The best poison for humans. The fastest-acting deadly poisons for humans - pharmaceutical, household

Let's start with the “king” of poisons – Arsenic. Until 1832, arsenic poisoning was extremely difficult to diagnose, since the symptoms of poisoning with this poison were similar to those of cholera. This similarity made it possible to mask the use of arsenic and its compounds as a deadly poison.

In acute arsenic poisoning, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and depression of the central nervous system are observed.

Antidote: water solution sodium thiosulfate, dimercaprol.

Cyanide

Potassium cyanide, or potassium cyanide, is the most powerful inorganic poison. It looks like granulated sugar.

When it enters the body, the cells stop absorbing oxygen, resulting in the body dying from interstitial hypoxia. Potassium cyanide is absorbed very quickly and therefore death occurs within 15 minutes.

Sarin gas

Sarin gas is a poisonous substance with a nerve-paralytic effect.

The first signs of exposure to sarin include nasal discharge, chest congestion, and constriction of the pupils. Soon after this, the victim has difficulty breathing, nausea and increased salivation. The victim then completely loses control over bodily functions. This phase is accompanied by convulsions. Ultimately, the victim falls into a comatose state and suffocates in a fit of convulsive spasms followed by cardiac arrest.

Antidote: Atropine, Pralidoxime, Diazepam, Athens.

Diamphotoxin

Diamphotoxin is the most powerful poison of animal origin on our planet, contained in the blood of the larvae of the South African leaf beetle.

It is capable of reducing the hemoglobin content in the blood by 75% in a short period of time due to the massive destruction of red blood cells.

Antidote: There is no specific antidote.

Ricin

Ricin is the most powerful poison of plant origin, which is obtained from castor beans of the castor bean plant.

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 swallowed, symptoms appear in less than 6 hours and include nausea, low blood pressure, hallucinations and seizures. Death can occur within 36-72 hours.

Antidote: There is no specific antidote.

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From arrows poisoned by the juice of poisonous plants to secret substances used military intelligence- so, step by step, step by step, the “career” of toxic substances developed in the human world. Poisons have been described by many writers. From childhood we knew about the injection of a poisoned spindle and the dream of oblivion from a poisoned apple, and in adolescence read with enthusiasm the novels of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, in which poisons play a significant role.

Modern poisons surround us everywhere: in household chemicals, in a letter envelope, in the subway. It turns out that our world is very toxic. The same substances, depending on the dose, can be medicines, fertilizers, raw materials for industry, or become deadly poisons. Humanity knows a huge number of poisons, but among them...

The fastest poison

Potassium cyanide, a poison that smells like almonds, has been used since ancient times. This “spy” poison can be poisoned by touching, inhaling and, of course, by ingestion. This poison has a deadly effect due to the fact that it binds iron in red blood cells, preventing them from supplying oxygen to the internal organs and the brain.

They poisoned Rasputin with potassium cyanide, but they could not kill him. In those distant centuries, poisoners did not know that glucose is an antidote for cyanide, and the poison was added to the sweet pie.

Potassium cyanide is used in the USA for execution capital punishment punishments.

The most powerful poison

Tetanus is a wound infection. Tetanus bacillus penetrates through damaged skin or mucous membranes and multiplies in the tissues of wounds, forming the most powerful of poisons - tetanus toxin. Once in the blood, the poison spreads throughout the body and affects nervous system, causing the muscles to contract continuously. Due to painful muscle spasms, the body takes bizarre positions, breathing is impaired and the patient dies from suffocation.

Tetanus bacillus lives in the soil. Infection can occur even after minor damage to the skin or a prick with a sharp object while working in the garden. It’s not for nothing that tetanus is called the “bare foot” disease.

Vaccination will help protect a person from tetanus.

The deadliest poison

Botulism toxin is rightfully considered the deadliest poison on the planet. The botulism bacillus “hides” its toxin in “bombed” cans, dried and salted fish, meat and sausages that have not undergone proper heat treatment.

