The most dangerous gas. The fastest-acting deadly poisons for humans - pharmaceutical, household

Trying to figure out which poison is the strongest in nature is doomed to failure - too many variables influence the results. However, if we take only one parameter - the average lethal dose, only one type of living beings - laboratory mice, only one route of administration - intramuscular, and evaluate not whole poisons, but their individual components, then some idea of ​​the “ideal killers” can be obtained .

Average lethal dose, DL50 (lat. dosis letalis), causes the death of half of the experimental animals (DL100 is the dose minimally sufficient for all who received it). DL is measured in milligrams of a substance per 1 kg of animal body weight (mg/kg); in our rating it is indicated in parentheses after the name of the substance. So, the top 10 most toxic poisons with DL50 are for mice when administered intramuscularly.

Neurotoxin II (0.085 mg/kg)

Source: component of the poison of the Central Asian (Naja oxiana).

The venom of this snake is extremely strong. When bitten, it has a neurotoxic effect. After the bite, the victim is lethargic, but soon convulsions begin, breathing becomes more frequent and shallow. Death occurs after some time due to paralysis of the respiratory tract. Local manifestations (hematomas, tumors) do not occur with a Central Asian bite.

Despite the danger, this snake bites quite rarely, preferring to take a defensive pose when danger approaches, and hisses loudly, raising the front part of the body and spreading the front eight pairs of cervical ribs to the sides in such a way that the flattened neck expands in the form of a “hood”. Usually, this is enough to convince the enemy to retreat. Although, even if the enemy does not heed the warnings, this is not always followed by a bite. First, the cobra delivers a false bite - throwing the front part of the body sharply forward and hitting the enemy with its head. The mouth is closed during this blow. In this way, the snake protects its own from possible injury.

The Central Asian cobra, whose length reaches 1.5-1.6 m, is common in northwestern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and northeastern Iran. In Central Asia, this snake is found in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Northern border area - the Nura-Tau ridge and the Bel-Tau-Ata mountains, the western - the spurs of the Turkestan ridge.

Antidote: it is recommended to administer Anticobra serum or polyvalent antisnake serum, use of anticholinesterase drugs in combination with atropine, corticosteroids, and antihypoxants. In case of deep breathing disorders, artificial ventilation of the lungs is necessary.

Alpha-latrotoxin (0.045 mg/kg)

Source: Contained in the venom of 31 species of spiders of the genus Latrodectus (karakurt).

A neurotoxin that causes the release of acetylcholine, norepinephrine and other mediators from presynaptic terminals, followed by depletion of their reserves.

At the moment of a bite, an immediate burning pain is most often felt (in some sources, the bite is painless), which spreads throughout the body within 15-30 minutes. Typically, patients complain of unbearable pain in the abdomen, lower back, and chest. Characterized by sharp abdominal muscles. Shortness of breath, palpitations, increased heart rate, dizziness, headache, tremor, vomiting, pallor or flushing of the face, sweating, a feeling of heaviness in the chest and epigastric areas, exophthalmos and dilated pupils. The face takes on a bluish tint. Priapism, bronchospasm, urinary and defecatory retention are also characteristic. Psychomotor agitation in the later stages of poisoning is replaced by deep depression, blackouts, and delirium. Known deaths in humans and farm animals. After 3-5 days, the skin becomes covered with a rash, and the victim’s condition improves somewhat. Recovery begins after 2-3 weeks, but long time feels general weakness.

Karakurts (“black widows”) live in tropical, subtropical and even temperate latitudes on all continents except Antarctica. Only females are dangerous (their body size is up to 2 cm). Males are much smaller (0.5 cm) and are not able to bite through human skin. The toxicity of the poison has a pronounced seasonal dependence: the September one is about ten times more powerful than the May one.

Antidote: antikarakurt serum.

Alpha-conotoxin (0.012 mg/kg)

Source: component of the complex venom of the mollusk Conus geographus (geographic cone).

A neurotoxin that blocks H-cholinergic receptors in muscles and peripheral nerves.

Cones are very active when touched in their habitat. Their toxic apparatus consists of a poisonous gland connected by a duct to a hard proboscis by a radula-grater located at the wide end of the shell, with sharp spines that replace the mollusk’s teeth. If you take the shell in your hands, the mollusk instantly extends the radula and thrusts spines into the body. The injection is accompanied by acute pain leading to loss of consciousness, numbness of the fingers, strong heartbeat, shortness of breath, and sometimes paralysis. In the Pacific Islands, cases of shell collectors dying from cone stings have been recorded.

The cone shells are 15-20 cm long. Habitat is the eastern and northern coasts of Australia, East Coast Southeast Asia and China and Central Pacific region.

Antidote: There is no antidote. The only measure is copious bleeding from the injection site.

Chiriquitotoxin (0.01 mg/kg)

Source: Produced by the skin of the toad Atelopus chiriquiensis.

A structural analogue of tetrodotoxin - it differs only in the replacement of the CH2OH group with an as yet unidentified radical. Neurotoxin, blocks sodium and potassium channels in the membranes of nerve endings.

Causes impaired coordination of movements, convulsions, incomplete paralysis of the limbs.

