Left, Castor bean (Ricinus communis). Originally from East Africa it is now found worldwide in warm climates, and has been used in medicine, dyeing, printing, and as a lubricant. This bean also produces ricin, a deadly toxin. Photo from Brian Prechtel, Agriculture Research Service. Right, the flowering plant photo from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Periodically we hear the term “Ricin”, generally in the context of this material being sent to someone via the mail. It is normally sent as a white powder in a sealed envelope with the intent to harm or kill the recipient. First the good news; statistically, the odds of any individual receiving this powder is incredibly low. It is most lethal when injected, but can be a serious poison when inhaled. It appears to be less potent when delivered as a contact poison but it is a material of consequence. Workers picking castor beans primarily in China and India frequently experience illness by contact.
The bad news is that ricin is relatively easy to make and can be extracted from castor beans which are widely available. The LD50 is also very low. (LD is Median Lethal Dosage). The term refers to the amount necessary to kill 50% of the test subjects, typically mice. In the case of ricin, the dose is 22 micrograms per 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of adult weight. So, it takes very little to be fatal.
I was going to go into the chemistry of ricin production but have reconsidered and want to provide only information about ricin and not a guide to isolate it. There are many good articles concerning this poison and I will leave it to our readers to pursue any additional information.
One final thought is that castor oil that is made from that same castor bean does not contain ricin. The ricin is destroyed by the denaturing process in the manufacture of the oil. And, ricin has been investigated in research for positive chemical possibilities. So, there is very little to fear about this material when we are prepared to use caution and exercise good judgment.
The bad news is that ricin is relatively easy to make and can be extracted from castor beans which are widely available. The LD50 is also very low. (LD is Median Lethal Dosage). The term refers to the amount necessary to kill 50% of the test subjects, typically mice. In the case of ricin, the dose is 22 micrograms per 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of adult weight. So, it takes very little to be fatal.
I was going to go into the chemistry of ricin production but have reconsidered and want to provide only information about ricin and not a guide to isolate it. There are many good articles concerning this poison and I will leave it to our readers to pursue any additional information.
One final thought is that castor oil that is made from that same castor bean does not contain ricin. The ricin is destroyed by the denaturing process in the manufacture of the oil. And, ricin has been investigated in research for positive chemical possibilities. So, there is very little to fear about this material when we are prepared to use caution and exercise good judgment.
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