a doctor immediately. The chances of salvation remain only if the problem is identified in a timely manner.
Poisons of animal origin
Poison can kill a person instantly. Such toxic substances are often carried by animals. Among them are:
- Toads tweet. The skin of these amphibians secrete chiriquitotoxin. This neurotoxin has a toxic effect on the human nervous system. After intoxication, a person develops severe cramps, impaired coordination of movements, complete paralysis of the limbs may develop. The poison has a strong effect if it is administered intramuscularly.
- Puffer fish. The milk, caviar and liver of this fish contains tetrodotoxin. This substance causes severe poisoning, which is accompanied by severe itching, salivation, convulsions, difficulty swallowing. The poison is fast, so paralysis of the respiratory system develops as soon as possible and a person dies.
- Australian Taipan. The venom of this snake contains typotoxin. If it enters the bloodstream of a person, it causes paralysis of the respiratory muscles and impaired blood coagulation. Such snake venom is the most poisonous. In terms of poisoning ability, it is several times higher than the venom of cobra.
- Karakurt. During a bite, a spider injects alpha-latrotoxin into the victim’s blood. It leads to severe pain, which spreads throughout the body in a matter of minutes. At the same time, severe shortness of breath, dizziness appears, palpitations speed up, and vomiting attacks.
- Central Asian cobra. The saliva of this snake contains a strong neurotoxin. His ingestion into the bloodstream provokes convulsions, respiratory failure, paralysis. If untreated, death occurs. Such poisoning is rare, since a cobra attacks a person only in exceptional cases.
Poison can be contained in the biological material of any animal. Therefore, it is best to minimize contacts with him, especially for wild representatives of the fauna.
If you are bitten by a poisonous snake or spider, try to suck the poison out of the wound immediately. Remember that this can only be done if there is no damage to the oral cavity. Get medical attention as soon as possible.
Bacteriological poisoning
Danger to humans can be borne not only by animals and plants, but also bacteria. Their vital activity in the human body leads to the formation of the strongest toxins. Among them, the following can be highlighted:
- Botulinum toxin. It is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Her vital activity leads to the development of botulism in humans. This is a disease that can only be treated in the very early stages. In other cases, the probability of death is extremely high. The bacterium multiplies rapidly in the absence of oxygen; therefore, canned foods often become a source of poisoning.
- Bacillus anthrax. Its ingestion leads to the development of anthrax. This disease is developing rapidly. Allocate its skin and intestinal form. In the first case, a fatal outcome occurs in 20% of cases. With the intestinal form of the disease, no more than 5% of the victims are saved.
- Tetanus toxin. This substance is produced by the rods of the genus Clostridium. Infection most often occurs through open wounds on the body. Infection manifests itself in the form of seizures, a violation of the swallowing reflex, damage to the respiratory center and the cardiovascular system. The probability of death is extremely high.
Determining the fastest poison is quite difficult. Everything will depend on a combination of many factors. Avoid contact with hazardous substances as little as possible. If infection does occur, do not try to recover on your own. Only timely access to medical care will save your life.
