Toxins

Question 1

*What is LD50?

Answer 1

LD50 - is the concentrate of a drug that can kill 50% of the population

Question 2

*Explain usage and interesting incident with mustard gas

Answer 2

• blister agent + suppresses hematopoiesis (rapid blood cell replication)
• led to development of other (less toxic) alkylating drugs

Question 3

What is the origin of arsenic and what are interesting incidents?

Answer 3

origin: Anthropogenic and natural

Poison
- Lack of color, odor, or taste in food & drink
- Easy access
- Copy food poisoning
- Chemical test developed
- Increased detection
Agriculture usage
- Insecticides and herbicides
Pigment
- Paint

Question 4

What is interesting about cyanide?

Answer 4

Konzo → poor people → eat cassava that includes high amount of cyanide → poor people have neurological disease (can’t walk properly)

Capital punishment
Cyanide is incorporated through lethal injection

Chicago tylenol murder
Cyanide added into tylenol bottles and return back to shelf
Person was never caught
Result: tylenol has a seal to show that it hasn’t been tampered with

Question 5

What is tetrodotoxin found in?

Answer 5

pufferfish or blue ring octopus

Question 6

What is an interesting incident about agent orange?

Answer 6

Used in Vietnam War
- Clears the jungle, but left environmental impact due to the associated dioxin causing birth defect

Question 7

What is interesting about anthrax?

Answer 7

2001 Anthrax Attacks
- Letter was sent w/ anthrax + 31 exposed

Accidental anthrax poisoning
- Heroin users
- Heroin is grown in afghanistan
- Inject heroin and anthrax to get infected and die

Question 8

What is interesting about palytoxin?

Answer 8

Rare to have death, but possible
- Cleaning aquarium → rocks become an aerosol → accidental palytoxin poisonings

Question 9

What was interesting about how sarin nerve agent and VX

Answer 9

Japanese guy - release sarin nerve agent
VX - murder Kim Jong Nam

Question 10

What is a tetanus shot?

Answer 10

Tetanus is a vaccine for a virus
- It can cause a spasm
- Make your muscles lock and diaphragm freeze
- You can’t use an antibiotic because it is so strong, you have to take the vaccine

Question 11

What can botulism treat?

Answer 11

Smooth wrinkles –> never releases ACH

Question 12

What toxins are artifical?

Answer 12

Mustard gas, agent orange, and VX