Infection occurs after consuming products contaminated with clostridium botulism. In the stomach, the toxin is not destroyed, but is absorbed into the blood and affects the nervous system. The main signs of such poisoning are: visual disturbances (double vision), swallowing, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea.

Death from poisoning with botulism toxin occurs in 50 cases out of 100. A person can be saved from a terrible disease by administering anti-botulism serum.

The most common poison

Remember the gloomy Professor Moriarty, created by the brilliant Arthur Conan Doyle? This villain had a sharp mind and knew many sophisticated ways to take the lives of his victims using arsenic.

Arsenic is rightfully considered the most common poison. He caused the death of many emperors and pharaohs in the struggle for the throne. Arsenic is Caligula's favorite poison and European nobility in the Middle Ages. “Water of Tofana”, a popular poison for eliminating heirs and unloved husbands, was nothing more than a solution of arsenic with the addition of herbs.

Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander the Great and Yasser Arafat were poisoned with arsenic. The list of arsenic victims is quite extensive and clearly not complete.

Arsenic poisoning begins as an intestinal disorder and ends with seizures and death. In case of chronic arsenic, when small doses of arsenic regularly enter the body (contaminated water, for example), the risk of developing cancer increases, diabetes mellitus and heart disease.

The easiest poison

Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless. This substance is formed during the combustion of fuel and is found, for example, in car exhaust gases. Carbon monoxide poisoning most often occurs at home due to problems with stove heating or poor ventilation. Suicides and murders often occur, the weapon of which is a poison that is lighter than air - carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide, entering the lungs with air, is absorbed into the blood and captured by red blood cells. In these blood cells, carbon monoxide reacts with hemoglobin, forming a new strong compound - carboxyhemoglobin. This substance “does not know how” to carry oxygen, so oxygen starvation of tissues develops. If carbon monoxide “takes out” more than 60% of hemoglobin, this inevitably leads to death.

The most destructive poison

It’s not for nothing that strychnine is called “rat poison” - this substance is used as a poison for rodents. Strychnine is obtained from plant materials or created artificially in laboratories.

You can get poisoned by strychnine in different ways. For example, poison can enter the body through food or air. Just a few minutes after poisoning, a person is overcome by vomiting and muscle cramps. The poisoned person convulses until suffocation occurs. Only thirty minutes pass from the arrival of the poison to painful death. During World War II, the Nazis tortured prisoners by injecting them with strychnine.

The most “delicious” poison

Tetrodotoxin is found in puffer fish meat. Fans of this delicacy must pay an insurance premium before eating fugu, because the meal can result in death. This is Japanese roulette.

Tetradoxin always leads to the death of its victim: first, numbness appears in the oral cavity, then swallowing becomes difficult, speech and coordination of movements are impaired, and convulsions occur. Death occurs 6 hours after poisoning.

The most severe poison

Mercury belongs to the group of heavy metals. This is very toxic substance. Inhalation or ingestion of mercury vapor can cause kidney failure, brain damage, and death. Mercury is found in thermometers, batteries, tuna meat and some other marine fish.

Several centuries ago, they tried to treat many diseases with mercury tablets, including syphilis. For example, he died from such treatment famous composer Mozart. By the way, today scientists have proven that mercury actually kills the causative agent of syphilis - Treponema pallidum, but medieval methods - swallowing mercury, injections with it or inhaling mercury vapor led to poisoning and death, and not to a cure for the “French disease”.

It turns out that the attacks of rage that the US President Abraham Lincoln suffered from were associated with taking medication for depression containing high doses of mercury. British scientists have confirmed the connection between Lincoln’s aggressive behavior and his “antidepressant.”

The most “postal” poison

Ricin is a powdered poison that is lethal if inhaled. This “melee weapon” is obtained from castor bean seeds. Due to its properties, it was adopted by the military for conducting chemical warfare, and terrorists began sending ricin to their victims in envelopes. Just a few grains of poison can kill an adult.

