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General Chem-Bio Information
General information about the new Department of Homeland Security and their official web site is here. Homeland
General information about Oregon Public Health Preparedness Program: Preparedness
Information on threat agents is available at the CDC web site.CDC
General information about the health effects of terrorism threat agents:
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Biological Agents
Chemical Agents
Radiation
Condensed Oregon EMS List
See our information on some Common Chemical Agents (pdf) (42K) like ricin, cyanide exposure, and organophosphates. This information also contains some sample protocols for poisons and overdoses.
Ricin
Ricin is a lethal, delayed action cell toxin (cytotoxin) derived from the castor plant, a relatively inexpensive, accessible, natural source. The castor plant is a shrub like herb with large, long stemmed leaves similar to fingers. Its spiny, clustered seedpods contain brown, bean like seeds that resemble large ticks. These plants produce flowers in various colors. The castor plant (ricinus communis) can be found in the African tropics, Southeast Asia, the United States, and Canada. First responders should learn to recognize castor beans, which have legal uses, and be sensitive to paraphernalia used for extraction and enrichment of ricin. Ricin can be prepared in a liquid, crystalline, or a dry powder form.
The routes of exposure for ricin include ingestion, injection, and inhalation. Information that is widely available on the Internet and in "Underground" publications suggests that mixing ricin with Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) would allow the toxin to be absorbed through the skin. However, this method would not result in a toxic effect since the large molecular size of ricin toxin prevents it from passing through intact skin. Ricin, when ingested in low doses, has a laxative effect.
Clinical symptoms of exposure vary depending on the route of exposure. Ingestion of Ricin toxin can cause a rapid onset of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain followed by diarrhea, Anal hemorrhaging, dilation of the pupils, fever, thirst, sore throat, headache, and shock. It is estimated one milligram of ingested Ricin can kill an adult. Exposure through inhalation can cause fever, cough, congestion of the nose and throat, shortness of breath, nausea, chest tightness, profuse sweating, pulmonary edema, bluish coloration of mucus membranes, incapacitation, and low blood pressure. Respiratory failure and circulatory problems occur prior to death. Aerosol Studies in non?human primates have demonstrated that Ricin can produce symptoms within eight hours after inhalation. Injection is the most commonly used method of using Ricin toxin as a weapon. And, in fact, at least one assassination is known to have been conducted by Ricin injection.
Aside from supportive care, there is no specific treatment for Ricin intoxicated victims. Death is estimated to occur Between 36 and 72 hours after exposure, depending on the dosage and route of exposure.
Ricin could be used in a terrorist operation to contaminate closed ventilation systems (E.g. heaters or air conditioners), drinking water, lakes, rivers, and food supplies. However, U.S. experts have deemed Ricin an ineffective aerosol based weapon. In addition, contamination of water supplies (e.g. reservoirs, treatment plants) would require the processing of an extremely large amount of castor beans. Use of Ricin Toxin as a weapon would be most effective in an assassination by injection or as a food contaminant.
Ricin should only be handled by trained and certified hazardous materials professionals. Hazardous Materials Teams should be aware that Ricin mostly presents a particulate inhalation or splash hazard depending on the preparation of the material. Personnel protection should be driven by agency operating procedures that should include at the minimum gloves, eye protection, a particulate respirator, and splash protection. Sampling, seizure, or transportation of Ricin should be completed only under the authority of or in coordination with law enforcement.
First Responders Having Contact with Ricin production laboratories should be aware of the potential use of common industrial chemicals (i.e., Acetone, DMSO, and Lye). These chemicals may present a flammable, toxic and/or caustic hazard to individuals in the immediate vicinity.
Personnel who may have been exposed to Ricin should wash the effected area vigorously with soap and water. Equipment and supplies can be decontaminated with a weak (0.5 Percent) Hypochlorite Solution (Bleach) and/or soap and water.
Law Enforcement who encounter a substance suspected to be Ricin or letters suspected of containing Ricin should immediately contact their nearest Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
For more Ricin information, please visit Center for Disease Control - Ricin page. In light of recent Ricin incident, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is aware of the fact that EMS community may receive similar calls or contact from the media concerning the protocol for responding to potential biological or chemical threats. The IAFC has developed Model Procedures for Responding to a Package with Suspicion of a Biological Threat. This standard operating guideline provides:
- a decision matrix for managing a package with a suspicious substance
- identifying and assessing biological threats
- responder procedures
- decontamination guidelines and a number of resources on equipment
- biological detection methods and a list of additional resources
For more information on Model Procedures, please visit The international Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).
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