Small (males - about 3 cm, females - 3.5-5 cm) toads with the beautiful name chiriquita are found on the isthmus between North and South America - in Panama and Costa Rica. The species is endangered. The toxin is produced by the skin of the chirikit, and the toxicity, we recall, was assessed when administered intramuscularly.

Antidote

Tityutoxin (0.009 mg/kg)

Source: one of the venom components of the yellow fat-tailed scorpion (Androctonus australis).

Neurotoxin slows down the inactivation of fast sodium channels of electrically excitable membranes, which leads to the development of persistent depolarization.

The venom of the yellow fat-tailed scorpion is produced in two enlarged glands located immediately behind the sting, which looks like a barb at the end of the tail. They are what give Scorpios the “fat” appearance. It also differs from other scorpions in the color of its sting - from dark brown to black. The venom of the fat-tailed scorpion is so toxic that it can even kill an adult human. It feeds mainly on small insects such as locusts or beetles, but can easily kill small lizards or mice. As soon as the victim stops resisting, the scorpion dismembers the body into small parts using sharp claws.

This type of scorpion is associated with up to 80% of all serious poisonings and up to 95% of deaths from scorpion injections.

Androctonus australis are medium-sized scorpions up to 10 cm long. They are not related to Australia: australis in Latin means “southern”, and androctonus in Greek means “murderer”. Found in the Middle East, north and southeast Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Iraq, Iran, etc.).

Antidote: antitoxic serum “Antiscorpion”. Antikarakurt serum can be used as a slightly less effective replacement.

Tetrodotoxin (0.008 mg/kg)

Source: produced and accumulated in the tissues of fish of the Tetraodontidae family, the mollusk BabyIonia japonica and the chirikit’s close relative, the toad Atelopus varius.

Neurotoxin, selectively blocks sodium channels in the membranes of nerve endings.

This is a dangerous poison that, once in digestive tract, causes severe pain, convulsions and usually leads to death.

Some species of the family Tetraodontidae (four-toothed, also known as rockfish, dogfish and pufferfish) reach a length of up to half a meter. Both these fish and the dish made from them are called “fugu” in Japan. The poison is contained in the liver, milk, caviar, intestines and skin, so only specially trained chefs are allowed to prepare fugu, who remove the poisonous organs using a separate method for each type. If pufferfish meat is prepared by ignorant amateurs, then in 60 cases out of 100, trying such a dish leads to death. And such cases are still not uncommon. According to a Japanese proverb, “he who eats fugu is a fool, but he who does not eat is also a fool.”
The habitat of puffer fish is from the northern coast of Australia to the northern coast of Japan and from the southern coast of China to the eastern islands of Oceania.

The mollusk Babylonia japonica has a very beautiful sink classic spiral shape 40-85 mm long. Habitat: the coast of the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan and Japan.

Toads Atelopus varius (Atelop variegated) are small, 2.5-4 cm, and if you are “lucky” you can stumble upon them only in the jungles of Panama and Costa Rica.

Antidote: There is no specific antidote; detoxification and symptomatic therapy is carried out.

Typoxin (typotoxin) (0.002 mg/kg)

Source: component of the poison itself poisonous snake on land - the Australian taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus). Before the development of the antidote (1955), up to 90% of those bitten died.

A presynaptic toxin has phospholipase activity and causes a characteristic release of nerve impulse mediators (weakening of secretion, strengthening and, finally, its complete inhibition). Has neurotoxic and myotoxic effects.

Taipan is very aggressive. When in danger, it curls and vibrates the end of its tail. Snakes are most aggressive during the mating period and skin change, but this does not mean that at other times they are peaceful and docile.

Taipans reach a length of 2 to 3.6 m. They have a very aggressive character, but, fortunately, they are found only in sparsely populated areas on the northeast coast of Australia and the south of New Guinea.

Antidote: antitoxic taipan serum.

Batrachotoxin (0.002 mg/kg)

Source: skin secretion of leaf-climbing frogs of the genus Phyllobates.

It has a strong cardiotoxic effect, causing extrasystoles and fibrillation of the ventricles of the heart, paralyzing the respiratory muscles, myocardium and skeletal muscles. Persistently and irreversibly increases the permeability of the resting membrane for sodium ions and blocks axonal transport.

The poisonousness of these frogs is such that you can’t even touch them. The skin secretions of leafhoppers contain alkaloids-batrachotoxins, which, when ingested, cause arrhythmia, fibrillation and cardiac arrest.

Tree frogs do not exceed 5 cm in length and are usually brightly colored in gold, black-orange and black-yellow (warning coloration). If you get carried away to South America from Nicaragua to Colombia, don’t grab them with your hands.

Antidote: There is no specific antidote; detoxification and symptomatic therapy is carried out. A strong antagonist is tetrodotoxin - wedge by wedge...

Palytoxin (0.00015 mg/kg)

Source: contained in the rays of the six-rayed coral polyps Palythoa toxica, P. tuberculosa, P. сaribacorum.

Cytotoxic poison. Damages the sodium-potassium pump of cells, disrupting the gradient of ion concentrations between the cell and the intercellular environment. Causes pain in the chest, as with angina pectoris, tachycardia, difficulty breathing, hemolysis. Death occurs within the first few minutes after the injection into the polyp.

The body of these polyps - inhabitants of the coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific oceans - consists not of eight, like ordinary corals, but of six or more than eight, the number of rays located on several corollas, usually a multiple of six.

