toxicology full

1Learning Objectives

List the different types of poisons and their effects

Explain factors affecting LD50 results

Illustrate why route of administration is important

Explain how toxicity is measured using LD50

1

3

4

Describe the modes of actions

of different types of poisons2

5

2Toxicology

Environmental

Science of poisons and poisoning

Reasons Accidental

Occupational

Deliberate

3Toxicology

Less common now

Chemicals tightly controlled

Use of poisoning to commit murder

Common in the old days

4Corrosives

Strong acids and alkalis

Concentrated

sulfuric acid

VitriolGHS symbol for corrosives

5Victim of acid attack

in Cambodia, 2007

6Victims of acid attack

in Bangladesh, 2011

7Acid attack case in

Malaysia, 2009

8Before and after

her acid attack

Ameneh Bahrami

Ameneh Bahrami

Drastic effects of sulfuric

acid on the human body

9Irritants

Other effects after absorption

Lead, mercury, arsenic

Cause nausea or diarrhoea

Irritate the gut

10

Systemic Poisons

Interfere with action

of mitochondria

Hemoglobin

Attack biochemical systems in body

Cyanide

Carbon monoxide

1

2

11

Systemic Poisons

Affects the nervous systemStrychnine3

Morphine4

Atropine Affects the nervous system5

Synthetic pesticides and nerve agents6

12

Systemic Poisons

Inorganic poisons7 Arsenic

Antimony

Mercury

Thallium

13

Cassava plant

Cassava root is

a staple food

Cyanide

14

Cutting open the cassava root

Cyanide

Few cases yearly

Plant releases cyanide

Cassava root not properly prepared

15

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Deliberate

Poisoning by CO

Accidental

Common

16

How CO works as a poison

Blocks hemoglobin

RBC containing hemoglobin

17


Protein

Hemoglobin

Responsible for oxygen transport

18


CO strongly bound; O2 cannot compete

Always have some hemoglobin bound to CO

Amount of CO in air too small to harm us

CO always present in air

19


Blood is red because

of the hemoglobin

Poisonous when CO in air

rises above a certain level

A drop of blood

20

Gas-Hemoglobin Complexes

Fe-O2 complex Red

Fe-CO complex Pink

Color of hemoglobin depends

on the molecule bound to iron

21

Sources of CO

Burning butane gas (C4H10)

Partial combustion of fuel

or other organic material

In excess air

In limited amounts of air

22

Sources of CO

Burning butane (C4H10) in excess air

Burning butane (C4H10) in limited amounts of air

C4H10

C4H10

6.5 O2 4 CO2 5 H2O

5.5 O2

2 CO2 5 H2O 2 CO

23

Sources of CO

Partial combustion of

hydrocarbon fuels

CO concentration can

build up to toxic levels

Improper ventilation

24

Presidente Hotel Poisoning

5 people killed

Rooms directly above parking garage

Stairs leading up from garage to room

25

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

No oxygen

Much less toxic than CO

CO2 replaces airAsphyxiation

Does not bind to hemoglobin

26

Lake Nyos, Cameroon, West Africa

27


Old volcanic crater filled up with rainwater

CO2 seeped into lake

Ground under lake giving off CO2

Became a lake

28


Cold water in lakes lower layer

CO2 unable to escape due to warmer

water above the cold lower layer

Super-saturated with CO2

29

Socrates

(399 BC)

30

Socrates

Convicted of corrupting

the youths of Athens

Encouraged

them to think

Socrates

31

Socrates

Sentenced to death

Poisoning

Hemlock plant extract

Hemlock plant

32

Socrates

Hemlock contains

various alkaloids

Coniine

Coniine

33

Socrates

Symptoms experienced after drinking hemlock

Numbness from feet upwards

Paralysis reached heart and lungs

Died

34

Augustus

35

Augustus

Augustus

Poisoned by Empress Livia

Refused to eat food

prepared for him

Suspected that Livia

wanted to poison him

36

Figs of Ficus carica

Only ate fruits

from his fig tree

Livia injected

poison into figs

Caesar poisoned

after eating fruits

Augustus

37

Lakhvinder

Cheema

38

2009

Lakhvir SinghLakhvinder Cheema

39

Cheema and his fiance

had leftover curry for dinner

2009

40

Became very ill

Called emergency services

2009

Food poisoning?

