Ricin

Castor Beans

• It is a highly toxic, naturally occurring carbohydrate-binding protein of the type known as lectins.
• Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans.
• If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the released ricin can cause injury.
• Ricin can be made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans.
• It can be in the form of a powder, a mist, or a pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.
• Castor beans are processed throughout the world to make castor oil.
• Ricin is part of the waste “mash” produced when castor oil is made.
• Ricin has been used experimentally in medicine to kill cancer cells.
• Ricin poisoning is not contagious.
• Ricin-associated illness cannot be spread from person to person through casual contact.
• However, if you come into contact with someone who has ricin on their body or clothes, you could become exposed to it.
• Ricin works by getting inside the cells of a person’s body and preventing the cells from making the proteins they need.
• Without the proteins, cells die.
• Eventually this is harmful to the whole body, and death may occur.
• Effects of ricin poisoning depend on whether ricin was inhaled, ingested, or injected.
• There is no antidote for ricin poisoning.
• If you are exposed, you will need to get the ricin off of your body as quickly as possible.

WHY IN NEWS:

• In April 2013, letters sent to US President Barack Obama and a Mississippi Senator had tested positive for being laced with ricin.  
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