* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

    Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, Boyd – CDC Gaming

    Top Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, and Boyd Take Center Stage

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Livonia police use grappler technology to stop drunk driver – ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

    Livonia Police Deploy Grappler Technology to Safely Stop Drunk Driver

    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    More than just a hockey player – Rochester Institute of Technology Athletics

    Beyond the Ice: The Inspiring Journey of a Remarkable Athlete from Rochester Institute of Technology

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra takes the Lollapalooza stage – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn, Warnock introduce CREATE Act to provide tax relief to music creators – Yahoo Home

    Sens. Blackburn and Warnock Launch CREATE Act to Deliver Tax Relief for Music Creators

    That’s (Political) Entertainment: When Theatre Meets Politics

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Changing Collective Bargaining in the Entertainment Industry – Jackson Lewis

    Future Script: How Generative AI Is Transforming Collective Bargaining in Entertainment

    The SBA’s live-entertainment bailout was supposed to end two years ago. We still don’t know how $1.5 billion was spent. – Yahoo Home

    $1.5 Billion Live-Entertainment Bailout: Two Years Later, Where Did the Money Go?

    Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, Boyd – CDC Gaming

    Top Wall Street Bets: Caesars, Golden Entertainment, Churchill Downs, GLPI, and Boyd Take Center Stage

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Livonia police use grappler technology to stop drunk driver – ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

    Livonia Police Deploy Grappler Technology to Safely Stop Drunk Driver

    Emory orthopaedic surgeons use robotic technology to transform knee replacement surgery – Emory News Center

    How Robotic Technology is Revolutionizing Knee Replacement Surgery

    Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (CTSH) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue … – Yahoo.co

    Cognizant Q2 2025 Earnings: Impressive Revenue Growth and Key Takeaways

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    Revving Up The U.S. Technology Engine – Forbes

    More than just a hockey player – Rochester Institute of Technology Athletics

    Beyond the Ice: The Inspiring Journey of a Remarkable Athlete from Rochester Institute of Technology

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    Smart Logistics in Warehousing – From Legacy Protocols to Green IoT – How Technology Is Reshaping the Sustainable Supply Chain – Logistics Viewpoints –

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

What is the world’s most dangerous chemical?

July 6, 2024
in Science
What is the world’s most dangerous chemical?
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A person testing an array of food items for botulism using laboratory equpiment

A researcher tests food for botulism.
(Image credit: DIGICOMPHOTO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)

It’s easy to think of some pretty nasty substances. Botulinum toxin, a poison produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria, is the most toxic naturally occurring substance on Earth, blocking nerve signals to muscles to cause death by paralysis. Similarly, the potent nerve agent VX, developed as a chemical weapon by the British military, also asphyxiates its victims by paralyzing the respiratory muscles. Chlorine trifluoride, an ultracorrosive colorless gas, is so reactive that it spontaneously explodes on contact with seemingly innocuous materials like water, sand and even the ashes of substances which have already burnt. 

There are so many diabolical possibilities, but which chemical is the most dangerous?

It comes down to a combination of effect and exposure—how much makes a deadly dose and what exactly will it do to you? Nerve agents are widely considered the most toxic chemical weapons owing to their tiny toxic limits and devastatingly rapid impacts on the human body: Just 10 milligrams (that’s ten thousandths of a gram) of VX is enough to cause death within minutes. Yet just one person has been killed by the nerve agent over the last decade.

Meanwhile, more than 100,000 people are accidentally poisoned in the U.S. every year by common household chemicals such as bleach and disinfectant, even though these substances are slower-acting and far less toxic than VX. And some common chemicals can be fatal when combined. For instance, combining drain cleaner and bleach will release poisonous chlorine gas. 

Those two examples highlight a key problem in ranking chemicals in order of danger: To evaluate danger, you need to know how likely you are to encounter a chemical.

Safety professionals define danger using a combination of two factors: hazard and risk. 

“A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm. Risk is the likelihood that harm will arise and the severity of that harm,” said Richard Webb, the health, safety, environment and well-being officer at the University of Cardiff’s School of Chemistry. The hazard is therefore a fixed property of a tool or chemical, while the risk varies depending on how that object is used.

Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

We automatically consider this balance of factors every day. Take the example of a kitchen knife: We know the blade is sharp and will cut things, including us, in the right circumstances. But it’s how we use and store the knife that determines whether it poses a danger to us, Webb told Live Science. 

Related: Can foxgloves really give you a heart attack?

This same logic applies to chemicals. “Even a very hazardous chemical does not pose any risk if there is no exposure,” a spokesperson for the Finland-based European Chemicals Agency told Live Science. Botulinum toxin, VX and chlorine trifluoride are therefore extremely hazardous but very, very low risk to the average person.

“Some hazardous chemicals are also essential for our health in small doses,” added the spokesperson, “whereas in higher exposures they may be lethal.”

