VARIOUS TYPES OF POISON AS A REFERENCE FOR YOUR NOVEL (5)

Continuing my article from Various Types of Poison As A Reference For Your Novel (4), here are the list of harmful toxins number 9 and 10:

9.   POLONIUM

Polonium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol of Po and atomic number 84. This rare radioactive element is part of metalloid group which has chemical properties similar to tellurium and bismuth. The first element of polonium was discovered in 1898 by chemist Marie Curie, who named it like her origin, Poland.

Marie Curie

The compound’s name, which also known as Radium F, became controversial in politically because at that time Poland has not become an independent state, the country was under the control of Russia, Germany, and part of the Austro-Hungarian. Sounds like Marie Curie deliberately name it as hope that Poland will be free one day, and that was fulfilled in 1918 when Poland declare their independence.

In USA these compounds produced as part of the Dayton project in Manhattan during World War 2, and became important part of the particles that established nuclear weapons of Fat Man who bombed Nagasaki in 1945. While the basic forms of physical Polonium kept secret during the war and forbidden from getting out to the public until it converted as a nuclear power plant in 1960.

Elements of Fat-Man,
one of the bomb that hits Japan in 1945

Polonium is a radioactive poison, a slow killer toxin that has no cure. 1 gr of evaporating Polonium could kills about 1.5 million people in just a few months. Russian spy, Alexander Litvinenko, were one of the victims of this poison when Polonium compounds found in his tea cup in doses of 200 times higher than allowed. Within three weeks he died.

When other compounds such Arsenic and Mercury kills with a condition in which the substance has to be in touch with the body, Polonium instead destroying our sensitive bio molecules such as DNA and cells of the body with its invisible radioactive form.

The presence in human’s body is not only has a terrifying destructive power but also difficult to detect by a doctor unless they examine thoroughly with special equipment.

Early signs include hair loss also can’t directly referred to Polonium poisoning because the symptoms are similar to Thallium poisoning and rat poison. Misdiagnosis of course also leads to harm a method of treatment that the victim died due to late treatment.

10.   SARIN

This compound had named Sarin because it comes from the name of scientist who created it;  Schrader, Ambros, Rüdiger, and Van der Linde. A deadly nerve gas, a substance is intended as a pesticide when it was first created in 1983.

After that Sarin was used as the main components of weapons of mass destruction during the war. Sarin displays its action as a murder weapon that qualified as an attack on the Tokyo subway, Japan in 1995 and the Iran-Iraq war in 1988.

After the attack of Sarin Gases
on Tokyo, Japan 1995

As a liquid compound that’s odorless and colorless Sarin is very highly lethal, even in low concentrations, so death may occur within one to ten minutes after victims inhaling a lethal dose, in the form of poisoning due to muscle paralysis of the lungs.

When a person exposed to these toxins, what could happens is muscles and glands stops working after previously experiencing common symptoms of a runny nose and tightness in the chest. On the post contact with the toxins patients would have difficulty in breathe, that includes nausea, and next things are victim will lose control of all bodily functions and coma.

The general consensus of Sarin lethal concentration in the air is about 35 mg per cubic meter per minute for two minutes exposure time by a healthy adult breathing normally (exchanging 15 liters of air per minute). This amount represents the estimated lethal concentration of 50% when exposed to the victim, and when compared with other toxic compounds, the power to kill Sarin doses are as follows:

Hydrogen Cyanida, 2860 mg-min / cubic meter – Sarin is 81 times more deadly

Phosgene, 1500 mg-min / cubic meter – Sarin is 43 times more deadly.

Sulfur Mustard, 1000 mg-min / cubic meter – Sarin is 28 times more deadly

Chlorine, 19000 mg-min / cubic meter – Sarin is 543 times more deadly.

CONTINUE TO VARIOUS TYPES OFPOISON YOU AS A NOVEL REFERENCE (6)