In one of the cities of Great Britain in 1978, the Bulgarian dissident Markov was stabbed in the leg by an umbrella and died a few days later. The medical report on death indicates the cause of “heart failure.” But in fact, death was due to ricin poisoning. Through the injection, the poison got inside and did its dirty deed.

The most "garbage" poison

Dioxin is a toxic substance that is formed when plastic and other household waste. IN environment This poison comes from emissions from chemical factories producing mineral fertilizers, plastic, paper and polyethylene. Dioxin particles are found in air, water, soil, and accumulate in plants and animal tissues.

Dioxin was used by the US Army during the Vietnam War. It was this poison that was used to poison Viktor Yushchenko during the presidential election campaign.

Instead of an afterword

Over the course of many centuries, Homo sapiens was able to invent a huge number of methods of self-destruction, but poisons were and remain one of the most favorite methods of eliminating undesirables - and most likely, they will not go away in the future.

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Poisons include substances that can cause dangerous violations body. They can contribute to the development of poisoning, diseases, and pathological conditions leading to human death. Today there are many various types toxins and poisons that differ in origin, strength of influence and other characteristics.

Poisons and toxic substances are usually divided into several main groups depending on their properties. As a rule, most of all toxic substances known to mankind can be classified into one of several groups, among which there are natural toxins, local and systemic poisons.

A separate list of names of poisons also includes the most deadly toxins for humans, which include botulinum toxin, diamphotoxin, ricin, titutoxin, tetrodotoxin and some other substances.

The peculiarity of systemic poisons is that they damage the entire organ system or affect some of them. This occurs due to the transport function of blood, which in a short period of time “carries” toxic substance to all key organs (such as the brain and heart).

Cyanide, or potassium cyanide

This inorganic poison has become widely known among people due to the fact that when poisoned with this substance, death occurs very quickly. Potassium cyanide is obtained from (since it is its salt), which, in turn, is also a potent toxin.

Cyanide is used in a wide variety of areas:

• In the mining industry and for steel production (for cyanidation of steel).
• In jewelry making for gilding, silvering and degreasing, as well as other galvanic processes. Ammonium cyanide (CA) can also be used for these purposes.
• Cyanide can be used to create some rare artistic paints (such as Prussian blue or milori).
• In the fight against rodents and insects (such as wasps).

When it enters the human body, the poison blocks the cellular enzyme - cytochrome c oxidase, which leads to oxygen starvation of cells and their rapid death. Operation internal organs stops, after which death occurs.

In general, the symptoms are very similar to suffocation, in which a person experiences an acute lack of oxygen. You should know that sugar (more precisely, glucose) converts the cyanide substance into cyanohydrin, which is much less dangerous to human health than potassium cyanide.

Strychnine (indole alkaloid)

In medicine it is known as strychnine nitrate, or nitrate salt. This is used in minute concentrations to provide an analeptic (revitalizing) effect:

• Thanks to this, the digestive function of the stomach and intestines improves.
• Blood pressure, respiratory rate, and heart rate increase.
• Appears muscle tone, and also relieves lethargy and fatigue. In some cases, psychostimulants that contain strychnine can be prescribed for paralysis or paresis (incomplete paralysis).
• The bladder sphincter is strengthened, which leads to the elimination of urinary incontinence (particularly in children).
• Color vision, hearing and smell are enhanced.

In case of strychnine poisoning, involuntary convulsions will be among the first symptoms. Nagging pains appear throughout the body. At the same time, the toxin begins to have a destructive effect on the psyche: a sensation of goose bumps appears, everything begins to irritate, even the slightest noise.

With further poisoning, a person feels unable to relax his muscles - his arms and legs become elongated, like sticks, and the intensity of convulsions becomes increasingly higher. Such symptoms are accompanied by severe pain and panic.