Actual poisoning

41

Sent to the hospital

Lakhvinder Cheema died soon after

His fiance survived

2009

Lakhvir Singh convicted

42

Questions

How had Lakhvir Singh done the poisoning?1

How did she get such a potent poison?2

43

Aconitum ferox

Native to the Himalayas

Used as a poison in India

Lakhvir Singh went to

India to obtain plant

44

Aconitum ferox

Went to Cheemas house

Poisoned his curry

Traces of plant found on her

Convicted

45

Aconitum ferox

Pseudaconitine

Shuts down the

nervous system

Contains a very complex alkaloid

Brain still working

46

William Congreve (1670 1729)

Hell hath no fury likea woman scorned

47

Accidental poisoning

Plants as a cause of poisoning

48

Blooming wild garlic

49


Wild garlic leaves vs meadow saffron leaves

Wild garlic

Look very similar


50


Meadow saffron

Meadow saffron

is highly toxic

Colchicine

51


Contains colchicine

Anti-cancer

Overdose

leads to death

52


Wild garlic leaves vs meadow saffron leaves

Potato tubers

Potato plants


53


Potato fruits

Potato tuber is harmless

Potato fruits are toxic

54


Oxalic acid

Potato fruits are toxic

Contains oxalic acid

Could have serious

effects in children

55


Rhubarb

Rhubarb

Leaves are toxic

Stems are edible

56

Toxins

Natural substances produced

by living species (animals)

Attack biochemical systems

57

Box jellyfish

58

Black widow spider

59

Fugu fish

60

Fugu fish

Fugu fish poisoning

20 to 44 poisonings per year

Japanese delicacy

Tetrodotoxin poison

Concentrated in

internal organs

61

Fugu fish poisoning

Chefs undergo training on how

to remove toxic internal organs

Poisonings because of amateur chefs

7% fatality rate

62

Coastal Taipan

63

Cleopatra

Egyptian Queen

Cleopatra

64

Cleopatra

Affair with Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

65

Cleopatra

Mark Antony

Got together

with Mark Antony

Lost the Final War of

the Roman Republic

66

Cleopatra

Wanted to commit suicide

Tried out different means of suicide

Wanted to look nice after death

Snake poison

67

Asp

68

Biological poisons

Responsible for botulism

Clostridium botulinum

69

Botox

Paralyze muscles

Botox treatment

Injection in a

localized area

Does not paralyze

vital muscles

70

Biological poisons

Responsible for anthrax

Bacillus anthracis

Weaponized anthrax

available since WWII

71

Anthrax outbreak

During the 9/11 crisis

9/11 World Trade Centre attack

72

Anthrax outbreak

Anthrax letters

Bruce Ivins

73

Anthrax outbreak

Suspicion turned to Bruce Ivins

U.S. Army microbiologist

Had anthrax in his lab

Committed suicide

74

Poisons

Any substance which, if taken into or formedin the body, destroys life or impairs health.

75

Paracelsus

Paracelsus

First to think scientifically

about poisoning

Medicinal chemist

Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus

von Hohenheim (1493 1541)

76

Paracelsus

All substances are poisons, there is none which isnot a poison. The right dose differentiates a

poison from a remedy.

Even water

77

Lethal water

Water poisoning

Over 7 litres Lethal dose

78

KDND, Sacramento, California

Hold Your Wee For a Wii

See how much water people can drink

Winner wins Wii game station

79


Drank about 7.5 L of water

Went home, became

unwell and died

Jennifer StrangeFamily compensated

U.S. $16 million

80


Jennifer Strange placed second

I didnt know what was wrong with me. Ijust knew I had never felt so sick in my life.- Winner of contest, Lucy Davidson

81

Fox glove

82

Fox glove

Poisonous European wild plant

Contains digitalin

Potent heart muscle stimulant

Over-consumption leads to death

83

Digitalin

Also used clinically

Failing heart

Give controlled dose of digitalin

Heart beats properly

84

Dose-Response

Steepness of the curve

Variable

How to measure toxicity?

85

Measuring toxicity: LD50

Lethal dose for 50 percent

Amount of chemical required

to kill half of the test population

86

Measuring toxicity: LD50

How accurate is LD50?




87

Accuracy of LD50

Vary according to administration of poison

Oral administration vs direct injection

1

88

Accuracy of LD50

Assume similar LD50 values for humans

Depend on species used for testing2

Typically mice or rats

Vary according to administration of poison1

89

Accuracy of LD50

GuidelinesHow accurate is LD50?




