# Presentation: 207115

## Information Update: RICIN (Bio-Toxin)

**Federal Protective Service**

- Instructor Harold Miller (NCR)

## ricinus communis

- Ricin, a potent cytotoxin (toxic at cellular level) concentrated in the castor bean also contains highly toxic glycoproteins that block the synthesis of other good proteins causing cell death.

## Castor Beans“ricinus communis”

## Ricin

*Ricinus communis* or _Castor Bean plant is mildly toxic including the stalk, leaf and the bean is very toxic_.  One bean chewed up is sufficient to kill a small child.
- Plants can grow to about 12 feet and has large five to seven inch long finger like leaves and is green to reddish purple in color.
- Seed pods are spinney and green to red in color.
- Castor Bean oil is used for lubricants and the left over pulp or cake is boiled and pressed for use as animal feed or discarded.  Boiling makes it non-toxic.

## Ricin – Routes of Entry

- There are three methods of ricin poisoning ;
*Intravenous*-Introduced into a puncture or cut.
*Inhalation*- Aerosolized liquid or powder inhaled directly into the lungs.
*Ingestion*- Ricin enters through contaminated food or water into the stomach.
- Symptoms range from fever, cough, nausea, chest tightness, sweating, cyanosis, hypo tension (very low blood pressure), dyspnea (labored breathing). Circulatory and respiratory collapse occur within 36-72 hrs leading to death.

## Ricin

- Castor bean cake or meal can be fed to animals without being toxic due to boiling, then ricin shares the same heat instability towards toxicity.  Exposure to high or **very warm temperatures and or high humidity will diminish the strength of the toxin** (denaturing effect).
- Currently, there is **no antidote** for ricin but one is being worked on by USAMRID and the Nat. Inst. Of Health.  The only treatment is large amounts of intestinal protectives via stomach tube and lots of intravenous fluids may possibly help.

## Ricin – History as a Weapon

- Ricin is a choice toxin of terrorists/assassins, because without motive or witnesses, death appears to be from pneumonia.  Death can be caused by a very small amount (.015 milligram / size of a grain of salt).
- 1978 Ricin was the toxin used to assassinate Georgy  Markov (Bulgarian Defector) in London. Markov was stuck with an umbrella gun that shot a Platinum ball containing Ricin.  Markov died three days later.
- 1991 Members of a Minnesota Patriot organization manufactured ricin in an attempt to kill a US Marshal.  Their plans and the amount of toxin made could have killed more than a hundred people. They were unsuccessful.

## Ricin – History of Use

- 1993 Thomas Lavy (Neo Nazi) arrested in Canada en-route to the US, was found to have enough ricin to kill 30,000 people, four guns and 20,00 rounds of ammo.
- 1995 Disneyland gets threat letter and a video of someone mixing chemicals possibly Ricin or Sarin.
- 1997 Thomas Leahy arrested in a shooting.  Raid on home finds Ricin lab in basement along with nicotine sulfate and  he was trying to grow botulism.
- Some suspect that early Legionnaires Disease cases may have been a poorly done ricin release into a ventilation system.

## Ricin - Continued

- 2003  Seven men (4 Algerians) were arrested in a London apartment where they had manufactured ricin, a quantity of which could not be accounted for. Authorities refused to announce the nationality of the three other suspects.

## Decontamination on Ricin

- 	Ricin can be decontaminated by a mild alkali or a sodium hyper-chloride solution (bleach/water) of about 1-2% or 48parts water 1 part bleach.
-     _A shower with cool_ **not warm water** and lots of soap will remove contaminants as well.

## Toxicity

- Ricin is one of the deadliest toxins known to man.
- Ricin is 400 times more toxic than cobra venom.
- Ricin is 1200 times more toxic than cyanide.
- Ricin is 4000 times more toxic than arsenic.
- An amount in size between a half and a full grain of salt is sufficient to cause death in most persons.
- Mortality rate is about 85% .
- There is **no-antitoxin available** currently.
- NOTE:  **Ricin poisoning is not contagious.**
-              ***It does not produce a communicable disease***.   	     	  _Caution should be taken to ensure victims are_ 	     	  _decontaminated prior to clothing or skin_ 	  	     	  _contact with health care givers_.

## Detection

**Laboratory Testing for Ricin in Environmental Samples**_[http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/labtesting.asp](http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/ricin/labtesting.asp)_** **
- Real Time Detection Difficult
- Biochemo-opto-mechanical (BioCOM) Chip for Chemical and Biomolecular Detection
- _[http://cism.jpl.nasa.gov/events/workshop/abstracts/Majumdar.pdf](http://cism.jpl.nasa.gov/events/workshop/abstracts/Majumdar.pdf)_
- Numerous Kits
- A rapid immunochromatographic assay was developed to detect ricin.
- _[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11711121&dopt=Abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11711121&dopt=Abstract)_

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## Contacts for information or assistance

- Contact your State, County or City Health Dept.
- Contact the Center for Disease Control
- (404-639-3534 or 1-800-311-3435)
- Contact the Local FBI Office
- Contact the local Water and Sewer Dept. to step up chlorination to counter possible Ricin in water.

## Contacts for information or assistance

- US Dept. of Health and Human Services (CDC)
- FBI Congressional Statement (6/20/1999)
- California Polytechnic Inst. (Chemistry Dept)
- New York University
- Wisconsin Dept of Health and Family Services
- Cornell University
- Mirror UK (Newspaper)