A dose of 0.005 g is enough for the poison to begin its effect. When the concentration of the substance increases to 0.05 g, death from suffocation occurs. Strychnine has no antidote; To neutralize its effect, it is necessary to cleanse the stomach with tannins.

Barbituric acid preparations

In other words, barbiturates, which include such well-known drugs as chloroform and chloral hydrate. Also among these drugs are a huge number of different sleeping pills and sedatives. Not all of them can cause death - unless the dose is exceeded by more than 10 times.

However, among the fast-acting barbiturates, there are some types that can cause respiratory arrest. An example of such a drug is pentobarbital (trade name Nembutal), which is used in Switzerland, the Netherlands and some states as a means of euthanasia.

This drug is used as a potent sleeping pill and also for anesthesia; Sleep occurs approximately 30 minutes after taking pentobarbital. If the dose is violated, the medicine turns into poison, the effect of which reduces the force of heart contractions, after which a gradual attenuation of the pulse occurs.

This list of poisons includes all toxic substances, which act necrotizing, cauterizing and irritating on the skin and mucous membrane. This can also include caustic vapors and gases, as well as many types of chemical weapons.

Another name for such toxic substances is local poisons. Unlike the previous group, some of them are capable of injuring people without even entering the body (for example, liquid mustard gas).

However, most often poisoning with such substances occurs on chemical production, in particular, in many plants and factories producing household chemicals. The most accessible poisons belong precisely to this category.

Mercury and arsenic poisoning

There are many household and medical sources of mercury, which can lead to poisoning from its vapors. For example, some mercury thermometers contain about two grams of mercury; individual species fluorescent lamps may contain several tens of milligrams. Mercury lamps are no exception.

In medicine, they try to replace mercury with less harmful analogues, however, it can still be found in vaccines (using mercury-containing substances). Mercury poisoning causes the following symptoms:

• Severe and cutting pain in the abdominal area.
• Headache and temporal pain.
• Increased salivation; It becomes difficult to swallow, as there is a feeling of a swollen throat.
• The occurrence of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (sometimes with bloody mucus).
• A cough and chills may begin.

If left untreated, death occurs within a few days. For treatment acute forms poisoning, the patient is hospitalized; in moderate forms, outpatient treatment is prescribed. One of the “oldest” is egg white (in raw form).

The effect of arsenic on the human body has much in common with mercury poisoning: symptoms also include headaches, vomiting and acute diarrhea; but the rate of poisoning of the body is different.

When mercury enters the body, it does not manifest itself in any way during the first hour or two; the effect of arsenic, as a rule, becomes noticeable within a few minutes (in case of acute intoxication). In case of minor poisoning, a metallic taste appears in the mouth and tinnitus occurs.

As first aid, the antidote Unithiol is injected into the muscle; if it is not there, then the patient is given a glass of water mixed with table vinegar (one or two tablespoons) to drink. You can add a few grams of tartaric or citric acid to the water.

Caustic acids and alkalis

A striking example of such substances is sulfuric acid. Almost everyone has heard that getting this solution on the skin will leave long-healing ulcers and severe chemical burns. In addition to the skin, acid can affect the respiratory tract, leading to laryngitis, bronchitis and other diseases.

No less dangerous is nitric acid, which, when it enters the human body, causes terrible headaches and pulmonary edema; the toxic fumes of this substance can very quickly deprive a person of his vision. Chronic “micro-poisoning” (if safety precautions are not followed at a chemical plant, for example) over time lead to the destruction of tooth enamel, as well as complex damage to internal organs.

Hydrofluoric acid, or hydrofluoric acid, is so caustic that it can burn through glass surfaces. This substance is especially dangerous because initial contact with the skin does not cause severe pain in a person, and the longer the acid is on any surface, the more damage it causes. As first aid, you should immediately wash the affected area of ​​the body and call an ambulance.

