Ethylene glycol (antifreeze): Ethylene glycol is the top ingredient in antifreeze, among other chemical substances. And “it's actually one of the No. 1 homicidal poisons in the United States,” Blum says. The reason is that ethylene glycol has a sweet taste, a perfect quality in the hands of a poisoner.
Honey // Sweet, Sweet Danger
It's a little-known fact, but natural honey contains a poisonous toxin called pyrrolizidine alkaloids. It must go through a pasteurization process after being farmed to eliminate these toxins, but unpasteurized honey is extremely dangerous.
Consider tetrodotoxin (TTX), a poison found in puffer fish and blue-ringed octopuses that leaves you paralysed as your body goes through some agonising reactions.
Arsenic trioxide is a white or transparent solid in the form of glassy, shapeless lumps or a crystalline powder that resembles sugar.
Oh sugar: fructose, the sweet white poison.
Sugar poisoning also known as glucotoxicity is a serious condition that can occur when you eat too much sugar. The symptoms can be difficult to recognize, but if you are aware of them, you can get help quickly.
Arsenic production has currently ceased in the United States. Arsenic has been phased out of domestic pesticides, but commercial use of imported arsenic is still high [ATSDR 2007]. Discontinued arsenic-containing pesticides may still be found in some U.S. farms and homes [ATSDR 2007].
Strychnine poisoning can be fatal to humans and other animals and can occur by inhalation, swallowing or absorption through eyes or mouth. It produces some of the most dramatic and painful symptoms of any known toxic reaction, making it quite noticeable and a common choice for assassinations and poison attacks.
Belladonna – The Deadly Nightshade
According to the USDA Forest Service, belladonna means “beautiful woman” in Italian but is still a very poisonous flower!
Blue death is extremely poisonous and can be fatal to humans.
In large doses, the body's ability to change cyanide into thiocyanate is overwhelmed. Large doses of cyanide prevent cells from using oxygen and eventually these cells die. The heart, respiratory system and central nervous system are most susceptible to cyanide poisoning.
It's hard to rank the lethality of toxins, but experts agree that botulinum – several orders of magnitude deadlier than sarin – is the gold standard. Your nervous system fails and you die in extreme pain.
It is called the “silent killer” because it is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non- irritating. If the early signs of CO poisoning are ignored, a person may lose consciousness and be unable to escape the danger. More people die from carbon monoxide exposure than any other kind of poisoning.
Tetrodotoxin interferes with the transmission of signals from nerves to muscles by blocking sodium channels. This results in rapid weakening and paralysis of muscles, including those of the respiratory tract, which can lead to respiratory arrest and death.
There are limits in the Code for inorganic arsenic in certain foods. Foods sold in Australia and new Zealand (including imported food) must comply with these limits. A limit of 1mg/kg applies to seaweed and molluscs, and for fish and crustacea, inorganic arsenic is not allowed above a level of 2mg/kg.
Mining and metal manufacturing are the largest sources of arsenic in Australia. The manufacturing industries where arsenic may be used include: food, paper and paper products; glass and glass products; petroleum and coal products; and chemicals.
Industry sources
Mining and metal manufacturing are the largest sources of arsenic in Australia. Electricity supply, water supply, sewerage and draining surfaces, can also emit arsenic.
Cassava, sorghum, stone fruits, bamboo roots and almonds are especially important foods containing cyanogenic glycosides. The potential toxicity of a cyanogenic plant depends primarily on the potential that its consumption will produce a concentration of cyanide that is toxic to exposed humans.
The acute toxicity of arsenic has been recognized since antiquity. Known as both the “king of poisons” and the “poison of kings,” the element's infamy grew during the Middle Ages as an almost untraceable means of murder.
There is growing scientific consensus that one of the most common types of sugar, fructose, can be toxic to the liver, just like alcohol.
ACS researchers have found that the LD50 of sugar – that's the lethal dose of a sugar that would kill half the population of a test group – is 13.5 grams per pound of body weight, consumed all at once.
Upset stomach, irritability, and sluggishness are all possible warnings you're overdoing it on the sweet stuff. Sugar gets a bad rap, but the truth is that it's a vital source of energy and essential to our survival. Of course, not all sugars are the same.
The symptoms of arsenic poisoning can be acute, or severe and immediate, or chronic, where damage to health is experienced over a longer period. This will often depend on the method of exposure. A person who has swallowed arsenic may show signs and symptoms within 30 minutes.