Chemicals put a lot of impact to our life. Some of them are beneficial in the development of technology as well the growing industry. However, all the benefits given do not come without price. Most chemicals will have some side effects either to humans or ecosystem in general. The side effects vary from the trifle ones to the dangerous ones. The dangerous affects range from illness to sudden death. The later surely is dangerous one.
Therefore, here is the list of harmful chemicals that can kill you that you should avoid.
- Arsenic
One of the deadliest chemicals in the world is arsenic. The lethal poisonous chemical can kill human in a matter of short time. Arsenic has also been a popular poison found in many crime cases of homicide. Death can occur after few hours of arsenic consumption. The lighter effects of arsenic are skin rashes, gastric distress, and internal bleeding.
For heavier dose it will cause coma and convulsion to finally death. Arsenic is no longer sold publicly but it was a popular killer during Victorian era to be put on food. Therefore, always make sure to bring antidot when the reactions of getting poisoned appear.
- Cyanide
Another popular harmful chemical that can kill you is cyanide. Cyanide is a chemical that were famous to be a suicide pill among secret agents. It was also used wrongly as a tool for homicide. Cyanide is very lethal to human body as this chemical prevents the production even the lowest energy within one’s body.
As a result, people poisoned by cyanide will feel dizzy, nauseous, rapid to difficulty to breath, convulsion and ultimately lead to death. The thing is, some of them come naturally from the apricots stone and many plants. We can recognize the smell of cyanide by the smell of almond-like it has. Also read Harmful Chemicals to Avoid in Skin Creams.
- Ricin
Everyone knows how beneficial castor oil is, but little do we know that another product that produces this very oil turns out to be deadly. The plant that produces castor oil also produces ricin. Ricin isan after product or waste from castor oil production. It is the leftover of castor bean that is found to be able tokill an adult just with small dose. When someone directly consume it, it may take time as this chemical is difficult to digest.
However, it is a different story when the ricin is injected or inhaled. It took less amount of ricin powder to kill a person. While when it is still in the castor beans, five seeds of castor beans can poison someone.
- VX
VX is a nerve chemical developed in United Kingdom. While other chemicals occur naturally, VX is fully man made and possibly were developed out for military needs. However, the testing of chemical is very deadly. Several sheeps are dead because of the infamous test by United States army in Utah.
This chemical works by blocking the nerve system and incapacitate its ability, resulting in fast death. Because VX is too deadly, it is banned in 1993 but other uses for specific field may still developing especially for military use.
- Sarin
Sarin is one of the natural nerve killing agent famous because of the homicide case in Japan by a cult. Srin works by incapacitate the ability of nerve similar to VX and make it difficult for the lung in lung and heart to function. The symptoms of getting poisoned by sarin include gastrointestinal distress, urination, salivation, convulsion and then followed by death later.
One thing that is scary about Sarin is that it is 26 times more deadly than cyanide. Thus, the one poisoned by Sarin will loss control of muscle in a matter of short time. The sarin may not be as fatal as VX but the toxicity of it is beyond limit.
- Botulinum Toxin
Little do people know that the botox used for cosmetic comes from the most deadly naturally occuring chemical. One teaspoon of botulinum toxin is believed to be able to kill one billion people. Therefore, it is scary to think that it has become a more domestic use. Botulinum toxin, fortunately, can be neutralized from food easily by heating the food in 100 degree of celcius.
The mechanism of botulinum toxin is very fast and countless people died because of food poisoned by this chemical. Changed by technology, it turns out that botox and deodorant are using this. Who knows when a breakout occurs, thus as users, we should be careful in using it. (Related to List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients by FDA).
- Batrachotoxin
Batrachotoxin is a poisonous chemical coming from arrow frog. Back then, people in Amazon use it to coat their spear and hunting dart. The chemical is among the harmful one that can kill you. Naturally occuring, it occurs from the arrow frog as self defense.
Study found it to be the most deadly neurotoxin in the world. Aside from being neurotoxin by stopping the function of the nerve, this chemical is also cardiotoxin. Cardiotoxin is a poison that stops the heart muscles. Therefore, death is inevitable. People who get poisoned by this chemical will die in a matter of few minutes only.
- Asbestos
The scary thing about asbestos is, it was once widely used in industry and it has many kinds of derivation. Even though asbestos does not kill a person immediately, the accumulation of asbestos is very lethal. From irritation, cancer to convulsed death, asbestos is one of harmful chemicals that can kill you.
Moreover, there is no clear indication whether industry really stopped using this chemical, this makes the danger of asbestos high.Asbestos is also among international list of banned toxic chemicals.
Other Hazardous Chemicals for Human
Here are more harmful chemicals that can kill you brutally:
- Polonium
- Strychnine
- Tetanospamin
- Mercury
- Formaldehyde
- Black Widow Venom
- Tetrodoxin
There are a lot more harmful chemicals that can kill you whether slowly or quickly. It does not exclude one that is around us in everyday life just like Harmful Chemicals in Air Pollution . Thus, it concludes 15 list of harmful chemicals that can kill you.
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