Antidote: There is no specific antidote; symptomatic therapy is carried out. Animal studies suggest that simple vasodilators such as papaverine or isosorbide dinitrate may be effective.

Diamphotoxin (0.000025 Kmg/kg)

Source: the most powerful poison of animal origin on our planet, contained in the hemolymph (“blood”) of the larvae of the South African leaf beetle of the genus Diamphidia (D.Кlocusta, D.Кnigro-ornata, D.Кfemoralis), belonging to the same family with all known pests - Colorado potato beetle. Designed solely for protection from predators.

A single-chain polypeptide that opens all sodium-potassium channels in the cell membrane “for entry”, as a result of which the cell dies due to an imbalance in the intracellular electrolyte balance. It has a neurotoxic and especially pronounced hemolytic effect; in a short period of time it reduces the hemoglobin content in the blood by 75% due to the massive destruction of red blood cells. Bushmen still use crushed larvae of diamphidia: an arrow smeared with this liquid can knock down an adult 500-kilogram giraffe.

Adult beetles reach 10-12 mm in length. Females lay eggs on the branches of Commiphora plants. The larvae burrow into the ground, pupate and develop into a pupa over several years. Therefore, finding Diamphidia cocoons is not a problem for hunters.

Antidote: There is no specific antidote. Carry out detoxification and symptomatic therapy.

Poisons have been used from ancient times to the present day as weapons, antidotes, and even medicine.

In fact, poisons are found all around us, in drinking water, in household items and even in our blood.

The word "poison" is used to describe any substance that can cause a dangerous disorder in the body.

Even in small quantity, the poison can lead to poisoning and death.

Here are some examples of some of the most insidious poisons that can be fatal to humans.

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 leading to paralysis, caused by botulinum toxin, which is produced by bacteria 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 bad canned food) and through open wounds.

2. Poison ricin

Ricin is natural poison obtained from castor beans castor bean plants. 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.

3. Sarin gas

Sarin is one of the the most dangerous and deadly nerve gases, which is 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. Initially, symptoms may appear such as 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.

4. Tetrodotoxin

This deadly poison found 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, convulsions, 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.

5. Potassium cyanide

Potassium cyanide is one of the fastest deadly poisons, known to mankind. It may be in the form of crystals and 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.

6. Mercury and mercury poisoning

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

Inhalation of mercury vapor (the metal quickly turns into gas when 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.

7. Strychnine and strychnine poisoning

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

They receive it from the seeds of the chilibuha tree(Strychnos nux-vomica), native to India and South-East Asia. Although it is often used as a pesticide, it can also be found in narcotic substances such as heroin and cocaine.

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.

8. Arsenic and arsenic poisoning

Arsenic, which is the 33rd element in the periodic table, has been synonymous with poison since ancient times. It was often used as a poison of choice in political assassinations, as Arsenic poisoning resembled cholera symptoms.

Arsenic is considered a heavy metal with properties similar to those of lead and mercury. In high concentrations it can lead to symptoms of poisoning such as abdominal pain, seizures, coma and death. In small amounts, it can contribute to a number of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

9. 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 paralysis occurs respiratory system, the heart can 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.

10. Batrachotoxin

Fortunately, the chances of encountering this poison are very small. Batrachotoxin, found in the skin of tiny dart frogs, is one of the most powerful neurotoxins in the world.

Frogs themselves do not produce poison; it is accumulated from the foods they consume, mainly small bugs. The most dangerous poison content was found in a species of frogs terrible leaf climber , living in Colombia.

One specimen contains enough batrachotoxin to kill two dozen people or several elephants. I affects nerves, especially around the heart, makes breathing difficult and quickly leads to death.

There are a lot of poisons in the world, some of them last a long time, others cause instant poisoning. When exposed to the body, each toxic substance causes specific symptoms, the most common of which should be known to every person.

Plant and chemical poisons are very dangerous not only to health, but also to life. Today, there are hundreds of types of potent substances, some of which are used far from their intended purpose. good intentions- genocide, terrorism, etc. However, our ancestors treated many ailments even with the help of the most powerful poison. One way or another, experts are still actively studying this issue.

The toxicity of toxic substances from the group is caused by an immediate effect on the respiratory properties of cells, which aggravates its work. Cell work stops internal organs begin to collapse. This leads a person to a very serious condition, often ending in death. Essentially, cyanide is a derivative of hydrocyanic acid.

It looks like a snow-white powder of small crystals. It dissolves quickly in water and is very unstable. A similar poison, in addition to laboratory methods, can be extracted from some plants (fruit seeds, almonds, etc.). However, poisoning is caused by a significant accumulation of the substance in the body.

Potassium cyanide is often used in industry:

• production of paper, plastics and some types of fabrics;
• in reagents for developing photographs;
• in the metal industry, cyanide is used to clean metal alloys from impurities;
• in granaries, products based on it protect products from rodents.

It is a fast-acting poison that can paralyze in minutes. The lethal dosage is only 0.1 mg/l. The person dies within one hour. First he loses consciousness, then his breathing and heart stop. That is why it is considered the fastest poison for humans.

Anthrax spores

This chemical compound provokes a very dangerous infection, which often ends in death. People who interact with farm animals are most susceptible to the disease. The spores are highly persistent and can be stored in the soil for a long time, which is why they are among the most dangerous poisons.

