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Ed Yeates ReportingAs of now the senate staffers exposed to ricin powder in Washington yesterday haven't gotten sick, perhaps because there wasn't enough of it.
What is ricin and where does it come from? At the Army's Dugway Proving Ground, microbiologist Stephen Parker shows us granulated and powdered simulants mimicking the composition of ricin.
Stephen Parker, Microbiologist, Dugway Proving Ground: "Ricin is definitely one of the most dangerous plant toxins that we know of. It's about 15 times as toxic as VX gas."
And much more toxic than any industrial chemical. But at the same time, the plant protein ricin is still not as toxic as most bacterial agents, which once inside the body can replicate and spread, producing even more poison.
Stephen Parker: "The most toxic substance that we know of is botulism toxin. It is about 100,000 times as toxic as ricin."
In simple terms, ricin comes from the same bean castor oil is made from. The big difference, castor oil is good for you because in the processing of that product, the ricin is destroyed. Incidentally, this is a simulant of ricin, not the real McKoy.
In yesterday's incident in Washington, senate staffers may have escaped sickness because in volume there wasn't enough ricin.
In a demonstration, Parker opened an envelope containing lots of simulant; it floats in air much like dust.
Stephen Parker: "Well, I weighted out the amount of material I put into the envelope and it was equivalent to about 500 lethal doses. So it would be a significant risk factor to all of us if it wasn't a simulant."
Deadly in this form because if you inhale a lethal dose there is NO antidote. But again, on the hands or skin, simply wash it off, and it goes away.
