When we think of poisons, we often immediately think of famous names like cyanide, arsenic, or strychnine. However, these are not the deadliest poisons ever known.
The Most Horrific Poisons in the World
Assessing the toxicity of a substance is not a simple task. For example, if you swallow liquid mercury, in most cases, it will be expelled from your body without causing any harm. However, inhaling mercury vapor can be extremely dangerous.
14. Dimethyl Cadmium (CH3-CO-CH3)
Dimethyl Cadmium – Inhalation can be fatal.
Dimethyl cadmium (CH3-CO-CH3) is a compound belonging to the organometallic group. It is a colorless liquid that is extremely toxic and fumes in the air. It is a linear molecule with a C-Cd bond length of 213 pm. This compound has limited use as a reagent in organic synthesis and in metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). It has also been used in the synthesis of cadmium selenide nanoparticles, although efforts have been made to replace it in this capacity due to its toxicity.
This substance possesses the frightening properties of being difficult to extinguish when on fire and highly explosive, but its danger comes from the concentration of its toxic vapors. Just a few parts per million of dimethyl cadmium vapor dispersed in a volume of one cubic meter can be lethal.
The toxicity of dimethyl cadmium has both acute and chronic effects on the human body. When inhaled, this poison is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, spreading throughout the body and causing almost immediate effects on organs such as the lungs, liver, and kidneys. Even if the victim survives for a few hours after inhalation, the subsequent consequences can be horrific. This poison is a potent carcinogen. At this point, you can imagine the devastation that Dimethyl cadmium can cause.
So, if you accidentally spill dimethyl cadmium, how can you clean it up? Ideally, you should never let that happen. Using water to wash it away or sweeping it is impossible due to the risk of fire and explosion. Even waiting for dimethyl cadmium to decompose is not feasible, as the newly formed substances can be even more explosive than the original compound.
13. Brodifacoum
Brodifacoum is a veterinary chemical that prevents blood clotting, leading to continuous internal bleeding.
Brodifacoum is a very potent anticoagulant that reduces vitamin K levels in the blood, causing internal bleeding and death. It is sold as rat poison under names such as Talon, Jaguar, and Havoc. Humans and pets can also suffer similar fates from merely touching contaminated materials. The toxin can be absorbed through the skin and remains in the body for many months. Animals that consume poisoned rodents are also at risk.
12. Cyanide
Apple seeds contain Cyanide.
Cyanide is perhaps the most famous poison because it has been used in many terrorist attacks. An individual who inhales or ingests cyanide will die within 20 seconds due to asphyxiation.
Scientists say that cyanide and strychnine are quite similar in toxicity, but cyanide is much more notorious. This chemical compound can be found in factories, bacteria, fungi, and in the seeds of some fruits.
Apple seeds contain cyanide; however, you would only become poisoned if you chew and swallow at least 150 apple seeds, which would cause convulsions, respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, and death within seconds.
11. Arsenic
This common toxin is not dangerous in small doses. In fact, a report in 2017 stated that 2 million Americans are regularly exposed to arsenic from well water.
Long-term exposure to arsenic can lead to cancer, and consuming a large amount mixed into a drink (which is odorless and tasteless) can be fatal.
This is also why arsenic was favored by murderers in 19th century England. Symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea are the first signs, and death can occur within 2 hours to 2 days, depending on the dose.
10. Botulinum
Botulinum is 40 million times more toxic than cyanide and can kill a person with just 80 nanograms. Symptoms include facial paralysis, followed by paralysis of limbs and respiratory organs.
Unfortunately, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, this type of toxin can appear in food, although it is rare. Therefore, if after eating something, you feel your facial muscles begin to numb and you cannot speak, seek medical help as soon as possible.
9. Mercury
Mercury naturally occurs in the air, water, and soil, but it is very dangerous when formed inside fish and becomes methylmercury. This is the easiest way for mercury to enter our bodies when consumed. It ranks high on the list because even a very small amount of mercury can be fatal.
There have been many fatalities due to mercury exposure, including a British scientist in 1996. She took all safety precautions when working with the toxic substance but still faced danger when she dropped 2 drops of mercury on her hand despite wearing protective gloves. In the following weeks, she experienced neurological decline, coma, and death.
8. Strychnine
Strychnine is a substance found in high concentrations in the seeds of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree, which is formulated into various medications. Main causes of death include accidental ingestion of strychnine-laced rubbing alcohol, pesticide poisoning, and the use of illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin mixed with strychnine, or even food and water contamination.
If poisoned, symptoms will appear within 15-60 minutes, including anxiety, muscle pain, spasms, and at high doses, respiratory failure and brain death. If you can endure and survive the first 12 hours, you may have a chance to live.
7. Polonium
In theory, one gram of Polonium 210 can kill 10 million people if ingested.
Discovered in 1898, the radioactive element polonium was responsible for the death of Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader who opposed Russia. Polonium is listed among the deadliest poisons of the 21st century. It is not used in biological research due to its extreme danger to all living organisms. The most common form, Polonium 210, is reported to be 250,000 times more dangerous than hydrogen cyanide. This explains why the U.S. used polonium in the bombing of Nagasaki as part of what they claimed was the Manhattan Project. In theory, one gram of Polonium 210 can kill 10 million people if ingested, injected, or inhaled. Its radiation can cause cancer in humans.
6. Tetrodotoxin
This toxin originates from pufferfish.
