Poisons are those chemicals that can cause poisoning up to death if they enter the body. Poisonous substances surround a person in everyday life, meeting him in medicines, the environment, household products and in many other aspects of life. Often, a person does not even realize the whole danger that such components face him every day.
Currently, there are so many such substances, including due to the development and use of inorganic poisons for military purposes, that this branch of science has required an extensive classification according to various characteristics: from separation according to the chemical composition of poisons to classification according to the effect on the body.
Basic classifications
There are a lot of poisons. Currently, when creating different types of toxic substances, a large number of chemical compounds are used, and the nature of their biological effects is so diverse and extensive that several types of classifications are used. They are based on various aspects that take into account the state of aggregation of the components, the degree of toxicity and danger, as well as the nature of the effect on the body and many other signs.
The classification of poisons according to the state of aggregation in the air implies the following groups:
- gases
- couples;
- aerosols (solid and liquid).
Classification by composition includes:
- organic
- inorganic;
- organoelement.
In accordance with this chemical nomenclature, the group and class of active substances is also determined.
Poisons are an extremely large group of compounds that can enter the body in a variety of ways, affecting a particular system of the human body. Based on this fact, a classification of poisons was created based on the aspect of the penetration of poison into the body:
- through the skin;
- through the digestive system;
- through the airways.
The most basic pathways for the entry of toxic substances are indicated here. Once inside the body, different types of poisons can behave in accordance with their own characteristics. The action of toxic substances can be general or local, resorptive (manifested through absorption into the blood and damage to internal organs and tissues) and elective (selective effect: for example, the effect of narcotic substances on the nervous system). Also, some compounds have a cumulative property: over time, they accumulate in the body until they exceed the maximum permissible concentration, and only then will intoxication begin. There is also a more extensive classification.
Classification by origin
Poisons - toxic substances that, when ingested, can cause poisoning or death. Among other things, all such compounds are also classified by their origin: they can be of natural origin (biological and non-biological) or synthetic, that is, artificially created.
Natural Toxicants
A huge group of poisons is contained in the environment, it includes not only plants and animals, but also many other poisonous representatives of the environment. Moreover, toxicants can have both biological and non-biological origin and, in one way or another, relate to the natural environment. It is worth considering each section of toxicants in more detail.
Biological origin
Many representatives of flora and fauna, as well as some bacteria, have the ability to produce their own poisons. As a rule, toxins are secreted by their organisms for the purpose of protection and survival in an aggressive environment.
Plant poisons
Many plants on Earth contain dangerous poisons. The following types are distinguished:
- Plant alkaloids are organic compounds with a nitrogen content. Contained in various concentrations in many plants. A distinctive feature of any alkaloid is a bitter aftertaste. Alkaloids include substances that contain muscarine (in fly agaric), indole and phenylethylamine (in hallucinogenic mushrooms), pyrrolidine (in tobacco and carrots), solanine (in tomato and potato leaves), and atropine (in dope and belladonna).
- Myotoxins are poisons found in molds.
- Ricin is a poison of protein origin, found in castor beans. The lethal dosage for humans is 0.3 mg / kg.
Animal poisons
A very large number of animals on earth produce their own poisons. These toxins are divided into several groups:
- Animal alkaloids - secrete some types of animals.
- Bacteriotoxins - poisons that enter the body through bacteria, viruses and infections: palitoxin, botulism toxin.
- Konotoxin is a compound that will be contained in some types of gastropods. The lethal dose for humans is 0.01 mg / kg.
- Taipotoxin is a poison secreted by Australian snakes. The lethal dose is 2 mg / kg.
- Titutoxin is the deadly poison that Australian scorpions secrete. The lethal dosage is 0.009 mg / kg.
- Snake venom, including cobra venom, is a large complex of toxic polypeptides with special enzymes, proteins, and inorganic components. There are three main groups of such compounds: the poison of aspids and sea snakes, vipers and pit viper.
- Poisons of spiders, which contain neurotoxins. Most tropical species of spiders are dangerous. The degree of influence of their toxins is quite wide - from mild poisoning to death. Most often, such insects affect the population and livestock in tropical areas.
- Bee venom is a compound with toxic polypeptides in the composition. In small doses, bee venom is considered useful, but with too many bites in a person or animal, organ intoxication can occur.
