Ricin

Ricin (rye-sin) is a chemical poison and can be made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. Ricin is used as a terrorism agent and accidental exposure to ricin is highly unlikely.

If you think you were exposed to ricin call 911 to seek immediate medical attention.

Uses of Ricin

  • Ricin can be used as a terrorism agent in the form of a powder, mist, pellet, or can be dissolved in water or weak acid.
  • Ricin has been used experimentally in medicine in bone marrow transplants and to kill cancer cells.

Exposure and Health Effects

Accidental exposure to ricin is highly unlikely, and it would take a deliberate act to use it as a poison. Due to the nature of the poison, the illness it causes cannot be spread from person-to-person. However, contact with ricin-contaminated surfaces may transfer this poison and cause illness. The effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether ricin was inhaled, ingested, touched, or injected.

  • Inhalation. People can be poisoned by breathing in large amounts ricin mist or powder. Within a few hours, people can experience difficulty breathing, fever, cough, nausea, and tightness in the chest. Heavy sweating may follow, as well as fluid building up in the lungs (pulmonary edema). This would make breathing even more difficult, and the skin might turn blue. Finally, low blood pressure and respiratory failure may occur, leading to death.
  • Ingestion. People can be poisoned by swallowing ricin-contaminated food or water. Swallowing a significant amount of ricin can lead to vomiting and diarrhea that may become bloody. People can also experience severe dehydration, followed by low blood pressure. Other signs or symptoms include hallucinations, seizures, and blood in the urine. Within several days, the person's liver, spleen, and kidneys might stop working, and the person could die.
  • Skin and Eye Contact. Ricin may enter the body through the skin when combined with certain chemicals or through open wounds. Ricin in powdered or mist form can cause redness and pain of the skin and of the eyes.
  • Injection. 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), the amount of ricin that would fit on the head of a pin could be enough to kill an adult. Injection of a lethal amount of ricin first causes the muscles and lymph nodes near the injection site to fail. Eventually the liver, kidneys and spleen stop working and there is massive bleeding from the stomach and intestines, resulting in death from multiple organ failure.

Death from ricin poisoning can take place within 36 to 72 hours of exposure. However, death from ricin poisoning is not likely to occur if the victim lives longer than 5 days without complications.

Tips to Reduce Exposure

Ricin poisoning is rare. No widely available test exists to confirm that a person has been exposed to ricin . If you suspect that you have been exposed to ricin, call 911 to seek medical attention and take the following steps:

  • Move away from the area where you think you were exposed. If you are near a release of ricin, emergency coordinators may tell you to either evacuate the area or to "shelter in place" inside a building to avoid being exposed to the chemical.
  • Take off any clothing that may have ricin on it and seal it inside a plastic bag. Clothing that is removed over the head (like t-shirts and sweaters) should be cut off and pulled away from the body to prevent further exposure. Put the contaminated clothing inside a sealed plastic bag and do not handle the bag yourself. Wait for instructions on who to contact for disposal of the plastic bags.
  • Wash any ricin from your skin with large amounts of soap and water. Wash your hands and remove contact lenses and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes. Glasses can be worn after you wash them with soap and water.

Treating Ricin Poisoning

No antidote exists for ricin. Prompt medical care is critical. Ricin poisoning is treated by giving the victim supportive care to minimize the effects of the poisoning. Care could include helping the victim breathe and giving intravenous fluids and medications to treat seizures and low blood pressure.

Additional Resources