This terrible disease has been killing people for centuries. Only in the nineteenth century did the scientist Louis Pasteur manage to make a vaccine. The specialist studied the resistance of animals to the effects of poisons by introducing a weakened strain of the virus into their bodies. Several years ago, American scientists developed a more effective vaccine.

Anthrax spores thrive in the secretions of an infected individual, passing through them into the soil and water. This is how they spread over vast distances. In African countries, blood-sucking insects can become carriers of poison. The incubation period lasts from several hours to a week. The poison damages blood vessels, leading to swelling, loss of sensitivity and inflammation. Boils form on the skin, developing into carbuncles. After some time, other very unpleasant signs may appear, ranging from diarrhea. Often the patient will die.

Sarin danger

Many Russians are familiar with this substance from school desks and life safety lessons. It is known that this is one of the most strong poisons in the world. Since the end of the last century, it began to be used to create WMD (weapons mass destruction). Sarin was discovered by one of the German chemical companies. At first, the substance was used only by the military.

Sarin is a fast-evaporating, odorless liquid. Therefore, patients begin to think about poisoning only after symptoms appear.

Intoxication is possible in several ways:

• when poison enters the oral cavity;
• through contact with the skin;
• through inhalation of fumes (gas).

Organic poison damages nerve endings, preventing proteins from having any opportunity to support their work. The mild stage of poisoning is accompanied by general weakness and shortness of breath. Average - the pupils narrow, the head begins to hurt, tearfulness, nausea, trembling in the arms and legs appear.

If a person is not given first aid, then death is inevitable. The severe stage has similar symptoms, but they are more pronounced. Vomiting appears, involuntary release of urine and feces, and the headache intensifies. A few minutes later the person loses consciousness and quickly dies.

Amatoxin is a strong natural poison

This is the strongest of the entire list natural poisons On the Earth. Experts have proven that amatoxin is much more dangerous than any snake venom. It is found in pale toadstools. Once in the human body, the toxin affects the liver and kidneys, after which all cells die.

Amatoxin is extremely insidious: manifestations are observed only after ten to twelve hours. In this case, it is already too late to rinse the stomach, so you must definitely call a medical team. In the first stages, the patient may be helped by Cephalosporin or activated charcoal. The most severe cases of poisoning with this biological poison require a liver transplant.

Strychnine and its areas of application

This is a plant toxin that is often used to poison mice, rats and other rodent pests. It is obtained in laboratory conditions from the seeds of chilibuja (an African plant). Such poison is often mentioned in detective stories, where characters die from it.

Used in the creation of certain medications that are prescribed in exceptional cases. Indications for the use of such drugs are neurological diseases, impotence, loss of appetite, alcoholism, etc.

Liquid metal - mercury

This substance is mentioned in treatises dating back to 400 BC. But archaeologists also talk about more ancient traces. Mercury is often used in industry, art, medicine and other fields. Mercury vapor is very toxic. Intoxication can be either cumulative or immediate. First, the central nervous system is affected, and then other systems and organs.

The first signs of poisoning are trembling of the eyelids and fingers. After some time, stomach problems, vomiting, worsening sleep and memory appear. If mercury vapor poisoning occurs, then at first damage to the respiratory system is observed. Untimely or incorrect medical care can lead to death.

People often encounter this liquid metal from a thermometer when it breaks. However, not everyone knows what to do in such a situation. First you need to collect all the mercury balls and fragments. This should be done wearing protective rubber gloves. The remains of the thermometer should be placed in an airtight container.

After all this, the room must be thoroughly treated with a strong concentration of potassium permanganate solution, and all existing surfaces must be wiped with a rag. After a day, the room needs to be thoroughly ventilated.

The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus once correctly noted: “All substances are poisons; there is not a single one that is not. It’s all about the dose,” and he was absolutely right.

It’s paradoxical: the human body is almost 70% water, but even water in large quantities is destructive. However, sometimes even a drop of a substance is enough, which can be fatal. From flowers to heavy metals and gases produced by man himself; Below is a list of the most dangerous poisons known to mankind.

Cyanide exists in the form of a colorless gas or crystals, but in either case it is quite dangerous. It smells like bitter almonds, and when it enters the body, in just a few minutes it leads to the appearance of symptoms such as headache, nausea, rapid breathing and increased heart rate, as well as weakness. If action is not taken promptly, cyanide kills by depriving the body's cells of oxygen. And yes, cyanide can be obtained from apple seeds, but don't worry if you eat a few. You will have to eat about ten apples before enough cyanide has accumulated in your body for you to feel all of the above. Please don't do this.

24. Hydrofluoric acid (Fluoric acid)

Hydrofluoric acid is a poison used, among other things, to make Teflon. In its liquid state, this substance easily seeps through the skin into the bloodstream. In the body, it reacts with calcium and can even destroy bone tissue. The worst thing is that the effect of contact does not appear immediately, which increases the likelihood of causing serious damage to health.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring crystalline semimetal and perhaps one of the best known and most common poisons used as a murder weapon in the late 19th century. However, its use for such purposes began in the mid-1700s. The effect of arsenic lasts from several hours to several days, but the result is the same - death. Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting and diarrhea, which made it difficult to distinguish arsenic poisoning from dysentery or cholera 120 years ago.

22. Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade

Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade is a very poisonous herb (flower) with a romantic history. What makes it poisonous is an alkaloid called atropine. Absolutely the entire plant is poisonous, although to varying degrees: The root contains the most poison, and the berries contain the least. However, even two pieces are enough to kill a child. Some people use belladonna for relaxation as a hallucinogen, and in Victorian times women would often drop belladonna tincture into their eyes to dilate their pupils and make their eyes sparkle. Before death, under the influence of belladonna, a seizure develops, the pulse quickens and confusion occurs. Belladonna is not a toy for children.

21. Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide)

Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) is an odorless, tasteless, colorless substance and slightly less dense than air. It poisons and then kills a person. Part of what makes carbon monoxide so dangerous is that it is difficult to detect; sometimes called the "silent killer". This substance prevents oxygen from entering the body for normal cell functioning. Early symptoms of poisoning carbon monoxide similar to the flu without fever: headache, weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, insomnia, nausea and confusion. Fortunately, a carbon monoxide detector can be purchased at any specialty store.

20. Beach apple tree

The most dangerous tree in all North America grows in Florida. The Manchineel tree or Beach apple tree has small green fruits that look like sweet apples. Don't eat them! And don't touch this tree! Don't sit next to it and pray you never end up underneath it in windy weather. If the sap gets on your skin, it will blister, and if it gets in your eyes, you can go blind. The sap is contained in the leaves and bark, so don't touch them!

Fluoride is a highly poisonous, pale yellow gas that is corrosive and will react with almost anything. For fluorine to be lethal, a concentration of 0.000025% is sufficient. It causes blindness and suffocation like mustard gas, but its effects are much worse on the victim.

18. Sodium fluoroacetate

The pesticide used is Compound 1080, also known as sodium fluoroacetate. It is found naturally in some plant species in Africa, Brazil and Australia. The terrible truth This deadly odorless and tasteless poison lies in the fact that there is no antidote for it. Oddly enough, the bodies of those who die from exposure to sodium fluoroacetate remain poisonous for a full year.

The most dangerous man-made poison is called dioxin - it only takes 50 micrograms to kill an adult. It is the third most toxic known to science a poison 60 times more toxic than cyanide.

16. Dimethylmercury (neurotoxin)

Dimethylmercury (a neurotoxin) is a terrible poison because it can penetrate most standard protective equipment, such as thick latex gloves. This is exactly what happened to a chemist named Karen Wetterhan in 1996. A single drop of colorless liquid fell on my gloved hand, and that was it. Symptoms began to appear FOUR MONTHS later and she died six months later.

15. Wolfsbane (Wrestler)

Wolfsbane (Fighter) also known as "Monk's Hood", "Wolfsbane", "Leopard's Venom", "Women's Curse", "Devil's Helmet", "Queen of Poisons" and "Blue Rocket". This is practically an entire genus, which includes more than 250 herbs, most of which are extremely poisonous. Flowers can be either blue or yellow. Some of the plants were used not only in folk medicine, but also as a murder weapon over the past decade.

The toxin found in poisonous mushrooms, is called amatoxin. It attacks liver and kidney cells and kills them within a few days. May affect the heart and central nervous system. Treatment is available, but results are not guaranteed. The poison is temperature stable and cannot be removed by drying. Therefore, if you are not 100% sure that the mushrooms you collect are safe, do not eat them.

Anthrax is actually a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. What makes you sick is not so much the bacteria as the toxin it produces when it enters the body. Bacillus Anthracis can enter the system through the skin, mouth or respiratory tract. The mortality rate for airborne anthrax is as high as 75% even though there is a cure.

12. Hemlock plant

Hemlock is a classic poisonous plant that was regularly used for executions in ancient Greece. There are several varieties, and in North America, water hemlock is the most common plant. You could die if you ate it, yet people still add hemlock to salads, considering it an acceptable ingredient. Water hemlock causes painful and severe convulsions, cramps and tremors. People who have experienced the full power of the whitehead, but survive, may subsequently suffer from amnesia. Water hemlock is considered the deadliest plant in North America. Keep an eye on small children and even teenagers when they are outside! Don't eat anything unless you are 100% sure it is safe.

11. Strychnine

Strychnine is commonly used to kill small mammals and birds and is often a major component of rat poison. In large doses, strychnine is also dangerous for people. It can be swallowed, inhaled, or taken into the body through the skin. The 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, for both humans and rats.

Most knowledgeable people consider maytotoxin to be the most powerful marine toxin. It is found in a dinoflagellate algae called Gambierdiscus toxicus. For mice, meiototoxin is the most toxic among non-protein toxins.

Mercury is a heavy metal that is quite toxic to humans if inhaled or touched. Touching it can cause the skin to peel off, and if you inhale the mercury vapor, it will eventually shut down your central nervous system and be fatal. Before then, kidney failure, memory loss, brain damage and blindness are likely to occur.

8. Polonium

Polonium is a radioactive chemical element. Its most common form is 250,000 times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid. It emits alpha particles (not compatible with organic tissues). Alpha particles cannot penetrate the skin, so polonium must be ingested or injected into the victim. However, if this happens, the result will not be long in coming. One theory is that a gram of polonium 210 is injected into the body. could kill up to ten million people, causing first radiation poisoning and then cancer.