90

Lethal doses

Measure dose

per unit bodyweight

Types of poisonLethal dose

(g / kg), mice

Sodium cyanide 10 000

Curare/

strychnine500

Tetrodotoxin 8 20

Cobra neurotoxin 0.3

Tetanus toxin 0.07

Botulism toxin 0.03

91

Factors affecting LD50

Size

Age

State of health

1

2

3

Larger doses for larger bodies (mg/kg)

Metabolism changes with age

Liver condition

92


History4 Build up and loss of tolerance

E.g. heroin addict

Keep increasing dose

Loses tolerance after a

long time without heroin

Tolerance

93


Paradoxical reactions5 Rare but known

E.g. anti-malarial medicine Lariam

Side effects Depression

94


Vanessa Brunt Went to South China

Took Lariam

Became very depressed

Committed suicide

95

What Paracelsus did not say

Poison must reach target organ

Absorption into the body

Build up to lethal levels before excretion2

1

96

Mercury

Swallow metallic mercury1

Glass mercury

thermometers

Does not absorb

into the body

97

Mercury

Swallow metallic mercury

Inject metallic mercury into bloodstream2

1

Ingest mercurous chloride (HgCl, calomel)3

Ingest mercuric chloride (HgCl2)4

More soluble in water, rapid absorption

98

Mercury

Swallow metallic mercury

Inject metallic mercury into bloodstream2

1

Ingest mercurous chloride (HgCl, calomel)3

Ingest mercuric chloride (HgCl2)4

Inhale mercury vapour5

99

Inhaling mercury vapour

Absorbed very rapidly

Go straight to bloodstream

100

King Charles II

Many hobbies

King Charles II

Lab accident

Interested in chemistry

Poisoned by

mercury vapor

101

Route of Administration

Must reach target organ to be effective

102


Absorbed through digestive tract

Oral administration1

103


Directly into bloodstream

Fast and efficient

Intravenous2


104


Rapidly from lungs to bloodInhalation3

Fast and efficient

Through mucus membranes4

Intravenous2


In

105

Forensic Toxicology

Food, drink, air

Absorption &

desorption of gases

Detox

Deposited

in hair, nails

Processing &

absorption

Out

Feces, urine, sweat, exhaled air

106

Proteins are broken

down into peptides

Peptides broken down

into amino acids

Saccharides broken

down into sugars

What happens to your food?

107

Snake venom

Complex peptides

Drinking the venom?

Relatively safe

Milking snake venomPeptides converted

to amino acids

108

Forensic Toxicology

Enter bloodstream

after digestion

Liver = detox factory

Get past liver to go to the rest of the body

109

Forensic Toxicology

Enter bloodstream

after digestion

Liver = detox factory

Get past liver to go to the rest of the body

110

Forensic Toxicology

Blood flows past the

lungs to rest of body

Membrane around brain

Prevent molecules from going into brain

111

Xenobiotics

Strange molecules

Pharmaceuticals

Illegal drugs

Natural substances

Other substances

Nicotine, caffeine

Ethanol

112

Xenobiotics

Accumulation in body Lead or strontium

in bones

Excretion Arsenic or thallium

Transform

Deposited in hair or fingernails

Increase solubility

1

2

3 Excrete

113

Xenobiotics

Caffeine

114

Xenobiotics

Goes into bloodstream

Caffeine that is ingested

Coffee berries

Stimulates brain

115

Xenobiotics

Liver wants to remove caffeine Transform it

Caffeine

116

Alcohol

Most common poison

Controversial

Essential?

Or evil?

117

Alcohol

Show evils of alcohol

Gin

Gin consumption

was enormous

Gin Lane

118

Alcohol

Beer contains

less alcohol

Better than gin

Beer Street

119

Distribution of alcohol

What happens when someone drinks alcohol?

120


Distributed via the cardio-vascular system

Kind of drink

Rate of adsorption depends on

Stomach contents

121

Effect of alcohol

Depress ability to make judgments

Depress the Central Nervous System (CNS)

Depress inhibitions

Depress ability to react to situations

Depress reflex times

122

How much is too much (legally)?

Alcohol

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) after a drink?

Calculated from the amount

of alcohol consumed

1

2

123

How much is too much (legally)?

Persons weight (kg)Amount of alcohol

consumed (g)

Widmark factorc = a / pr

Men: r = 0.68

Women: r = 0.55

Max. conc. (g/ 1000 ml)

Usually converted to

mg / 100 ml of blood

124

If a man of 70 kg drinks a double whisky, what is the concentration of alcohol in his blood?

