NEWSru.com :: Poisons are not only used by special services, they can be found in any home medicine cabinet and refrigerator

Tetrodotoxin

This deadly poison
is contained in the organs of fish of the genus pufferfish
, from which the famous Japanese delicacy “fugu” is prepared. Tetrodotoxin persists in the skin, liver, intestines and other organs, even after the fish has been cooked.

This toxin causes paralysis, seizures, mental disorder

and other symptoms. Death occurs within 6 hours after ingestion of the poison.

Every year, several people are known to die painful deaths from tetrodotoxin poisoning after eating fugu.

Potassium cyanide

Potassium cyanide is one of
the fastest killing poisons
known to mankind.
It may be in the form of crystals and a colorless gas with a "bitter almond" odor
. Cyanide can be found in some foods and plants. It is found in cigarettes and is used to make plastic, photographs, extract gold from ore, and kill unwanted insects.

Cyanide was used in ancient times, and in the modern world it was a method of capital punishment. Poisoning can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and even touching, causing symptoms such as seizures, respiratory failure, and in severe cases, death.

, which may occur in a few minutes. It kills by binding to iron in blood cells, making them unable to carry oxygen.

Poison curare

Curare is a mixture of various South American plants that were used for poison arrows.
Curare has been used for medicinal purposes in a highly diluted form. The main poison is an alkaloid, which causes paralysis and death
, as well as strychnine and hemlock. However, after respiratory paralysis occurs, the heart may continue to beat.

Death from curare is slow and painful

, as the victim remains conscious but cannot move or speak. However, if artificial respiration is applied before the poison settles, the person can be saved. Amazon tribes used curare to hunt animals, but the poisoned animal meat was not dangerous to those who consumed it.

Sarin gas

Sarin is one of
the most dangerous and deadly nerve gases
, hundreds of times more toxic than cyanide. Sarin was originally produced as a pesticide, but the clear, odorless gas soon became a powerful chemical weapon.

A person can be poisoned by sarin gas by inhaling or exposing the gas to the eyes and skin. Initial symptoms may include a runny nose and chest tightness, difficulty breathing and nausea.

Then the person loses control over all functions of his body and falls into a coma, convulsions and spasms occur until suffocation occurs.

Mercury and mercury poisoning

There are three forms of mercury that can be potentially hazardous: elemental, inorganic and organic.
Elemental mercury, which is found in mercury thermometers
, old fillings, and fluorescent light bulbs, is non-toxic if in contact, but can be
fatal if inhaled
.

Inhalation of mercury vapor (the metal quickly turns into a gas at room temperature) affects the lungs and brain

, turning off the central nervous system.

Inorganic mercury, which is used to make batteries, can be fatal if ingested and cause kidney damage and other symptoms.
Organic mercury found in fish and seafood is usually hazardous over long-term exposure. Symptoms of poisoning may include memory loss, blindness, seizures and others. What to do if a mercury thermometer breaks?

Polonium-210

The safe dose of polonium for humans is 7 picograms. In other words, one speck of this substance is enough to kill a person. However, even a first-year student will find traces of polonium-210 in the body of a murdered person, which casts doubt on the use of this substance by intelligence agencies, which always rely on stealth.

The only advantage of polonium-210 is that it is the most inexpensive poison. However, its use in real operations by intelligence services of different countries is doubtful.

However, as British intelligence assures, it was polonium that killed ex-Russian intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko, the author of a book about how Russian special services carried out terrorist attacks.

Poison ricin

Ricin is a natural poison. A few grains are enough to kill an adult. Ricin kills cells in the human body, preventing it from producing the proteins it needs, resulting in organ failure. A person can become poisoned by ricin through inhalation or ingestion.

If inhaled, symptoms of poisoning usually appear within 8 hours of exposure and include difficulty breathing, fever, cough, nausea, sweating and chest tightness

If ingested, symptoms appear in less than 6 hours and include nausea and diarrhea (possibly bloody), low blood pressure, hallucinations and seizures. Death may occur within 36-72 hours

Strychnine and strychnine poisoning

Strychnine is an odorless, white, bitter crystalline powder that can be acquired by ingestion, inhalation, solution, and intravenous injection.

The degree of strychnine poisoning depends on the amount and route of entry into the body, but a small amount of this poison is enough to cause a serious condition. Symptoms of poisoning include muscle spasms, respiratory failure and even lead to brain death

30 minutes after exposure.

Botulinum toxin

Many poisons can be lethal in small doses, so it is quite difficult to single out the most dangerous one. However, many experts agree that botulinum toxin, which is used in Botox injections to smooth out wrinkles, is the strongest

Botulism is a serious disease that causes paralysis

, caused by botulinum toxin, which is produced by the bacterium
Clostridium botulinum
. This poison causes damage to the nervous system, respiratory arrest and death in terrible agony.

Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, double vision, facial weakness, speech impediments, difficulty swallowing

and others. The bacterium can enter the body through food (usually poorly canned foods) and through open wounds.