How can people be exposed to ricin?
Accidental exposure to ricin is highly unlikely. It would take a deliberate act to use it as a poison. People can be poisoned by breathing in ricin mist or powder. People can also be poisoned by swallowing ricin-contaminated food or water. Ricin may enter the body through the skin when combined with certain chemicals or if the skin is damaged. Pellets of ricin, or ricin dissolved in a liquid, can also be injected into people’s bodies. Depending on the route of exposure (such as injection), the amount of ricin that would fit on the head of a pin could be enough to kill an adult. Because ricin is a chemical poison, the illness it causes cannot be spread from person-to-person. However, contact with ricin-contaminated surfaces or people may transfer this poison and cause illness.