Scenario

Whisky = 43% alcohol A single = 25 cm3

Density of ethanol = 0.79 gcm3

Amount of alcohol consumed = 0.43 x 50 cm3 x 0.79 gcm3 = 17.0 g

1

3

2

125

Scenario

c = 36 mg per 100 ml of blood

c = a / pr c = 17 / (70 x 0.68)

c = 0.36 g per 1000 ml of blood

c = 0.036 g per 100 ml of blood

126

Effect of alcohol

Effect of alcohol on the brain?

Vary according to amount of alcohol

127

Effect of alcohol

Blood alcohol

conc. (mg/100 ml)Effects

300Coma and anaesthesia, impaired circulation

and respiration, possible death

>450 Probable death due to respiratory paralysis

128

Elimination of alcohol

Alcohol present in nature

Biomechanism for eliminating alcohol from body

Fermentation of food

129


C5H5OH

Ethanol

CH3CHO

Acetaldehyde

CH3CO2H

Acetic acid

CO2Carbon dioxide

Alcohol dehydrogenase

(liver, small intestine)

Aldehyde

dehydrogenase

(liver)

130


95% - 98% of alcohol consumed end up as CO2

2% - 5% excreted by kidneys and lungs

131


Higher in arterial blood than in

veinous blood during absorption

Bones, fat, hair

Uniformly throughout the body

Except parts with low water content

132


Post-mortem

Same concentration as in the brain

Usually measure blood alcohol

Measure breath alcoholRoadside

Gas chromatography

Blood, urine, vitreous humor

133

Henrys Law

How is breath alcohol related to blood alcohol?

134

Henrys Law

How is breath alcohol related to blood alcohol?

Blood alcohol to breath alcohol

2300: 1 ratio

Multiply breath alcohol to get blood alcohol

135

Breath alcohol

Measured at roadside using breathalyzers

Chromium chemistry

Breathalyzer

136

Breath alcohol

Amount of K2Cr2O7 converted to Cr2(SO4)3

2 Cr2(SO4)3

K2Cr2O7 3 C2H5OH 8 H2SO4

2 K2SO43 CH3COOH 11 H2O

Measure loss of absorbance at 420 nm

137

Blood Alcohol Curve

Blood alcohol levelat time of accident?

Car accident

One driver drives off

Caught hours later

138

Blood Alcohol Curve

Back calculate from timeof test to time of accident

Plot BAC against time

139

Blood Alcohol Curve

140

A man is arrested after driving a car that was

involved in an accident at 3:00 am. Reliable

eye-witnesses confirm that the driver last

drank an alcoholic drink at least 2 hours

earlier. A blood sample taken at 5:00 am

shows a blood alcohol concentration of 70mg per 100 ml. Was the driver over the limit?

Scenario

141

How fast peoples bodies eliminate alcohol

Scenario

Length of time between last drink and accident

is enough to assume that alcohol absorption

has ceased

Down slope of blood alcohol curve

142

Lowest elimination rate

Method 1

Ct = C0 t

= 12.5 mg ethanol per 100 ml blood per hour

143

Method 1

Ct = C0 t

t = time elapsed

C0 = blood alcohol conc. at time of interest

Ct = blood alcohol conc. at time of measurement

= alcohol elimination rate

144

Method 1

C0 = Ct + t

C0 = 70 + 2(12.5) = 95 mg per 100 ml


Ct = C0 t

= 12.5 mg ethanol per 100 ml blood per hour

145

Highest elimination rate

Ct = C0 t

= 25 mg ethanol per 100 ml blood per hour

C0 = Ct + t

C0 = 70 + 2(25) = 120 mg per 100 ml

Conclusion: Man was above legal limit

Method 1

146


Method 2

2 hours at 12.5 mg per hour = 25 mg

12.5 mg ethanol per 100 ml blood per hour

70 + 25 = 95 mg per 100 ml

Add that 25 mg to the 5 am measurement

147

Highest elimination rate

25 mg ethanol per 100 ml blood per hour

Method 2

2 hours at 25 mg per hour = 50 mg

70 + 50 = 120 mg per 100 ml

Add that 50 mg to the 5 am measurement

148

Both methods give same conclusion

Man was above legal limit

Methods 1 & 2

Alcohol generates most work for toxicologists

149

Inorganic poisons

Toxic elements

Elements may neither be

created nor destroyed

vs organic poisons

Robert Boyle

150

Inorganic poisons

Detectable after burial

Arsenic, antimony, mercury, thallium

Detectable after death

Detectable after cremation

151

Arsenic trioxide

Once readily and

legally available

Arsenic trioxide

Fowlers solution

152

Arsenic trioxide

Flypaper

Paper coated with glue

Arsenic added to glue

Flypaper

153

Arsenic trioxide

Trisenox

FDA (U.S.) approved for use in the

treatment of some kinds of leukemia

154

Arsenic trioxide

Inheritance powder

Very common poison in the Victorian era

155

Arsenic poisoning

confused with liver disease?

