An agent that I did a lot of reading on and heavily considered as my agent of choice for my final essay was the biotoxin ricin that could be weaponized for a biological attack. I have known the toxic property of the castor bean plant since I was a child growing up here in Florida. I pass by dozens of these plants growing wild along the road every day. It was through the reading in this class that I came to understand just how toxic the seeds of this plant are. Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans and is part of the waste “mash” produced when castor oil is made (CDC 2013, n.p.). Exposure to ricin could be by way of inhalation, ingested in food or water or injected. This agent is not contagious and can not be transmitted person to person, however if an individual has …show more content…
It is a stable agent under normal conditions, but is rendered harmless after exposure to temperatures above 176 degrees Fahrenheit. The poison interacts with the human body by entering into the cells and preventing the cells from producing the protein they need to survive. The cells die as a result, the victim(s) will exhibit respiratory distress if the ricin has been inhaled. The lungs fill with fluid and respiratory failure can result in death. Those who have ingested ricin will exhibit vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. Within a few days, the victim's liver, spleen and kidneys cease function and death may result. Those who are injected with ricin will likely suffer the same gruesome death as Georgi Markov, a defected Bulgarian dissident writer living in London, who died in 1978 after he was assassinated by the
Death by Radiation Poisoning: Date of Case: 2000-2006 Location of Case: London, United Kingdom Summary of Case: Alexander V. Litvinenko, a former KGB operative, became a vocal critic of the Russian FSB and fled to London in 2000. When Litvinenko died, all eyes looked upon Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, who were business associates of Mr. Litvinenko. Apparently on the day he fell ill, Litvinenko had met with the associates and had drank tea from a teapot later found to be radioactive with Polonium-210, a very toxic metal. British officials accused both men of poisoning Litvinenko, yet both men denied the claims. 2.
In chapter 1 titled “Chloroform (CHCI3 )” of The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum, the most interesting story developed within the chapter was the unsolved mystery of eight deaths in a refuge called Odd Fellows Home. Frederic Mors, who claimed to be responsible for all these eight murders, confessed his own guilt in front of the district attorneys. As it was said, “To prove that these elderly residents had been poisoned, they needed solid evidence. [Rumors, suspicions, and anecdotes, a confession by a suspect who might just be crazy, weren’t enough to charge a man with murder.]” (Blum 13).
Foodborne botulism is transmitted by ingestion of toxin produced in food by C. botulinum. No person to person transmission.
The following involves the second chapter of Carson’s book, Silent Spring that was written in 1962. In this chapter Carson argues persuasively the adverse impacts of pesticides upon the environment and the risks on human health and the environment associated with these “genetic invaders” (Carson, 1962). Many of the extremely diverse people from Carson’s audience targeted were under the impression that chemicals like DDT, at that time in history, were safe for their health. Carson reconciles and attempts to persuade the public to consider the idea that DDT, which in the 1950s and 60s was one of the many chemical pesticides being manufactured and sold to
Rachel Carson, in her book, Silent Spring, asserts that Americans must seriously reconsider the reasons for which they unilaterally use poisons. Carson does not explicitly state this, for that would have little effect, rather she attempts to force the reader to reflect and question the status quo. She employs provocative and unapologetic diction and rhetorical questions to drive her message home.
In the mid-20th century, farmers used a toxic insecticide named parathion in an attempt to control pests detrimental to their crops. Rachel Carson was a biologist who wrote pamphlets (Lear) on conservation and natural resources designed to inform people on the beauty of the living world. In an excerpt from her 1962 work Silent Spring, Carson calls upon the public to take action against the use of parathion by highlighting its catastrophic nature and vilifying the agricultural community for their negligence.
These biological agents could be viruses, toxins, bacteria, etc. Agents could be used in war or terrorist attacks. Also, they could be modified to cause extreme diseases and disorders, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It makes bioterrorism even more tempting to use as it is easy and inexpensive to produce, disseminate and can cause a more widespread panic than other acts of terrorism (1).
