v Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Ricin
What is ricin?
Ricin is a poison that can be made from the waste left over from processing castor beans.
It can be in the form of a powder, a mist, or a pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.
It is a stable substance. For example, it is not affected much by extreme conditions such as very hot or very cold temperatures.
Where is ricin found, and how is it used?
Castor beans are processed throughout the world to make castor oil. Ricin is part of the waste "mash" produced when castor oil is made. Amateurs can make ricin from castor beans.
Ricin has some potential medical uses, such as bone marrow transplants and cancer treatment (to kill cancer cells).
How can people be exposed to ricin?
It would take a deliberate act to make ricin and use it to poison people. Accidental exposure to ricin is highly unlikely.
People can breathe in ricin mist or powder and be poisoned.
Ricin can also get into water or food and then be swallowed.
Pellets of ricin, or ricin dissolved in a liquid, can be injected into people’s bodies.
Depending on the route of exposure (such as injection), as little as 500 micrograms of ricin could be enough to kill an adult. A 500-microgram dose of ricin would be about the size of the head of a pin. A much greater amount would be needed to kill people if the ricin were inhaled (breathed in) or swallowed.
Ricin poisoning is not contagious. It cannot be spread from person to person through casual contact.
In 1978, Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian writer and journalist who was living in London, died after he was attacked by a man with an umbrella. The umbrella had been rigged to inject a poison ricin pellet under Markov’s skin.
Some reports have indicated that ricin may have been used in the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s and that quantities of ricin were found in Al Qaeda caves in Afghanistan.
How does ricin work?
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, and eventually the whole body can shut down and die.
Specific effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether ricin was inhaled, swallowed, or injected.
What are the signs and symptoms of ricin exposure?
Inhalation: Within a few hours of inhaling significant amounts of ricin, the likely symptoms would be coughing, tightness in the chest, difficulty breathing, nausea, and aching muscles. Within the next few hours, the body’s airways (such as lungs) would become severely inflamed (swollen and hot), excess fluid would build up in the lungs, breathing would become even more difficult, and the skin might turn blue. Excess fluid in the lungs would be diagnosed by x-ray or by listening to the chest with a stethoscope.
Ingestion: If someone swallows a significant amount of ricin, he or she would have internal bleeding of the stomach and intestines that would lead to vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Eventually, the person’s liver, spleen, and kidneys might stop working, and the person could die.
Injection: Injection of a lethal amount of ricin at first would cause the muscles and lymph nodes near the injection site to die. Eventually, the liver, kidneys, and spleen would stop working, and the person would have massive bleeding from the stomach and intestines. The person would die from multiple organ failure.
Death from ricin poisoning could take place within 36 to 48 hours of exposure, whether by injection, ingestion, or inhalation. If the person lives longer than 5 days without complications, he or she will probably not die.
Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to ricin.
How is ricin poisoning treated?
How do we know for sure whether people have been exposed to ricin?
If we suspect that people have inhaled ricin, a possible clue would be that a large number of people who had been close to each other suddenly developed fever, cough, and excess fluid in their lungs. These symptoms could be followed by severe breathing problems and possibly death.
No widely available, reliable test exists to confirm that a person has been exposed to ricin.
What can people do if they think they may have been exposed to ricin?
Unintentional ricin poisoning is highly unlikely. CDC has no reports of intentional ricin poisoning. If people think they might have been exposed to ricin, however, they should contact the regional poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
How can people get more information about ricin?
They can contact one of the following:
• Regional poison control center (1-800-222-1222)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
° Public Response Hotline (CDC)
- English (888) 246-2675
- Espańol (888) 246-2857
- TTY (866) 874-2646
° Emergency Preparedness and Response Web site (http://www.bt.cdc.gov)
° E-mail inquiries: cdcresponse@ashastd.org
° Mail inquiries:
Public Inquiry c/o BPRP
Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Planning
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mailstop C-18
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (1-888-422-8737)
° E-mail inquiries: atsdric@cdc.gov
° Mail inquiries:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29
Atlanta, GA 30333
v Biotoxin Ricin
UN #: 3172 (Guide 153) Ricine, Ricinus lectin, Ricinus agglutinin
CAS #: 9009-86-3 Ricinus toxin
Alternate CAS#: 9067-26-9 Lectin isolated from seeds of the castor bean
Ricinus communis protein/polypeptide
RTECS #: VJ2625000 Chemical formula: N/A
Molecular mass: N/A
| Types of Hazard Exposure | Acute/Hazards Clinical Signs Symptoms | Prevention/Personal Protective Equipment | First Aid/Fire Fighting |
| Fire | N/A | Avoid generating dust | Foam, dry chemical powder, BCF (where regulations permit), carbon dioxide water spray or fog–large fires only. |
| Explosion | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Route of Exposure | |||
| Synopsis: | Extremely Toxic. May be
fatal.
Ricin (and Abrin) cause toxicity by inhibition of protein synthesis. May adhere to skin or clothing. |
Avoid all
contact.