A lot of money in 1869

And adding arsenic?

Due to arsenic?To test for arsenic

Travelling court

To drug him?

156

Widespread use of arsenic in poisoning

Reliable method of testing for arsenic?

Arsenic trioxide

157

Marsh Test

Forensic use of

testing for arsenic

James Marsh

Developed by James Marsh

Now superseded by AAS

158

6 ZnAs2O3

6 ZnCl22 AsH3 3 H2O

12 HCl

Marsh Test

159

Marsh apparatus

160

Can confirm presence of arsenic

Can also estimate the amount of arsenic

Marsh Test

Only arsenic and antimony behave this way

Chemists are able to tell them apart

161

Marsh Test very effective and credible in court

Prosecution got better

Defense

Marsh Test

Styrian Defence

162

The Styrian Defence

Styrian peasants were

eating arsenic trioxide

Lethal dose

163

The Styrian Defence

How did they do it?

Slow release of As2O3?

1

Build up of tolerance?

164

The Styrian Defence

Women

Improve health?Why did they do it?2

Men

Blood vessels damaged

Improve complexion?

Improve sexual potency?

165

Florence

Maybrick

166

Florence & James Maybrick

167

Liverpool, 1889

Florence Maybrick

Charged with murdering her husband with arsenic

Tries the Styrian Defence

168

Liverpool, 1889

Prosecution

For use as a cosmetic face wash

Arsenic purchased and soaked from flypapers

Defense

169

Liverpool, 1889

Prosecution

Arsenic detected in James Maybricks body

Defense

Self-medication

170

Liverpool, 1889

Verdict: guilty

Sentenced to hang

Commuted to 15 years in prison

Died in 1941

171

Maine,

New England

2003

172

Maine, New England, 2003

Arsenic poisoning case concerning achurch and the church congregation

173


27 April

28 April

Walter Morrill

died in hospital

Chemical tests run

2 dozen people fell sick

2 May

Daniel Bondeson

committed suicide

Had sandwiches & coffee Arsenic in brewed coffee

Arsenic in Morrills body & in surviving victims

174


Conclusion

Daniel Bondeson added arsenic to the coffee during church service

175


From an old agricultural chemical

Where was the arsenic from?

Motive? Church dispute?

Overdose?

176

Thallium

Formerly widely available

Rat poison

Rat poison

177

Lethal dose 12 mg / kg

Interferes with nervous system

Due to chemical similarity with potassium

Thallium

178

Characteristic symptom

Hair will fall out

Thallium

179

Graham Young

180

1962

Sent to Broadmoor

Psychiatric Hospital

Detained and treatedGraham Young

Murdered stepmother

when he was age 14

181

1971

Worked in a warehouse

Poisoned the tea

of his co-workersTea

Released from hospital

182

Used low doses of thallium or antimony

8 fell ill; 2 died

Bob Egle Cremated

Death triggered investigation

Graham Young

Fred Biggs

183

Bob Egle Cremated

Thallium present in ashes

Graham Young

Thallium cannot be destroyed

Graham Young convicted Life in prison

184

Shizuoka, Japan, 2006

She did not hold a grudge against her mother she just wanted to do an experiment.

Graham Youngs fans?

17 year old girl poisoned mother with thallium

185

Arsenic and thallium

Well known in toxicology

Poisoning

Other elements less well-known

Analysis is rarely done

186

Barium poisoning

Very uncommon

Few people have access to barium compounds

187

Poisoned her father with barium acetate

Father died

Marie Robards

No foul play suspectedMarie Robards

188

Went to University

Scene where Hamlets father was murdered

Marie Robards

Affected by it Confessed to a friend

Studied the play Hamlet

189

Victim exhumed

Marie Robards convicted

Investigation

Presence of barium in his body

Barium was stolen from school chemistry lab

190

Medical X-rays

Soft tissues do not show up on X-rays

Use of Barium

191

Barium meal

Contains Barium

X-ray after barium meal

Show up digestive system on X-rays

192

Why doesnt it poison the patient?

