Ricin:
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad recently busted a suspected terror syndicate by arresting a ‘doctor’, who was allegedly preparing the highly lethal chemical poison, ‘Ricin’, and whose handler is associated with the Islamic State Khorasan Province, and two others.
- Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans.
- If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the ricin that comes out can cause injury.
- Ricin can be made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans.
- Ricin can be in the form of a powder, a mist, or a pellet.
- It can also be dissolved in water or weak acid.
- It is stable under normal conditions.
- However, it will not work if temperatures are over 80 degrees centigrade (176 degrees Fahrenheit).
- It is toxic when inhaled, ingested, or injected.As few as five to ten micrograms per kilogram can be lethal.
- Ricin works by getting inside the cells of a person’s body and preventing the cells from making the proteins they need. Without the proteins, cells die.
- Eventually this is harmful to the whole body, and death may occur.
- It is of special concern because of its potential use as a biological weapon.
- Accidental exposure to ricin is rare and results primarily from the ingestion of castor seeds.
- Treatment:
- No antidote exists for ricin.
- Symptomatic ricin poisoning is treated by providing supportive medical care to minimize the effects of the poisoning.