Alkalis, along with acids, can cause no less harm to human health. The most caustic and dangerous are sodium hydroxide, caustic ammonium, lithium hydroxide, and potassium alkali. Each of these species is extremely dangerous if it comes into contact with the skin and respiratory tract. Therefore, you should be very careful when working with concentrated alkalis and acids.

Tabun, Zarin, Soman

All three toxic substances are classified as chemical nerve weapons. The most powerful of them is Soman, which is more than twice as toxic as Sarin and Tabun. These substances are used in gaseous form by spraying over probable enemy from the air using chemical warheads.

Intoxication with these gases manifests itself in symptoms such as severe dizziness, loss of coordination between movements, shortness of breath and severe chest pain, loss of consciousness, as well as death (which occurs within one minute at a concentration of the substance of 0.075 mg/l).

Sarin and Soman gases do not have a specific odor; in this regard, they can only be detected based on the initial symptoms, which manifest themselves in lacrimation, cough and headache. There are effective antidotes (for example, Atropine), the effectiveness of which depends on the degree of damage. In severe cases, death can occur within minutes.

It cannot be said that such chemical substances are the most dangerous poisons in the world, since the likelihood of poisoning with them is Everyday life for the average person is quite small (if he, again, is not a chemist). However, after the terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway, where 8 people died from sarin poisoning, it is obvious that one should be prepared for anything.

These types of poisons do not always lead to tragedies, but this does not make them any less dangerous or toxic. Some sources of such toxins grow right under human feet, while other varieties are produced by animals, insects and fruit trees.

It is thanks to these “natural gifts” that almost every person knows that it is better not to put some berries in your mouth. If poisoning occurs, then, in most cases, the victim is pumped out and treated; Deaths are relatively rare, but they do happen.

Toadstools, fly agarics and false honey mushrooms

Mushrooms contain a lot of different microelements and substances; Some of them (like those listed above) remain very harmful and dangerous for humans during heat treatment. It is enough to eat 30 grams of toadstool to occupy the toilet for a long time. Characteristic symptoms also include a decrease in pulse, the appearance of severe thirst and frequent loss of consciousness.

Poisonous mushrooms, if not treated promptly, lead to death, especially if a person already suffers from serious illnesses such as hepatitis. Some types of fly agaric can cause hallucinations; however, this occurs only after severe intoxication of the body.

Black widow (karakurt)

The CIS region is definitely lucky in terms of the absence of many poisonous snakes, insects and spiders, whose bites easily kill a person. Karakurt is a spider, 10-20 mm in size, whose venom contains natural neurotoxins.

When bitten by such a spider, a person experiences burning and severe pain in the chest and abdomen, after which the heartbeat increases. After 15 minutes, you may feel the urge to vomit, headache, leading to darkening of consciousness and the appearance of delirium.

If a special serum is not administered to the patient, the likelihood of death or irreparable harm to health increases. An example of such a serum is novocaine, as well as sodium hydrogen sulfate.

Wolf's bast (wolfberry)

Eating beautiful-looking berries can lead to severe intestinal damage. As a rule, children suffer from such poisoning, who can pick the fruits of the wolfberry simply out of curiosity.

The clinical picture of poisoning is similar to mushroom poisoning: abdominal pain, nausea, severe diarrhea and weakness of the body. The difference is that the consumption of wolfberry, as a rule, is not widespread; Children usually ingest no more than one or two berries, so the mortality rate is much lower than with mushrooms.

For first aid, all the actions that are taken in the case of food poisoning must be carried out, that is, taking sorbents, gastric lavage, diet and bed rest.

The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus famously said: “All substances are poisons; there is not a single one that is not. The right dose makes the difference between the poison,” and he’s right. Even the water is too large quantities will kill you. However, some substances require very small amounts to cause death - sometimes just enough for a drop to fall on a gloved hand - which is why they initially fell into the class of poisons. From flowers to heavy metals, from man-made gases to actual poison, here are the 25 most dangerous poisons known to mankind.