Barium sulphate is insoluble in water

Barium meal

Not absorbed by the body

Excreted

193

Discovered inGermany in 1938

Stockpiled by Hitler

Never used in WWII

Sarin

CH3P(O)(F)OCH(CH3)2

194

Used by Iraqi military against Kurdish villagers

Stops nervous system

March 1988

Aftermath of Halabja chemical attack

Causes death

195

Released Sarin gas in Matsumoto in June 1994

7 dead, 200 hospitalized

Aum Shinrikyo Cult

1995 Tokyo subway attack

12 dead, 1000 hospitalized

196

How do nerve agents work?

Interfere with biochemical mechanism

Neurotransmission

197

Granule cell with axon

198

Mechanism of action of Sarin

What if there is excess neurotransmitter?

Continued nerve stimulation

Twitching, convulsions, paralysis and death

Often starts with blindness

199


When would there be excess neurotransmitters?

Neurotransmitter concentration isregulated by acetyl cholinesterase

Converts acetyl choline to inactive choline

200


Acetyl choline Choline

Acetyl

cholinesterase

Inactive

201


Sarin is an acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor

Excess acetyl choline cannot be destroyed

Present in excess

202

Renegade soldiers stealschemical weapons

Injected himselfwith antidote

Hero exposed to nerve gas

The Rock

The Rock

203

Antidote to Sarin

Opposite effect of Sarin

Inhibits action of acetyl choline

Atropine

Atropine

204

Toxic if not taken as antidote

Inhibits action of neurotransmitter

LD50 (rat, oral) 500 mg / kg

Atropine

205

Natural compound from Atropa belladonna

Atropa belladonna

Atropine

206

Atropine dilates the pupils

Beautiful

Used in optometry

Atropine

Atropa belladonna

207

Poisoning

Less common nowadays

Difficult to obtain poisons

Chemistry professors can obtain poisons easily

208

Paul Agutter

209

Paul Agutter

Convicted of poisoning his wife with atropine

Atropine from his research lab

Paul Agutter

210

Paul Agutter

How did he do it?

Added atropine tohis wifes gin & tonic

Gin & Tonic

211

Paul Agutter

Added atropine to the tonic water at local supermarket

Tried to mislead investigators

212

Paul Agutter

Found out by the police

Wife survived

Convicted of attempted murder

Lesser atropine added to tonic bottles than to his wifes drink

213

Georgi Markov

214

Georgi Markov

Bulgarian Dissident

Defected to Britain in 1971

Worked for BBC World Service

Georgi Markov

215

Thursday, 7 Sept 1979

Jabbed in the leg by anumbrella on Waterloo Bridge

Died on Monday

Admitted to hospital the next day

216

Autopsy results

Puncture wound

Found a tiny metallic sphere

Tissue sent to Porton Down

217

SEM-EDX results

90% platinum, 10% iridium

Sphere was hollow

SEM-EDX of sphere

Enough space for 2 mg of poison

218

Poison used

Complex polypeptide

Isolated from castor oil plant

Castor oil plant

Ricin

219

Umbrella

Pellet gun

Also used on Vladmir Kostov (Paris, 1978)

220

Umbrella

Markov: injected pellet close to blood vessel

Kostov: injected pellet close to muscle tissue

Ricin absorbed rapidly

Slow absorbance of ricin

221

Question

Was Georgi Markov murdered by the Bulgarian Secret Service?

Likely

222

Alexander

Litvinenko

223

Alexander Litvinenko

KGB then FSB officer

1998

2000

2006

Serious critic of Russian government

Asylum in London

Became very ill and died in hospital

224


Hair loss


after being poisoned

No thallium detected

Poisoned with Polonium-210

Thallium poisoning?

225

Polonium

Occurs in trace amounts

Radioactive

Manufactured in nuclear reactors

Russia

226

Polonium

Contained 210Po is not very dangerous

If ingested

Radiation poison

No barrier between radioactiveatoms and biochemical molecules

227

Radiation

Energy given out ishighly characteristic

210Po found at over 30 locations in London

Tracked to two British Airways planes

228

Summary

Different types of poisons and their effects

Measuring toxicity using LD50

Importance of routes of administration

1

3

4

Modes of actions of different poisons2

229

Summary

Alcohol

Actions of arsenic, thallium, sarin, atropine

6

8

Paracelsus7

Xenobiotics5

toxicology full

Documents