Suicide tree or Cerbera odollam works 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 perform the "innocence test" in Madagascar. An estimated 3,000 people a year died from drinking Cerberus venom before the practice was made illegal in 1861. (If the person survived, he was found innocent. If he died, it no longer mattered.)

Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum and is an incredibly powerful neurotoxin. It causes paralysis, which can lead to death. Botulinum toxin is known by its commercial name, Botox. Yes, that's what the doctor injects into your mom's forehead to make it less wrinkled (or into her neck to help with migraines) that causes muscle paralysis.

5. Pufferfish

Pufferfish is considered a delicacy in some countries, where it is called Fugu; it's a dish that few would literally die for. Why does death occur? Because the insides of the fish contain tetrodotoxin, and in Japan, approximately 5 people a year die from eating puffer fish as a result of improper preparation technology. But gourmets continue to persist.

4. Sarin gas

Sarin gas makes you relive the worst moments of your life. The chest shrinks, stronger and stronger, and then... death comes. Although the use of Sarin was made illegal in 1995, it has not stopped being used in terrorist attacks.

3. "Poison Arrow"

golden frog Poison Arrow is tiny, adorable and very dangerous. Just one thumb-sized frog contains enough neurotoxin to kill ten people! A dose equal to about two crystals of salt is enough to kill an adult. This is why some Amazonian tribes used poison on the tips of their hunting arrows. One touch of such an arrow kills within a few minutes! When walking in the Amazon forests, stick to the rule: do not touch red, blue, green and especially yellow frogs.

Ricin is even more dangerous than anthrax. This substance is obtained from castor beans, the same plant from which castor oil is extracted. This poison is especially toxic if inhaled, and a pinch is enough to kill an adult.

1. "VX"

Codenamed "Purple Possum," the VX chemical is the most powerful nerve gas on Earth. It is man-made, and you can thank the United Kingdom for that. Technically, it was banned in 1993, and the US government allegedly ordered the destruction of its stock, but whether this is actually the case is anyone's guess.

The world-famous medieval physician and alchemist Paracelsus once said: “Everything is poison, everything is medicine; both are determined by the dose.” Even too much water can cause death. However, some substances will require a tiny amount - this will be enough to cause death. Sometimes just one drop is enough to fall on hands unprotected by gloves - these are the substances that are classified as very toxic. Among the deadly substances there are also organic substances plant nature, and heavy metals, and gases synthesized by man. We have prepared for you a list of the most dangerous of them - the 25 most deadly toxic substances.

The most poisonous substance in the world for humans is cyanide.

The most common forms of cyanide are a colorless gas or crystals, but regardless of the form, the substance is mortal danger. To some people, cyanide smells like bitter almonds.

Cyanide poisoning is accompanied by characteristic symptoms: headache, nausea, rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat, and a feeling of general malaise. Without timely medical intervention, cyanide will kill the body, causing oxygen starvation of cells. Vial of cyanide

Cyanide is contained in apple seeds, but do not rush to rinse your stomach after eating a few seeds - the concentration of the dangerous substance in them is extremely insignificant. You would have to eat more than ten whole apple stalks before you feel the effects of cyanide poisoning. But, of course, you shouldn’t do this.

Hydrofluoric acid, or hydrofluoric acid, is a chemical required to produce polytetrafluoroethylene, more commonly known as Teflon. It is also an extremely toxic poison.
Container with hydrofluoric acid

If a liquid containing even a small amount of hydrofluoric acid gets on the skin, there is a high probability that the poison will enter through the capillaries. circulatory system. When it reacts with calcium, it will begin to break down your bones.

Fortunately, getting this substance on the skin is painless, and the process of penetration through skin- not instantaneous, so you will have enough time to wash this dangerous substance off yourself.

Arsenic has been known since ancient times. It occurs in nature in pure form and in the form of sulfides. It is a crystalline semimetal in form. Medieval alchemists, including the already mentioned Paracelsus, were involved in the synthesis of arsenic.
Glass vial of arsenic

This substance, up to late XIX centuries, was the most common poison used to commit murder. A victim poisoned with arsenic dies from several hours to several days. This practice dates back to the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance. The characteristic symptoms of arsenic poisoning were severe vomiting and diarrhea, which at the time could easily be confused with symptoms of cholera or dysentery.

Belladonna

This plant has also been known since ancient times, and it was used both in Europe and in Rus'. All parts of belladonna are very toxic, especially the roots. The least poisonous are the berries, and yet two berries will be enough to kill a one-year-old child.
Belladonna berries, flowers and leaves

In medieval Italy, the juice of this plant was dropped into the eyes of local fashionistas - thanks to the atropine content in it, the pupils dilated, and the gaze acquired an alluring shine. At the same time, it is atropine alkaloids that lead to poisoning - they actively affect the nervous system, first provoking an excited state, and then leading to rage and cardiac arrest. It’s not for nothing that one of the names of this plant is Crazy Berry.

Carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Physical form This substance is a gas without taste, color or odor. This gas is released when coal burns, for example - it is the cause of many deaths in fires.
Clipping from an old magazine warning about the dangers of carbon monoxide

This substance disrupts the process of oxygen transfer, which causes oxygen starvation in cells. Symptoms of poisoning are general physical weakness, dizziness and headache, nausea, drowsiness. Fortunately, carbon monoxide poisoning is reversible - timely resuscitation measures can “bring back to life” a person who has inhaled carbon monoxide.

The fruits of the Manchineel tree, also called manchinella, look like green apples, but don’t rush to taste them. It is better to stay away from this tree altogether - it is one of the most poisonous plants on Earth and certainly the most poisonous in North America.

Manchinella grows in Florida, but you need to be wary of the sap of this tree. Even the wind blowing on you from the direction of this terrible plant can lead to severe itching, and contact with the milky juice on the skin will cause painful blisters, dermatitis and severe burns. Smoke from burning branches of this tree can cause blindness if it comes into contact with the eyes. Well, it’s not worth talking about the fruits.
Manchineel tree danger warning

Interesting fact: local Indians, during the Spanish conquest of these lands, used an extract from manchinella root as one of the components of a terrible poison, which was used to smear arrowheads. From one such arrow that hit the leg, a famous man died for a long time and painfully. spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon.

This substance is the most active non-metal, interacting with literally anything. If it comes into contact with the skin, such gas will cause a severe chemical burn. It can also contribute to eye damage, including blindness. If you're addicted organic chemistry- remember, fluoride is not to be trifled with.

This compound is found both in industrial pesticides and in the sap of some Australian plants and South Africa(Dichapetalum cymosum). Consumption of the latter leads to the death of about 8% of livestock grazing in the areas where it grows. What is characteristic is that there is no antidote for this substance. For humans, the lethal dose is 5 mg per 1 kg.
Fluoroacetic acid warning

The most dangerous poison created by man is called dioxin - only 50 micrograms are required for an adult. This is the third most toxic poison known to science - it is 60 times more toxic than cyanide!
Warning about contamination of the area with dioxins

This substance, or rather a whole group of substances, denoted by a single term for ease of perception, belongs to the group of xenobiotics, that is, substances alien to the natural biotic substances of the Earth. This is a consequence chemical industry and waste recycling. Also, dioxins are a cumulative poison, that is, they gradually accumulate both in environment, and in the organisms of living beings, leading to terrible changes.

Dimethylmercury

This colorless liquid is a powerful neurotoxin. Even thick latex gloves will not save you from its effects. This fact confirmed tragic death inorganic chemist Karen Wetterhahn in 1996. A few drops of the substance that fell on the scientist’s glove led to death - after 4 months, symptoms of poisoning began to appear, and six months later the woman died.

Aconite, also known as Fighter, is a whole family of plants, many of which are prized for their beautiful flowers. However, all of them are extremely toxic, however, this only applies to juice. The most poisonous parts of plants are the tubers; the active substance is the alkaloid aconitine.
Aconite plant containing aconitine

According to legend, these plants sprouted from the saliva of Cerberus, whom Hercules brought from the underground kingdom of Hades. What does this legend indicate? The fact that the plant was widely known already in Ancient Greece.

Some modern “healers” promote the idea of ​​treating cancer and many other diseases with tincture of aconite. The clinical effectiveness of this treatment has not been proven and is associated with risks to your health.

Substances of this group are found in poisonous mushrooms, including toadstool, among others. The effect of this poison on the body is extremely destructive - the work of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and heart is paralyzed. Necrosis of liver tissue occurs.
Pale toadstools containing amatoxin

In case of poisoning, the first symptoms appear very sharply after 5 hours or more - depending on the degree of poisoning, its active phase can begin even after a day. The condition is rapidly deteriorating - bloody diarrhea, terrible pain in the abdominal cavity, severe vomiting. Mushroom poisoning with amatoxin in most cases is severe and requires immediate medical intervention.

Three out of four people who contract this bacterium die, even if they are hospitalized and treated. You can get infected from livestock used for agriculture. However, the disease is very acute, so that foci of infection, if they occur, can be promptly identified and destroyed, along with the carriers.
Fencing a quarantine zone due to an anthrax outbreak

Hemlock

You may know this plant under the name Hemlock, or Omega. It is a distant relative of celery and is a carrier of one of the strongest poisons among the plant kingdom. According to legend, the ancient Greek thinker Socrates was once poisoned with it.

This plant is popular as a murder weapon. Most often it is added to the victim's food under the guise of salad. Poisoning leads to severe convulsions, pain and death. Even if the poisoned person survives, the consequences in the form of amnesia, severe tremors and clouding of reason can haunt him for the rest of his life.
Hemlock plant containing hemlock

At the beginning of the 19th century, medicines based on hemlock were used as an anesthetic.

This is the main ingredient of rat poison, a powerful pesticide. Was synthesized from seeds tropical tree chilibuha, also known as vomit nut. Strychnine will have no less effective effect on humans than on pests - death from a dose of 50 mg can occur for an adult half an hour after poisoning.
Strychnine bottle

You can become poisoned by strychnine by inhaling its fumes, applying it to the skin, or inadvertently taking it orally. Symptoms appear almost immediately - vomiting and painful convulsions.

Strychnine is one of the most popular poisons, often appearing in literary works, cinema and even comics.

