Features of ricin toxin, at the centre of alleged terror plot, Pg26

Key Highlights:

• The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad arrested three men for allegedly producing Ricin, a lethal chemical compound.
• The accused allegedly planned a terror attack, surveying locations including the RSS office in Lucknow and markets in Delhi and Ahmedabad.
• Ricin is easily produced from castor beans and is lethal even in small doses (1 mg can kill an adult).
• Ricin is listed as a Schedule 1 toxin under the Chemical Weapons Convention, indicating its high risk as a chemical weapon.

Detailed Insights:

• Ricin functions by attaching to ribosomes within cells, halting protein synthesis and potentially causing multi-organ failure and death.
• While castor seeds are widely available, ricin poisoning is rare because the seeds are hardy, and the poison is only released if the seed is damaged.
• Symptoms of ricin ingestion include severe vomiting, diarrhoea, low blood pressure, hallucinations, seizures, and breathing difficulties; treatment focuses on managing symptoms as there is no antidote.
• The United States studied ricin as a chemical agent during World War I, but faced challenges in stabilizing and aerosolizing it.
• Iraq attempted to develop ricin as an inhalable aerosol in 1980, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
• A notable criminal use of ricin was in 1978, when it was used to assassinate Bulgarian journalist Gorgi Markov in London.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Ricin: A toxic protein extracted from castor beans that inhibits protein synthesis in cells.
• Ribosomes: Cellular structures responsible for reading genetic code and synthesizing proteins.
• Aerosolization: The process of converting a substance into a fine mist or aerosol for suspension in the air.
• Chemical Weapons Convention: An international treaty banning the development, production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons.