What is the Most Dangerous Chemical?

[DrDu]

Ahhh Wikipedia enlightens. The dastardly effects include making coffee and wine taste like treated fiberboard?

:-) and that at concentrations in the ng/l range.

 

[Almeisan]

I agree with DNA. Without DNA there is no danger and no death.

 

[msarts]

Hydrogen cyanide is the most dangerous chemical.Cyanide kills by binding to the iron in our blood cells and choking them off, removing their ability to transfer oxygen throughout the body.

 

[TeethWhitener]

Hydrogen cyanide is the most dangerous chemical.Cyanide kills by binding to the iron in our blood cells and choking them off, removing their ability to transfer oxygen throughout the body.

You're describing carbon monoxide, which binds to iron found in the heme groups in hemoglobin, shutting down oxygen transport. Cyanide binds to iron in the heme groups in cytochrome c oxidase, which is found in mitochondria and is responsible for cellular respiration. In fact, cyanide is really useful in certain biochemistry experiments where you need to shut down cellular respiration to examine an oxygen-sensitive process.

 

[David Carroll]

DMT. Trust me on this one.

 

[AgentSmith]

I really hope terrorists do not come across this forum.

 

[Almeisan]

You mean 'politicians'?

 

[Kekule]

I do agree that the parameters of the question are poorly defined, but I'll still throw out a few of the most dangerous things that I've had to work with.

Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (Triflic Acid): pKa around the -13 range, nasty stuff.
Fluoroantimonic acid: The most potent superacid known, pKa around the -25 range. This stuff is ridiculously dangerous.
Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO): Anything that penetrates the skin so easily deserves a mention.

...and pyridine! Well, pyridine is mostly dangerous to your nose. But, like others have said, the question is too vague.

 

[certainly]

Fluoroantimonic acid: The most potent superacid known, pKa around the -25 range. This stuff is ridiculously dangerous.

It burns through just about everything, except teflon, right? Can you describe the extra laboratory precautions that you had to take when handling that stuff ? And (if you are at liberty to) what you used it for ?

 

[Kekule]

It burns through just about everything, except teflon, right? Can you describe the extra laboratory precautions that you had to take when handling that stuff ? And (if you are at liberty to) what you used it for ?

Yes, it is contained in Teflon. You make it fresh if you're planning on using it, because good luck storing it with any success. And of course, it instantly reacts with even the slightest amount of moisture in the air. So you have to use a glove box, but you also grab some extended tongs so that you don't have to come into contact with it at all. Here is some discussion about it you might find interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Fluoroantimonic_acid#1016_or_1019.3F

It is very, very nasty stuff. When I used it, it was for reactions related to alkane metathesis (yes, alkane and not alkene). I'd prefer to never come near the stuff again.

 

[Mad scientist]

I would say Sodium Cyanide (NaCN).

Sodium cyanide is actually quite safe to use as long as it is used properly with the proper PPE.

 

[Mad scientist]

Botulinum toxin, one of only two substances (the other being the narcotic angel dust) that is lethal in nanogram levels.About 80kg is enough to kill about 8 billion people.Of course the most dangerous substance you are likely to encounter in the workplace is hydrofluoric acid. It is highly corrosive, will dissolve glass, seep into your skin, burn through to the flesh below before you would even feel it and dissolve your bones. It is also acutely toxic and will damage your internal organs and it only takes a fist sized spill on your skin at 10% concentration to be deadly.

 

[AgentSmith]

Sodium cyanide is actually quite safe to use as long as it is used properly with the proper PPE.

Very true. I used to handle sodium cyanide fairly often. Gloves(long ones), lab coat, respirator, and a steady hand. And best not to drop it in acid outside a glove box.That's how California used to execute human beings. For that matter, don't mix vinegar, often used to clean windows, and "clorox".

Botulinum toxin is a good candidate as per Mad scientist. But as someone mentioned, the parameters matter. I had injections of the stuff to mitigate some inherited wrinkles.
Other than a tendency to go into convulsions there were no side effects.

 

[HallsofIvy]

A lot of people die from H2O

That was what SteamKing said in post number 5.

 

[Mad scientist]

Carbon dioxide kills a lot of people too.

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

Thank you all for help .i have a question about this=
http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/01/top-10-most-deadly-poisons-known-to-mankind-2526172.html
i will ask it later...

 

[Mad scientist]

Thank you all for help .i have a question about this=
http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/01/top-10-most-deadly-poisons-known-to-mankind-2526172.html
i will ask it later...

I would tend to be very wary of that particular site;

http://beforeitsnews.com/space/2015...already-entered-our-solar-system-2491530.html

 

[SomebodyElseToo]

Dimethylcadmium

 

[jackmell]

what is the Most Dangerous Chemical or poison in the world?

Why not now consult the Merk Index for all the chemicals suggested and find the one with the most lethal dose. I think it's called LD50 or something like that. Tally the results and then write a nice summary quantifying (like Chemists do) the results from least to most. I suggest finding the top 10 quantifiable most toxic man-made compounds (or 10 of the most . . .) to get practice doing real chemistry. Also if you don't mind, kindly explain why chemically, what chemically, causes these substances to be so toxic.

For example, purines and pyrimidines are extremely toxic because they have similar structures to DNA and thus have the capability of interfering with DNA replication. Is this group of compounds in a list of "most toxic"?