25. Cyanide can be in the form of a colorless gas or crystals, but in either case it is quite dangerous. It smells like bitter almonds, and once ingested, it can cause symptoms such as headache, nausea, rapid breathing and increased heart rate, and weakness in just a few minutes. If left untreated, cyanide kills because cells are deprived of oxygen. And yes, cyanide can be obtained from apple seeds, but don't worry if you eat a few. You will need to eat about ten kernels before you have enough cyanide in your body to have any effect. Negative influence. Please don't do this.

24. Hydrofluoric acid (Fluoric acid) is a poison used, among other things, in the production of Teflon. In its liquid state, this substance can easily seep through the skin into the bloodstream. In the body, it reacts with calcium and can even destroy the underlying bone. The scary part is that the contact doesn't cause any pain at first, leaving more time and opportunity for serious damage to occur.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

23. 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. Arsenic poisoning can cause death within hours or days. Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting and diarrhea, which made it difficult to distinguish arsenic poisoning from dysentery or cholera 120 years ago.

Photo: maxpixel

22. Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade is a very poisonous herb (flower) with very romantic story. What makes it poisonous is an alkaloid called atropine, and the entire plant is poisonous, with the root containing the most poison and the berries the least. However, even two eaten 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 you die under the influence of belladonna, you may experience a seizure, increased heart rate, and confusion. Don't play with belladonna, kids.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

21. Carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide) is an odorless, tasteless, colorless substance and slightly less dense than air. It will poison and then kill you. Part of what makes carbon monoxide so dangerous is that it is difficult to detect; sometimes called the "silent killer". This substance prevents the body from delivering oxygen to where it is needed, such as to cells, to keep them alive and functioning. Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu without fever: headache, weakness, drowsiness, lethargy, insomnia, nausea and confusion. Fortunately, you can purchase a carbon monoxide detector at almost any specialty store.

Photo: wikimedia commons

20. The deadliest tree in all North America grows in Florida. Otherwise, where else would he grow? The Manchineel tree or Beach apple tree has small green fruits that look like apples and look like they would taste sweet. Don't eat them. And don't touch this tree. Don't sit next to it or under it, and pray you never end up in the wind under it. If the sap gets on your skin, it will blister, and if it gets in your eyes, you may go blind. The juice is contained in both the leaves and the bark, so do not touch them. Probably, the juice of this plant killed the conquistador Ponce de Leon, who discovered Florida.

Photo: nps.gov

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

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

18. The pesticide used is Compound 1080, also known as sodium fluoroacetate. IN natural form it is found in several plant species in Africa, Brazil and Australia. The terrible truth The thing about this deadly, odorless and tasteless poison is that there is no antidote for it. Oddly enough, the bodies of those who die from ingesting this poison remain poisonous for a whole year.

Photo: lizenzhinweisgenerator.de

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

Photo: wikimedia commons

16. 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 female chemist named Karen Wetterhahn 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 six months later she was dead.

Photo: wikipedia.org

15. Wolfsbane (Fighter) also known as "Monk's Hood", "Wolfsbane", "Leopard's Venom", "Women's Curse", "Devil's Helm", "Queen of Poisons" and "Blue Rocket". In fact, it is an entire genus of over 250 herbs, and most of them are extremely poisonous. The flowers can be either blue or yellow, and while some of the plants are used for traditional medicine, it has also been used as a murder weapon over the past decade.

Photo: maxpixel

14. Toxin found in poisonous mushrooms, is called amatoxin. It attacks liver and kidney cells and kills them within a few days. Sometimes it also affects 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. So unless you are 100% sure they are safe, don't eat mushrooms.

