Is there a poison so potent that you can die from A. Inhaling the vapour, or B. Absorbing it into your skin?

Question

This is just a random question that popped into my head, started getting me curious.

Is there a poison that could do something crazy like this? [Is Arsenic the worst poison?]

Answer 1

nerve agents ( cholineserase inhibitors like sarin , VX , or cyclosarin are really poisonous and very fast.  Ricin is slower but quite toxic.....totallly blocks protein synthesis. alpha conotoxin from Conus geographicus is a sodium channel blocker like tetrodotoxin from tjhe pugger fish and blue ringed octopus and batrachotoxin from poison arrow  frog..enhaled mist......bad,,injected VERY bad,,

polonium 210  estimates about 1 ng is lethal powerful alpha emitter.

botulinum type A toxin..est  0.1 -1.5   ug /Kg body weight   paralysis and death...hrs ..

Answer 2

There are plenty of poisons which can kill you when you inhale them. For example, hydrogen cyanide (you have heard of cyanide before?) with formula HCN boils slightly above room temperature and as such is usually encountered in vapour form, and is very toxic on inhalation. The gases HN3 (hydrogen azide) and H2S (hydrogen sulfide) have similar toxicity.

The vapours of urushiols, the allergenic components of poison ivy, are also particularly unpleasant to inhale, as inhalation can cause the rash to afflict the inside of the lungs, leading to fatal breathing difficulties [Wikipedia].

As for skin absorption, hydrofluoric acid? Yes, it is corrosive, but it is more poisonous than it is corrosive when applied to the human body. It is readily absorbed due to the small size of the molecule. Spilling it over 2% of the surface area of the body is usually fatal. As well, the organic solvent DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) is readily absorbed into the skin, and carries with it whatever was dissolved in it!

Answer 3

Nerve agents (like Sarin gas) are quite toxic when inhaled. Death can result.

Blistering agents (like mustard gas) cause the skin to bubble. They also can kill you.

[Is Arsenic the worst poison?] - That's up for debate - what do you mean by worst ?. Does it matter which one kills you. Having said that very small doses of ricin or plutonium would do the trick.

Answer 4

Anthrax was in the news recently.