TO CLOSE

The FBI is investigating suspicious letters sent to the Pentagon containing substances suspected of being ricin. But what is ricin and why is it dangerous?
USA TODAY & # 39; HUI

Defense Department personnel, dressed in a protective suit, hand the mail to the screen when they arrive at the Pentagon on October 2, 2018.(Photo: Thomas Watkins, AFP / Getty Images)

Ricin is back in the news with reports that envelopes believed to contain poison have been sent to the White House and senior defense officials.

A white and powdery substance sent Tuesday to the headquarters of Senator Ted Cruz's campaign in Houston has, however, proved to be a false alarm.

A letter to President Donald Trump at the White House has been intercepted by the secret service, authorities said. Letters to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Navy Admiral John Richardson were seized at a Department of Defense mail center prior to meeting their goals, the statement said. Pentagon.

All envelopes were tested to confirm that ricin was involved. The Houston fire department evacuated the floor of a Texas building where Cruz's officers were, but later indicated that the tests on the powdery substance were negative for the poison.

Scamming the castor to attack politicians is not new. In 2014, actress Shannon Guess Richardson was sentenced to 18 years in prison for sending tainted letters of ricin to President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

More: Letters sent to the Pentagon, the White House to test for toxins

More: The French government says it's foiled a terrorist attack; 2 brothers held

What is castor?

Ricin is a poison of castor seeds, which are the seeds of castor oil that are commonly found in nature. Castor oil, a powerful laxative, is obtained by removing the balls and crushing the seeds, which also have other medicinal and manufacturing uses. Ricin is part of the waste produced during the manufacture of these products.

How bad is castor?

Military grade ricin is produced in small particles that can be inhaled. The smaller the particles, the more poisonous it is. It can be in the form of a powder, mist or lozenge, or it can be dissolved in water or a weak acid. Involuntary exposure to ricin is highly unlikely, but mastication and ingestion of castor bean can release ricin that can cause injury, says the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

How does castor kill?

Ricin attacks human cells, preventing them from producing the proteins they need. Without the proteins, the cells die. Eventually, it weakens the whole body and death can occur.

How are castor seeds converted into military grade ricin?

According to the CDC, it would take a "deliberate act" to make ricin that poisons people. If it is turned into a partially purified material or a terrorist or war agent, ricin could be used to expose people through air, food or water.

To what extent is ricin-induced disease contagious?

Ricin poisoning is not contagious. Ricin-associated illnesses can not be passed from one person to another through casual contact. However, if you come in contact with someone who has castor on their body or clothing, you may be exposed to it.

Has castor been used as a weapon?

The US military experimented with the use of ricin as a possible warfare agent as early as the Second World War. Ricin was linked to the Iraq-Iran war of the 1980s and, more recently, to terrorist organizations.

Are there positive uses of ricin?

Ricin has been used experimentally in medicine to kill cancer cells.

Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/03/ricin-explained-deadly-what/1507948002/