Posted on 02/25/2006 4:48:19 AM PST by genefromjersey
Edited on 02/25/2006 5:53:54 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Updated story from Yahoo News & AP:
Ricin Discovered in Texas Dormitory
AUSTIN - A University of Texas student found a substance that has tested positive for ricin, a potentially deadly poison, in a roll of quarters she was using to do laundry in her dormitory, officials said.
The student and her roommate were being treated for potential exposure to the poison, although neither has exhibited symptoms, said Dr. Theresa Spalding of UT Student Health Services.
The student told university police she found the chunky powder Thursday as she was doing her laundry at the Moore-Hill dormitory, Spalding said. Preliminary tests for ricin came back positive Friday.
"We were very concerned as soon as we heard about the positive testing late this evening," Spalding said. She said the quarters had been in the students' dorm room for several months.
Ricin is extracted from castor beans and can be added to food or water, injected or sprayed as an aerosol. It can be in the form of a powder, mist, pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.
Symptoms can include anything from difficulty breathing, fever, cough, nausea and sweating to severe vomiting and dehydration.
The dorm was sanitized and inspected, and students were cleared to return, the university said.
Ricin Discovered in Texas Dormitory
____
AUSTIN - A substance discovered by a student in a University of Texas dormitory has tested positive for ricin, a potentially deadly poison, officials said.
The chunky powder was found at the Moore-Hill dormitory Thursday and reported to university police, officials said. Tests for ricin came back positive Friday. Officials don't know where it came from, said campus police spokeswoman Rhonda Weldon.
I found this sentence particularly difficult to relate to:
She said the quarters had been in the students' dorm room for several months.
In my experience, all spare change in the dorm is collected and exchanged for pizza and beer on Saturday night. EVERYBODY is required to give whatever they have. If you happen to be broke this week, it's OK; you still can have pizza and beer as long as you pitch in whatever you have whenever you can. But if you get caught holding back, you're DOOMED. Heck, you're not only cut-off from sharing the pizza and beer, you're gonna find all your other precious possessions moved to the dormitory dumpster. It just ain't worth the risk.
It must not be as rare as I thought, either. I know just the word "ricin" strikes fear in my heart, so I don't think I've noticed it very much, or I'd remember.
Ha! Sorry, just reading my pings and replying willy-nilly!
You should have seen our daughter's room when she moved out of the house...We were tempted to just burn it out rather than risk entering without full MOPP gear...
The production of the Evil Castor Bean is not possible without another Deadly Evil substance.
The Dreaded Dihydrogenmonoxide!
No problem at all. Thanks for getting back.
AL Queda or USC Trojan attack?
"Authorities tell us there was no terrorism involved, they say the suspect planned to poison his wife."
That's ok then.
Because Zarqawi's head was on the quarters.
What's "Safe Sex on Campus" got to do with it ? :)
bump!
We will hear the rest of the story eventually.
To save people using Google Earth or whatnot, Brandermill is the name of a housing development not a town. The upper middle class folks that live in Brandermill have a Chesterfield, VA ZIP code.
Thank you for that post! I did not know what Ricin was. I use Castor oil in my handmade soaps for troubled skin. We also plant them to keep out moles and shrews. I suppose thats another thing thats gonna be taken off the market. Just like Red Devil Lye because of the wretched meth makers. Line them up and shoot them.
You're welcome!
Although it seems supposedly easy to manufacture ricin from castor seeds, I doubt one could make it by accident/unknowingly.
The toxin (ricin) can be in the form of a powder, mist, pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid. Ricin is quite stableand is not affected much by extreme conditions such as very hot or very cold temperatures.
Ricin is extremely toxic by several routes of exposure. When inhaled as a small particle aerosol, this toxin can produce pathologic changes within 8 hours and severe respiratory symptoms followed by acute hypoxic (low oxygen) respiratory failure within 36-72 hours. When ingested, ricin causes severe gastrointestinal symptoms followed by vascular collapse and death.
http://www.answers.com/topic/ricin
What the heck? My parents live in Brandermill...
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