Abbreviated as TTX, tetrodotoxin is a lethal neurotoxin named after the pufferfish. If you consume pufferfish toxin, you will experience symptoms such as facial paralysis, confusion, continuous convulsions, coma, and eventually death. All of this can occur within 17 minutes or up to 6 hours. TTX tops the list of lethal poisons.
A very small amount of these substances can lead to death. (Image source: AMC).
Here are the 5 most potent toxins known in the world. Their toxicity is hundreds of times greater than that of notorious poisons like cyanide or strychnine.
5. Ricin
Ricin is extracted from the seeds of the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis). (Image source: Flickr).
This extremely toxic plant toxin was used to assassinate the famous Bulgarian politician Georgi Markov while he was in exile in London. On September 7, 1978, while waiting for a bus near Waterloo Bridge, Markov suddenly felt something prick his thigh.
He turned around and saw a man bending down to pick up an umbrella. Markov immediately felt dizzy and collapsed at the bus stop. He was taken to the hospital with a high fever and died three days later.
An autopsy revealed a tiny pellet made of a platinum-iridium alloy lodged in Markov’s thigh. The pellet was coated with fine needles smeared with ricin, which was the cause of his death.
Ricin is extracted from the seeds of the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis). This substance is a type of glycoprotein that inhibits protein synthesis, leading to cell death. Just 1 mg per kg of body weight is sufficient to be fatal.
4. VX Toxin
In 1950, VX was banned worldwide due to its extreme toxicity. (Image source: zidbits).
VX is a nerve agent derived from motor oil. Initially, this substance was invented and used in pesticides. However, by 1950, VX was banned worldwide due to its extreme toxicity. VX interferes with the transmission of nerve messages between cells by acting on a molecule called acetylcholine.
After acetylcholine transmits the nerve message, it needs to be destroyed by an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase. If not, it will continue to send signals indefinitely. VX blocks the activity of acetylcholinesterase, causing acetylcholine to work continuously. As a result, your muscles lose control, and you die from spasms and asphyxiation.
Exposure to just a very low dose (10 milligrams) can be fatal within minutes, as VX paralyzes the respiratory muscles.
3. Batrachotoxin
Batrachotoxin is extracted from poisonous frogs. (Image source: musemalady).
We are probably all familiar with the image of South American indigenous people using blowguns to hunt animals. But have you ever wondered how such tiny darts can kill a buffalo? It’s because they are coated with a potent toxin called Batrachotoxin extracted from poisonous frogs.
The indigenous people try to catch the most colorful frogs and roast them over a fire. The frogs secrete the toxin, which the indigenous people collect and apply to their darts.
Batrachotoxin causes death by affecting the Na+ ion channels in muscle and nerve cells, preventing them from closing. This leads to a continuous flow of Na+ ions, resulting in death from heart failure.
Interestingly, the frogs themselves are not poisonous. Their toxicity comes from the beetles they commonly eat in the forest.
2. Maitotoxin
This is the most dangerous toxin found in marine animals. (Image source: Flickr).
Maitotoxin is the most dangerous toxin found in marine animals. This toxin is formed in a type of algae and has a very complex structure, making it difficult to synthesize artificially. Maitotoxin increases the flow of calcium ions through the membranes of heart muscle cells, causing heart failure and death.
1. Botulinum Toxin
Just one nanogram per kg of this substance can cause immediate death. (Image source: NPR).
Scientists today agree that botulinum toxin, a compound produced by anaerobic bacteria, is the most toxic substance known. Just one nanogram per kg of this substance can cause immediate death.
In fact, it can block nerve signals to the muscles and cause death by paralysis even at incredibly small doses.
There are several types of botulinum toxins, with type A being the most potent. Its structure is a polypeptide, consisting of more than 1,000 amino acid molecules linked together. They paralyze muscles by preventing the production of nerve molecules called acetylcholine.
However, this toxin is also used in the cosmetics and beauty industry. A small enough amount of botulinum will stop the facial muscle bundles from functioning, thereby reducing wrinkles.
Which toxin is the most dangerous in the world?Determining which chemical is the most dangerous depends on several factors such as the lethal dose, the effects on the body, and the likelihood of exposure. While nerve agents are often considered the most toxic due to their devastating effects at very low doses, they only represent part of the threat. In France alone, at least 100,000 people accidentally become poisoned each year from more common household chemicals like bleach and toilet cleaners. These accidents frequently occur in households, often due to improper handling or mixing of unsafe products. This highlights a crucial point that assessing the danger of chemicals must consider not only the toxicity of a substance but also the likelihood of exposure. Chemical experts define the danger of a chemical as a combination of the potential for harm and the severity of that harm. For example, highly toxic substances like botulinum toxin, VX, and chlorine trifluoride are extremely dangerous but pose little risk to the average person due to limited exposure. Conversely, common household chemicals can be lethal if misused. Scientist Richard Webb from Cardiff University likens the inherent danger in a chemical to a kitchen knife that can cause injury depending on how the user handles it. The complexity of chemical hazards is also reflected in the diversity of risks associated with different substances. For instance, chlorine is a common disinfectant in swimming pools but was used as a chemical weapon in World War I. The question of which chemical is more dangerous depends on several factors, including intrinsic toxicity, exposure potential, and usage circumstances. However, theoretically, sodium cyanide could be considered the worst. This chemical is produced by the reaction between hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Historically, it was used as an effective poison due to its high toxicity to living organisms, quickly halting oxygen transport to cells and leading to rapid cellular asphyxiation. At relatively low doses, this chemical can be fatal within minutes. |