Strict hygiene! May cause severe allergic reactions. |
Seek medical attention immediately. |
| Inhalation: | May cause severe lung damage in humans (based on reports of exposure in animals.) Repeated exposure in humans is known to cause allergic asthma- like symptoms including congestion of the nose and throat itchyness of the eyes, hives, tightness of the chest and in severe cases,wheezing. | Pressure demand,
self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) (SCBA CBRN, if available)
is recommended in response to non-routine emergency situations.
Breath response (pressure demand HEPA PAPR . |
Fresh air,
rest. Half-upright position. If breathing is difficult, administer
oxygen. Perform CPR if necessary.
Seek medical attention immediately. |
| Skin: | Potential for
allergic skin reaction; redness, blisters, pain.
May be absorbed! |
Tychem® BR or Responder® CSM protective clothing. Eyes should be protected when possible. | Remove contaminated
clothes. Rinse skin with plenty of water or shower (and soap if
available).
Seek medical attention immediately. |
| Eyes: | Tearing, swelling of the eye-lids, pain, redness, corneal injury. | Goggles with respiratory protection or full face-piece respirator. | Immediately
flush with large amounts of tepid water for at least 15 minutes.
Seek medical attention immediately. |
| Ingestion: | Symptoms are rapid in onset
(generally less than a few hours) following ingestion.
• Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain pain and cramping. • Diarrhea • Gastrointestinal bleeding • Low or no urinary output • Dilation of the pupils • Fever • Thirst • Sore throat • Headache • Vascular collapse and shock |
Do not eat, drink, or smoke during work. Wash hands before eating. |
May be fatal. However, the
death rate even among symptomatic patients is generally low. Do not
induce vomiting. Rinse mouth. Use slurry of activated charcoal. If
individual is drowsy or unconscious, do not give anything by mouth.
In the event of vomiting, lean patient forward or place on left side
(head-down position, if possible) to maintain open airway and prevent
aspiration. Early and aggressive IV fluid and electrolyte replacement.
Seek medical attention immediately. |
| Occupational Exposure Limits (OELS) |
OSHA PEL: N/A NIOSH REL: N/A ACGIH TLV: N/A ChemWatch: Ceiling: 0.00006 (sensitizer) mg/m 3 NIOSH IDLH: N/A |
| Sampling and AnalyticalMethods: |
NIOSH: N/A OSHA: N/A |
| Decontamination | Patient/Victim:
Wash with soap and water. Work clothes should be laundered separately.
Launder contaminated clothing before re-use. Do not take clothing
home.
Equipment: N/A Environment: Use dry clean up procedures (e.g., hepa vacuum) and avoid generating dust. |
| Spillage Disposal | Polyethylene
or polypropylene container.
Keep containers securely sealed when not in use. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area and away from food stuff containers. |
| Packaging and Labelling |
UN#: 3172 (GUIDE 153) Proper Shipping Name: N/A Hazard Class: 6.1(a) Packing Group: I NFPA 704 Signal: Flammability - N/A Reactivity - N/A. Special - N/A |
| Important Data | Physical
State; Appearance:
White powder
Physical Dangers: Product is considered stable. Avoid contact with oxidizing agents. Chemical Dangers: Hazardous polymerization will not occur. Routes of Exposures: Can be absorbed by all routes of exposure. Inhalation Risk: Irritation, sensitization. Effects of Short-Term Expsoure: Severe vomiting and diarrhea may result in severe dehydration (hypovolemic-shock) and multisystem organ failure: effects on GI tract, kidney, liver, and pancreas. Potentially fatal due to severe allergic reaction. Effects of Long-Term Expsoure: Allergic syndrome with congestion of nose and throat; itchy, watery eyes; hives; tightness of the chest; and in severe cases - wheezing. |
| Physical Properties |
Melting Point: N/A Boiling Point: decomposes (See Additional Information.) Vapor Pressure (20°C): Negligible Density (20°C): N/A Volatility: Negligible Specific gravity: N/A Aqueous solubility(20°C): soluble Soluble: 10% NaCl solution estimated log K ow: N/A Flashpoint: N/A Flammability: N/A |
| AcuteExposure Guidelines (AEGLs) |
10 min 30 min 1hr 4 hr 8 hr AEGL 1 (discomfort, non-disabling) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A AEGL 2 (irreversible or other serious, long-lasting effects or impaired ability to escape) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A AEGL 3 (life-threatening effects or death) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A |
|
Notes Lethal dose = 1 mg/kg. Urinary excretion of ricin is probably slow and limited with the estimated half-life being about 8 days. Oral exposure to ricin appears to be less toxic than by other routes of exposure. |
|
|
Additional Information:
Glossary of Acronyms |
Ricin is
detoxified in 10 mins at 176°F (80°C) and in 1 hr at 122°F (50°C);
it is stable under ambient conditions.
APR - Air-purifying Respirator CBRN - Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear IDLH - Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health REL - Recommended Exposure Limit PEL - Permissible Exposure Limit SCBA - Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus |
| Important Notice: |
RICIN (ERC9009-86-3) The user should verify compliance of the cards with the relevant STATE or TERRITORY legislation before use. NIOSH, CDC 2003. |