In the beginning of this essay I would like to present some facts and figures related to our topic. On December 3, 1984, at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India there was a deadly leak of methyl isocyanate. It caused thousands of people to die and affected generations to come. The leak happened due to a series of human and mechanical failures. The local health officials were neither knowledgeable about the deadly chemical that was being stored there nor were they equipped to handle the tragedy. Another incident happened at the Union Carbide plant in West Virginia. A toxic cloud of the same chemical was leaked into the atmosphere and it was a shocking reminder that such accidents could happen in the both developed and developing countries. The statistics prove that chemical spills occur on a regular basis in different parts of the world. In 1976 there were
In the article “The Obligation to Endure” by Rachel Carson she explains the danger and harm that comes with using toxic chemicals such as pesticides on our crops. By doing so Carson brings to light that are numerous amounts of people that are un aware of the toxic chemicals that they are unknowingly inviting into their homes and bodies. This is also seen in “Preface” when author Carl G. Herndi says, “Writers need to make the invisible visible” (xxiv). Furthermore, this can be seen as a wake up call to all humanity. Both Carson and Herndl want to inform people onto what is going on in the world we live in, and to get people to start questioning rather harmful toxics are truly needed, and if so to what extreme.
T.V. and radio news stations report current events about the U.S. government almost daily, but how do these stories relate to the major government concepts in the United States? Government is the leaders of the United States who make decisions for our country. Politics is present in the way politicians act to get elected and in what the policymakers choose to work on. Democracy is the process we in the United States use to elect leaders who represent us. Contemporary democratic theories are present through the groups who possess a large amount of power, and another theory is demonstrated through most politicians being wealthy. The American political culture is evident in the strong beliefs Americans have about their rights. The current
In the book Silent Spring, Rachel Carson’s main concern is the widespread use of synthetic pesticides and their impact on the environment. Carson concentrates on a commonly used pesticide in the 1950s called DDT. She opposes the indiscriminate spraying of DDT because it has profound consequences on the environment, humans and animals. Carson collected information about how the DDT can cause cancer in humans, harm animals such as birds and remained in the environment for long periods of time. Subsequently, the chemicals in the pesticides are extremely harmful so she tries to raise awareness and convince others that there are better alternatives.
I would perchance, go with “Many people lack the understanding how our food is governed with harsh chemicals today”. Continue with “General population in America today, has a deficiency of facts on how companies are injecting antibiotics, hormones, and other foreign chemicals that are toxic, into many foods that are consumed by humans, wildlife, and possibly our vegetation” (Parshall, 2015). Then proceed with your quote by maybe addressing it like –Furthermore, I agree (or disagree?) with Samsel, in his article (write the name of the title), he goes on to state” Even animals blah, blah”(2012, para.00). I think there also maybe a few words missing out of the quote so please double check so you don’t receive a point off. The end of that paragraph I would put your sub-topic about the exercise as it would sum up the paragraph and possibly flow you into the next paragraph that should show treating the foods. This paragraph leads me to altering the corn not injecting. As I continue in the essay, it appears that you mention altering plenty, by chance do you have a quote or paraphrase for injecting in the first paragraph? If not maybe drop the injecting part out and leave it solely treating and altering? Somewhere throughout the bodies they seem to lose the flow of the thesis, maybe paraphrasing a little more of what your
The Mayan were a truly advanced civilization for their time. One of their great accomplishments was their numbering system. The Mayan zero was represented by a shell like picture
In 17 chapters, many of which can stand alone as essays, Carson develops a deceptively simple premise: the use and overuse of synthetic chemicals to control insect pests introduces these chemicals into the air, water, and soil and into the food chain where they poison animals and humans, and disrupt the many intricate
Injustice, a sin that has plagued humans since the beginning of time, has ruined many lives. Throughout history there are many occasions that injustice has led to a person losing all possessions and even death. One example of injustice that was faced was the relocation and internment of Japanese-Americans because of their heritage. The bombing of Pearl Harbor led to Japanese-Americans unjustly interned and relocated, in the end teaching us to educate others so this never happens again.