- Venom of jellyfish and intestinal - found in stinging cells of such organisms. It has a very diverse lethal dosage. The composition of such a compound is based on neurotoxins.
Bacterial toxins
Currently, more than 50 types of bacterial toxins have been described. All of them are divided into:
- endogenous - compounds that bacteria secrete upon destruction;
- exogenous - poisons that microorganisms release into the environment in the process of life.
Non-biological origin
There are not only natural poisons secreted by representatives of the living environment, but also toxins of non-biological origin. As a rule, they are divided into two large sections:
- inorganic compounds;
- organic compounds.
There are a huge number of types of poisons of organic origin. Scientists systematized them by action:
- hematical;
- myotoxic;
- neurotoxic;
- hemolytic;
- protoplasmic;
- hemotoxins;
- nephrotoxins;
- necrotoxins;
- cardiotoxins;
- xenobiotics;
- ethoxicants;
- pollutants;
- supertoxicants.
Synthetic
This group includes a huge number of toxicants with different structure and composition:
- Synthetic alkaloids are anesthetizing pharmacological drugs. Their use in medicine is strictly limited to safe dosages, since these therapeutic poisons are active substances that can lead to severe intoxication of the body, even death. Some of the synthetic alkaloids are psychedelics, representing a group of passive toxic substances: they affect the human mind so much that they can provoke him to attempt suicide.
- Ecotoxins are the result of negative human environmental impacts. Pollution of the soil, water and air has led to the “boomerang effect”, and now the connections circulating everywhere return to the person, causing harm to his health. Unlike other poisons, ecotoxins act much deeper, creating disorders at the level of genetic modification, forcing the mutation of the genes of the human body.
- Radioisotopes are radioactive substances that can lead to severe intoxication of the body, as well as radiation sickness and exacerbation of cancer, which leads to death.
- Xenobiotics are synthetic substances that contain substances that are harmful to the normal functioning of the body. Such industrial poison is abundant in household chemicals, insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, freons, fumigants, antifreezes, plastics, repellents, etc. All these household chemicals slowly and imperceptibly destroy the human body. There is also a group of particularly potent poisons from the group of xenobiotics, the effect of which is detected immediately: for example, dioxins.
- Lacrimator - a component that has a tear effect on the human body. It is widely used in the fight against lawbreakers and to disperse various demonstrations.
- Combat poisonous substances are special poisons that are used during hostilities with the aim of defeating the enemy. The use of poisons of this group is quite popular due to their speed and severity of damage. Man invented a huge number of different toxic substances for physiological effects on the enemy. Among the most widespread compounds of this group are mustard, hydrocyanic acid, phosgene, chlorocyan, sarin, and Novichok poison.
- Carbon monoxide is another poisonous substance created by human hands during the misuse of gas appliances.
Classification by Human Use
Poisons have become a dangerous, but in many ways useful tool in the hands of man. Nowadays, toxic substances surround people everywhere: in the environment, in medicines, household items, and even in food. Poisons are used in the creation of:
- solvents and glue;
- food additives;
- medicines;
- cosmetics
- pesticides;
- chemical synthesis ingredients;
- oil and fuel.
Hazardous compounds are also found in waste products, in various impurities and by-products of chemical synthesis.
Exposure classification
Each poison has a number of its own characteristic properties. Therefore, each toxin has its own specific effects on the body or the environment. Classification by this feature distinguishes the following types of poisons:
- industrial toxicants;
- environmental pollutants;
- chemical warfare agents;
- household toxicants;
- harmful addictions (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, etc.);
- emergency catastrophic origin.
Each person needs to have a basic understanding of the classification of poisons. After all, they are found literally at every step. Significant harm can be done by both the Novice venom and snake venom. Therefore, it is better to be aware of the main groups of toxic substances and their effects on the body. Frequent and close contact with substances containing toxic elements in a dose exceeding the maximum permissible, is fraught with intoxication, severe poisoning and even death. Especially dangerous for humans is the venom of cobra and other snakes. Therefore, you should be careful when visiting the countries where they live.
Such an extensive system of classification of poisons implies a huge number of different types of poisonous substances that surround a person throughout his life - this is especially true for people living in large cities or living in the Australian jungle. Toxins can enter the human body in virtually any way. Therefore, in this case, forewarned means armed.