Ordinary table salt is an excellent example. The small amount in our diets is vital to maintain the correct ion balance within our bodies, but too much can cause severe health problems, like high blood pressure and heart failure. Outside the body, large quantities of that same salt act as a weedkiller by overwhelming plants’ ion balance to the point of death.

Even determining which chemicals are the most hazardous is fraught with difficulty, as there are so many ways they could cause harm. In the European Union, classification, labeling and packaging regulations define nine hazardous characteristics, including toxic, explosive and corrosive. But again, Webb emphasized that which of these is most dangerous depends on the context.

For example, although chlorine is a common disinfectant in pools today, the concentrated gas was used as a chemical weapon in World War I and caused both chemical burns and respiratory irritation. The key difference though, is that pools include only a small amount of chlorine, and that small amount is dissolved into the water. “The thing that makes it high risk is the fact it’s a gas,” Webb said. 

On paper, sodium cyanide looks much worse. “It’s famously poisonous. It binds to your hemoglobin permanently, which stops it from carrying oxygen so you can’t respire,” Webb said. However, as a solid, it’s much easier to handle, meaning scientists using this toxic compound can more readily avoid the nasty effects of exposure. 

“If you work with it safely — you wear your PPE [personal protective equipment], work in a fume hood and wash your hands when you finish — the likelihood of contaminating yourself is pretty low,” Webb explained.

This means our safety is often within our own control. Anything can become dangerous if it’s not handled properly, but there are steps we can take to reduce the likelihood of harm. 

“The most important thing is knowing exactly what the hazards are and what you can do to minimize the risk,” Webb said.

Victoria Atkinson is a freelance science journalist, specializing in chemistry and its interface with the natural and human-made worlds. Currently based in York (UK), she formerly worked as a science content developer at the University of Oxford, and later as a member of the Chemistry World editorial team. Since becoming a freelancer, Victoria has expanded her focus to explore topics from across the sciences and has also worked with Chemistry Review, Neon Squid Publishing and the Open University, amongst others. She has a DPhil in organic chemistry from the University of Oxford.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Live Science – https://www.livescience.com/chemistry/what-is-the-worlds-most-dangerous-chemical

Tags: dangerousscienceWorld's
Previous Post

Study links social and non-social synchrony to romantic attractiveness

Next Post

Could a fire-breathing animal ever exist?

Endemism shapes viral ecology and evolution in globally distributed hydrothermal vent ecosystems – Nature

Endemism shapes viral ecology and evolution in globally distributed hydrothermal vent ecosystems – Nature

August 2, 2025
Scientists Finally Reveal the Hidden Trigger Behind Lightning Strikes

Scientists Finally Reveal the Hidden Trigger Behind Lightning Strikes

August 2, 2025
Young minds explore science at NDSU summer research program – InForum

Young Minds Ignite Curiosity at NDSU Summer Science Research Program

August 2, 2025
PlayStation Preparing to Release More Games on Xbox – Report – PlayStation LifeStyle

PlayStation Gears Up to Launch Exciting New Games on Xbox

August 2, 2025
Lexington County hits a home run hosting the Diamond Youth Baseball World Series – WLTX

Lexington County Hits a Home Run Hosting the Diamond Youth Baseball World Series

August 2, 2025
Some rural Texans see THC as a lifeline for their health and economy – The Texas Tribune

How THC Is Revolutionizing Health and Sparking Economic Growth in Rural Texas

August 2, 2025
Fox Corporation Acquires One-Third Interest in Penske Entertainment – INDYCAR.com

Fox Corporation Makes Bold Move with Major Investment in Penske Entertainment, Powering INDYCAR’s Future

August 2, 2025
Minnesotans face health impacts as wildfire smoke lingers – kare11.com

Minnesotans face health impacts as wildfire smoke lingers – kare11.com

August 2, 2025
Trump announces sweeping new levies for scores of countries – as it happened – The Guardian

Trump announces sweeping new levies for scores of countries – as it happened – The Guardian

August 2, 2025
Livonia police use grappler technology to stop drunk driver – ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4

Livonia Police Deploy Grappler Technology to Safely Stop Drunk Driver

August 2, 2025

Categories

Archives

August 2025
MTWTFSS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (751)
  • Economy (776)
  • Entertainment (21,653)
  • General (16,252)
  • Health (9,813)
  • Lifestyle (784)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (776)
  • Politics (785)
  • Science (15,989)
  • Sports (21,271)
  • Technology (15,753)
  • World (758)

Recent News

Endemism shapes viral ecology and evolution in globally distributed hydrothermal vent ecosystems – Nature

Endemism shapes viral ecology and evolution in globally distributed hydrothermal vent ecosystems – Nature

August 2, 2025
Scientists Finally Reveal the Hidden Trigger Behind Lightning Strikes

Scientists Finally Reveal the Hidden Trigger Behind Lightning Strikes

August 2, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version