Photo: maxpixel

13. Anthrax is actually caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis. What makes you sick is not so much the bacteria, but the toxin they produce when they enter the body. Bacillus Anthracis can enter your system through the skin, mouth, or respiratory tract. The mortality rate from airborne anthrax reaches 75% even with treatment.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

12. Hemlock plant - classic poisonous plant, which was regularly used for executions in Ancient Greece, including for the philosopher Socrates. There are several varieties, and in North America, water hemlock is the most common plant. You could die from eating it, but people still do it, thinking hemlock is a perfectly acceptable salad ingredient. Water hemlock causes painful and severe convulsions, cramps and tremors. Those who survive may subsequently suffer amnesia or other long-term problems. Water hemlock is considered the deadliest plant in North America. Serious note: Supervise your children, even older ones, when they are outside. Don't eat anything unless you are 100% sure it is safe.

Photo: flickr.com

11. Strychnine is commonly used to kill small mammals and birds, and is often the main ingredient rat poison. In large doses, strychnine can also be fatal to humans. It can be swallowed, inhaled, or enter 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.

Photo: flickr.com

10. Most of those who understand such things consider maytotoxin to be the most powerful marine toxin. It's found in a dinoflagellate algae called Gambierdiscus toxicus, and if those words confuse you, just think of deadly plankton to get the point across. For mice, meiototoxin is the most toxic among non-protein toxins.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

9. Mercury, the silvery liquid in old school thermometers, is a heavy metal that is quite toxic to humans if inhaled or touched. If you touch it, it can cause your skin to peel off, and if you inhale the mercury vapor, it will eventually shut down your central nervous system and you will die. Before then, you are likely to experience kidney failure, memory loss, brain damage and blindness.

Photo: flickr.com

8. Polonium is radioactive chemical element and has been implicated in the deaths of everyone from Yasser Arafat to Russian dissidents. Its most common form is 250,000 times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid. It is radioactive and emits alpha particles (they are 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 could kill up to ten million people if injected or ingested, causing first radiation poisoning and then cancer.

Photo: flickr.com

7. Suicide tree or Cerbera odollam acts by disturbing 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 poison before the practice was outlawed in 1861. (If you survived, you were found innocent. If you died, it didn't matter because you were dead).

Photo: wikipedia.org

6. Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum, and it is an incredibly powerful neurotoxin. It causes paralysis, which can lead to death. You may know botulinum toxin 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) to cause muscle paralysis.

Photo: flickr.com

5. Pufferfish is considered a delicacy in some countries, where it is called Fugu; it's a dish that some would literally die for. Why? 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.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

4. Sarin gas will give you the opportunity to survive the worst moments of your life. Your chest tightens, tighter, tighter, and then... it relaxes because you are dead. Although Sarin was outlawed in 1995, it has not stopped being used in terrorist attacks.

Photo: flickr

3. golden frog Poison Arrow is tiny, adorable and quite dangerous. Only one frog is the size of the end of your thumb contains enough neurotoxin to kill ten people! A dose equal to about two grains of salt is enough to kill an adult. This is why some Amazon tribes used poison to coat the tips of their hunting arrows. One touch of such an arrow will kill you within minutes! Here's a great rule: if you see a frog and it's yellow, blue, green or red, don't touch it.

Photo: maxpixel

2. Ricin is more lethal than anthrax. This substance is obtained from the castor bean, the same plant from which we obtain castor oil. This poison is especially toxic if inhaled, and a pinch of it will kill you very quickly.

Photo: wikimedia commons

1. Codenamed “Purple Possum”, a VX gas, is the most powerful nerve gas on Earth. It is entirely man-made and we can thank the United Kingdom for that. It was technically banned in 1993, and the US allegedly destroyed its stockpile. Other countries are “working on it.” Which we should trust completely because governments are known to be 100% honest about these things.

Photo: wikimedia commons

Poison of any origin, chemical, food or natural, has always been a subject of interest from the media mass media, chemical safety and popular writers. Humanity knows hundreds of deadly poisons, many of which have been practically used as a means of murder, genocide and acts of terrorism. Some of them are presented in our review.

