Imagine if you were injected with the DEADLIEST poison ever created. What do you think would happen?
Scientists have developed a number of dangerous chemicals, both on purpose and by accident, but there are a few that are much deadlier than the rest. Chemicals are rated by their Median Lethal Dose, which refers to the amount required to kill half of those who are exposed to it. This rating shows how many grams, per kilogram of body mass, are required of a chemical to be deadly. The lower the number, the more lethal it is- and the deadliest of all might just surprise you.
Ricin
Ricin is produced naturally in the castor-oil plant. While ingestion of small amounts of the plant won’t cause much harm, but it’ll turn nasty after being refined. It can be absorbed into the body by inhaling, injecting, or ingesting it- and it can even work its way through damaged skin. Symptoms vary depending on how it enters the body, but range from a cough or a fever, to difficulty breathing and, ultimately death. It doesn’t require too large a dose to be fatal, but it’s not associated with weapons research because there are other far more effective choices.
Sarin
Sarin was another nerve agent that was developed during the Second World War. It’s named for it’s creators, Schrader, Ambros, Ritter, and Linde. It was one of the first agents to be mass produced by the United States and USSR, and was deployed by Iraqi forces in 1988, with a reported 5,000 deaths. The chemical attacks the central nervous system, will cause difficulty in breathing, and then death by asphyxiation. Its production has since been banned by the UN chemical weapons convention, but occasional attacks have been carried out by Iraqi and Syrian forces since.
Soman
Soman, also produced by German scientists, proved to be the most potent of the ones that they developed. They manufactured the first samples in 1944 and, fortunately, the colourless liquid was never used in combat. When banned in 1993, worldwide stockpiles of Soman were declared at 9,057 tonnes- most of which has now been destroyed. Its symptoms are very similar to those of Sarin, but those who don’t die from exposure tend to go on to experience severe psychological problems later in life.
VX
VX was first discovered in 1952 by the British company, ICI, but further research halted when its toxicity to humans was discovered. It’s extremely effective, and it doesn’t evaporate- which means it stays in place wherever released until it’s cleaned up. These properties led it to being declared a weapon of mass destruction in 1993, but not before leading world powers, including the US, had produced large reserves of the chemical. It works in a similar way to Sarin, where it interferes with the body’s signalling so, eventually, causes victims to die of asphyxiation.
Polonium
Polonium has gained notoriety in recent years because of its use in targeted assassinations- most notably of Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. It’s a highly radioactive, naturally occurring element. It has an atomic number of 84, but is rarely found in nature. Instead, it’s normally created by the irradiation of Bismuth, and even then in tiny quantities. In theory, it’s so toxic that just 1 gram would be enough to infect 20 million people, with 10 million dying from it. It’s a particularly gruesome death, too, and takes up to two weeks with all the symptoms of radioactive poisoning.
Novichok Agents
The Novichok agents are a range of nerve agents that were designed in the Soviet Union between 1971 and 1993. Those that were involved in their development have claimed that they are the most deadly nerve agents ever produced, with some being up to eight times as potent as VX. Of course, with secrecy surrounding the project, the true danger remains unknown. In March of 2018,, the UK government accused the Russians of using one of these agents on a former spy. Officially, the Russians deny any involvement in the Novichok programme altogether.
Botulinum Toxin
The most deadly substance in the world is also the one most often used - Botulinum Toxin, also known as Botox. It’s a neurotoxic protein that is produced by a bacteria that lives in animal guts. It can develop naturally in poorly kept meat, but is also produced on a mass scale for the cosmetic industry, An injection of just 2 billionths of a gram of the substance is enough to kill someone, causing paralysis across the entire body and, therefore, preventing vital organs from functioning. This is also why it’s used in cosmetic techniques, such as reducing wrinkles in the face, but for those uses it is highly diluted. Technically, just 2 kilograms of this dangerous substance could kill the entire human population.