A powerful paralytic poison produced by dinophyte algae. The most potent non-protein toxin, having the most complex cell structure for a non-protein compound produced by a living organism.
Dinoflagellates - plankton that produce maytotoxin

In addition, it is the most terrible “sea” poison. Its source is essentially plankton. Fortunately, poisoning requires an extremely high concentration of these microorganisms, so the risk of accidental poisoning is virtually zero.

Previously, mercury was actively used in thermometers and medical thermometers. Moreover, mercury is the only volatile metal whose vapor poisoning can be fatal. Mercury can cause tissue necrosis, blindness, kidney failure, amnesia and central nervous system paralysis.
This is what liquid mercury looks like

Interesting fact: after analyzing the remains of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, scientists came to the conclusion that the last representative of the Rurikovich family for a long time they poisoned him with mercury, from which he eventually died.

Another deadly metal, but this time it is radioactive. In the last 50 years it has been a popular weapon for demonstrative murder. Alexander Litvinenko, Yasser Arafat, Alexander Goldfarb and others died from polonium poisoning.
Polonium in its natural state

Polonium-210 is 250 thousand times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid. For the death of an adult male, 10 mcg of this isotope entering his body will be sufficient. So, to kill ten million people you would need about a gram of polonium. Typically, alpha particles of this substance are not able to penetrate the skin, so for polonium poisoning it is necessary to enter the body, for example, through the respiratory tract or oral cavity.

This poison is found in all parts of Cerberus trees, named after the guardian of the gates of the kingdom of Hades. Even the smoke from this tree can cause serious poisoning. The effect of the poison leads to cardiac arrest.
Fruits of the Cerberus tree

In Madagascar, until 1861, eating Cerberus fruits was used in trials and was a kind of analogue of “witch bathing” medieval Europe. If the accused survived after taking it, he was considered innocent, but if he did not survive, it is obvious that guilt can be considered proven.

Botulinum toxin

The most powerful organic poison, neurotoxin. For an adult, the lethal dose will be approximately 0.05 mcg. Entering the body leads to paralysis and further death.
In this form, butulinum toxin is used in aesthetic medicine.

Botox, used in aesthetic medicine, is butulinum toxin, albeit slightly modified.

The bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which produces butulinum toxin, prefer an airless environment. That is why, when spores penetrate canned twists, they activate vital processes, releasing a deadly poison.

Tetrodotoxin

This is the world-famous poison of fugu fish, considered a delicacy in Japan. Once in the body, tetrodotoxin causes respiratory arrest. There is no antidote, but the poisoned person can be saved by supporting the functioning of the respiratory system artificially for some time. However, every year in Japan, several people die from fugu fish poisoning. Several dozen more people are saved.
Fugu fish contains deadly tetrodotoxin

Fugu fish does not produce tetrodotoxin, but only accumulates it from the plankton it consumes, the toxicity of some species of which we have already discussed earlier.

Chemical weapons, military nerve gas. It was created in the mid-30s and was used on the battlefields of World War II and in wars of recent history and major terrorist attacks. It was recognized as a weapon of mass destruction.
Demonstration warhead American rocket Honest John, M139 Sarin containers visible (circa 1960s photo)

This gas is colorless, tasteless and odorless. Death from sarin poisoning is terrible and very fast. Antidotes exist, but comprehensive treatment of those poisoned by sarin on the battlefield is virtually impossible. Sarin is one of the substances prohibited from production and stockpiling under the Chemical Weapons Convention adopted by the UN in 1997.

This poison is produced by a small yellow frog that lives in tropical forests in the southwest of Colombia - the Terrible Leaf Climber. The poison secreted by the skin glands of the frog and serving as its protection from predators is one of the strongest organic non-protein poisons.
A terrible leaf climber that produces batrachotoxin

The action of the poison paralyzes the respiratory system, muscles and heart, leading to its stop. Local Indians use this poison by running a blowpipe dart across the frog's back. After being wounded by such a dart, a person dies in less than 10 minutes. There is no effective antidote, but scientists have now developed synthetic analogs of batrachotoxin that are twice as toxic.

One of the strongest phytotoxins. It is especially dangerous in aerosol form. Found naturally in castor beans and castor beans. You probably know another derivative of this plant - castor oil.
Castor beans containing ricin

The toxicity of ricin is 6 times higher than that of potassium cyanide. Of course, this substance is used as a weapon. The most resonant case of its use is the murder of the Bulgarian dissident Georgiy Markov.

VI-gas

Chemical warfare agent VX is the most powerful man-made poison ever synthesized by man. Weapons based on this gas are still in service with the armies of the United States and Russia, although according to official data, in 2017 the Russian army completely destroyed its stockpiles of chemical weapons, including VX and its analogues.
This is what the storage facility for the most terrible chemical weapons on Earth looks like

It was this poison that killed him at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2017 step-brother Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea.

As you can see, there is enough in the world hazardous substances organic origin. But the most powerful poisons are created by man. Today there are several international agreements prohibiting the production and condemning the use of chemical weapons. But its reserves are still large and cases of its use continue to be recorded. How to avoid becoming a victim of poisoning with the substances described in this article? Be vigilant when working with various chemical reagents, do not eat puffer fish meat, do not pet toads, and hope that the “powers that be” will have enough prudence to never use any of the arsenal of weapons of mass destruction that they have at their disposal.