The well-known cyanide is a deadly poison that affects the central nervous system and the heart. Even a small dose, entering the blood, binds iron molecules and blocks the supply of oxygen to vital organs, resulting in death in a matter of minutes. Exist different shapes cyanide, such as hydrogen cyanide, which is considered the most poisonous. This gas kills a person in about 10 minutes. The gas was used during World War I as a chemical weapon and was banned by the Geneva Convention. Today, cyanide is used as a means of murder, suicide and in the plots of books.

This main character events of September 2011, when reports of people receiving anthrax spores in envelopes appeared in the news almost every day. As a result, five people died and 17 were injured from exposure to the poison, which caused panic among US citizens. This fear is understandable, since anthrax spores are easily transmitted by air. After infection, the respiratory system becomes numb and the person begins to suffocate. Out of 10 people, 9 die within a week of infection.

Sarin is considered as a means massacres, which causes death by asphyxia after 60 seconds. A minute of terrible torment and the person dies. Since 1993, this substance has been banned from production, but despite this, in 1995 there was a massive terrorist attack on the subway in Japan, as well as in Iraq and Syria, resulting in the death of 330 to 1,800 people.

Amatoxin is a substance found in the most deadly mushrooms in the world. When it enters the bloodstream, it affects the cells of the kidneys and liver, resulting in organ failure within a few days. Amatoxin also affects the heart. If a large dose of penicillin is not administered, the person may fall into a coma or die from heart and liver failure.

Strychnine has been used as a pesticide to kill pests, but it can also kill humans. It was discovered in Asia, contained in special varieties of trees, but it can also be obtained in the laboratory (the one who managed to do this received Nobel Prize). Strychnine can enter the body in different ways: injection, inhalation and absorption. After entering the body, muscle convulsions and spasms begin, leading to asphyxia. After the injection, the person dies within half an hour.

Back in school, everyone was warned to be careful with the thermometer. And this is not just like that, but because of a heavy metal called mercury. It is an incredibly toxic metal that enters the body either through inhalation or through skin contact. If mercury comes into contact with the skin, it causes itching, burning, and the skin may even peel off. Mercury can cause memory loss, vision loss, kidney failure and brain cell destruction. The result is death.

A notorious poison found in fugu fish, popular among sushi connoisseurs who are willing to pay a hefty price in the hope that the fish is cooked correctly. The first symptoms appear 30 minutes after consumption poisonous fish. At first, a person feels his mouth paralyzed and it becomes difficult to swallow. Soon there is a violation of coordination of movements and speech. Seizures and convulsions begin, as a result the person may fall into a coma and die. Death occurs after about 6 hours, but cases of death have been known after 17 minutes. This poison is considered one of the deadliest on earth.

Ricin is another poison that has become popular, like anthrax, due to being sent through the mail. Actress who starred in the film “ Walking Dead”, was convicted of precisely this crime. Ricin has been found in castor bean seeds. Ricin is an incredibly deadly poison; it binds to proteins in the body, causing death. It was considered a chemical weapon by the US military and members of al-Qaeda.

The most dangerous nerve gas on the planet, formerly a pesticide, has become an excellent target for militaries around the world, despite the ban on the use of weapons mass destruction. Gas has no other use except during war. The gas is so poisonous that one drop of it on the skin can kill a person. When inhaled, the first symptoms of poisoning are similar to the onset of the flu, then paralysis of the respiratory system occurs, which leads to death.

This is the deadliest poison on Earth. A cup of the toxin could kill hundreds of thousands of people by causing the disease botulism, a disease that affects the central nervous system. Surprisingly, this poison has an important practical use- from Botox injection procedures to migraine treatment. It is known that some patients have died after procedures using botulinum toxin. Of those injured as a result of poisoning with this poison, 50% die without treatment. medical care, and those who survive suffer from serious complications for many years. Due to its instability and easy availability in nature, botulinum toxin is the deadliest poison in the world. However, the cosmetic industry often uses