Upload
f-lee
View
217
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
ARTICLE
Look What I Found! Poison Hunting on eBay1#
F. Lee Cantrell, Pharm.D.California Poison Control System, San Diego Division, San Diego, California, USA
University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, California, USA
Background. Many substances deemed too dangerous forcommercial use are still available to the general public. Thepurchase of these substances may potentially place members of thegeneral public at risk for serious poisonings. This study wasdesigned to document the large variety of dangerous poisonsreadily available on a popular online auction Web site. Methods.Over a 10-month period, the online auction Web site eBay1 wassearched daily using the terms ‘‘poison’’ and ‘‘contents.’’ Productname, active ingredients, what form the product is in, amount incontainer, and relative toxicity rating (Clinical Toxicology ofCommercial Products, Gosselin, et al.) were recorded. If available,pictures of the products were saved. Results. One hundredtwenty-one individual products were identified. Fifty-five werein solid/tablet form, 37 were powders, and 29 were liquids.Product containers were full for 56 items and partially full for 65.Twenty-four products contained ingredients rated as ‘‘super-toxic’’ and included strychnine (10), arsenic trioxide (8), cyanide(2) and nicotine, pilocarpine, phosphorus, powdered coniummaculatum (1 each). Sixty-three products contained ‘‘extremelytoxic’’ ingredients including thallium, picrotoxin, soluble barium,antimony, mercury, arsenates, podophyllin, fluoride, zinc phos-phide, atropine, scopolamine, and plant extracts of gelsemium,aconite, larkspur, and croton. Twenty-one products contained‘‘very toxic’’ ingredients including lead, copper, camphor,caffeine, theobromine, creosote, pyrogallic acid, sparteine, qui-nine, lindane, warfarin, phenol, and digitalis. The remaining 13were ‘‘moderately-slightly toxic.’’ Conclusion. While the viabilityof the labeled ingredients could not be verified, the transportation,handling, and potential utilization of these dangerous poisons bythe general public could result in serious poisonings.
Keywords Poisons; Internet; Auctions; Web
INTRODUCTION
While the sale and distribution of most toxic substances is
tightly regulated within the Unites States, many highly
dangerous chemicals and drugs can still be purchased with
relative ease. Many poisonous product containers (PPCs) for
sale by collectors still hold their original contents. The
purchase of these products may potentially place members of
the general public at risk for serious poisonings if uninten-
tional or intentional exposures occur. The purpose of this
study was to document the wide variety of dangerous toxins
and toxicants available for sale to the general public on a
popular online auction Web site.
METHODS
Over a 10-month period from May 2003 through February
2004, daily listings on the online auction Web site eBay1 were
searched by the author using only the terms ‘‘poison’’ and
‘‘contents.’’ Products advertised as containing any of
their \original contents were identified. Multiple listings for
the same product by the same seller were excluded, as were
listings in which the seller stated that the original contents
would be discarded prior to shipping. Product name, toxic
ingredient(s), product formulation, the amount of the product
in the container (full or partially full), and relative toxicity
rating [Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, Gosselin,
et al. (1)] were recorded in an Excel spreadsheet. Photographic
images of the products were saved in a separate file.
RESULTS
One hundred twenty-one individual products were identi-
fied over the study period. Fifty-five were in solid form (e.g.,
tablets, capsules, pellets), 37 were powders, and 29 were
liquids. Product containers were full for 56 items and partially
full for the remaining 65 products. Twenty-four products
(see Table 1) contained ingredients rated as ‘‘super toxic,’’
which possess a probable oral lethal dose (POLD) of less than
5 mg/kg. These included strychnine (10), arsenic trioxide (8),
cyanide (2) nicotine, pilocarpine, phosphorus, powdered
conium maculatum (1 each). Sixty-three products (see
Table 2) contained ‘‘extremely toxic’’ ingredients with a
POLD of 5–50 mg/kg and included thallium, picrotoxin,
soluble barium, antimony, inorganic mercury, arsenates,
#Presented as a Poster at the North American Congress of ClinicalToxicology, Seattle Washington, September 9–14, 2004.
Received 7 December 2004; accepted 9 March 2005.Address correspondence to F. Lee Cantrell, Pharm. D., Interim
Director, Assistant Clinical Professor of Pharmacy, 200 West ArborDrive, San Diego, CA 92103-8925, USA; Fax: (858) 715-6323;E-mail: [email protected]
375
Clinical Toxicology, 43:375–379, 2005
Copyright D Taylor & Francis Inc.
ISSN: 0731-3810 print / 1097-9875 online
DOI: 10.1081/CLT-200066073
Order reprints of this article at www.copyright.rightslink.com
Clin
ical
Tox
icol
ogy
Dow
nloa
ded
from
info
rmah
ealth
care
.com
by
Uni
vers
itaet
s- u
nd L
ande
sbib
lioth
ek D
uess
eldo
rf o
n 12
/25/
13Fo
r pe
rson
al u
se o
nly.
podophyllin, fluoride, zinc phosphide, atropine, scopolamine
and plant extracts of gelsemium, aconite, larkspur, and croton.
Twenty-one products (see Table 3) contained ‘‘very toxic’’
ingredients with a POLD of 50–500 mg/kg and included lead,
copper, camphor, caffeine, theobromine, creosote, pyrogallic
acid, sparteine, quinine, lindane, warfarin, phenol, and
digitalis. The remaining 13 products contained ingredients
that were classified as ‘‘moderately-slightly toxic’’ with
POLDs of 500 mg/kg or greater. Photographic images were
available for all but one product. Sellers were made up of both
private individuals and businesses.
DISCUSSION
With the relative ease and convenience of Internet
shopping, auction Web sites such as eBay1 are excellent
resources for collectors of all types. Based on the large number
of PPCs listed for sale daily during the study period, it appears
that collecting antique poison containers is a popular hobby. It
was common to see at least 120 of such listings on any given
day. A small portion of the PPCs for sale still contained at
least part of their original contents. Within this subgroup, it
was both surprising and alarming to see the wide variety of
dangerous substances available for purchase.
This study revealed that 107 of the 121 identified PPCs
(88%) contained 36 different toxins considered to be at least
‘‘very toxic’’ with POLDs of 50–500 mg/kg or less. Almost
all of the toxic substances listed were found in chemical
manufacturer containers, antique pesticides, or antique
pharmaceutical preparations. One exception was a vial of
poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans sp.) extract that was
being sold as a self-defense agent.
The PPCs sold on Ebay1 are intended to be purchased by
collectors only, with many sellers specifically stating this in
their listings. While the vast majority of the products
identified were being sold for the nostalgic appeal of their
containers, there is no guarantee that purchasers of these
products would not attempt to discard the contents or use them
in some way. The issue of accidental poisonings resulting
from mishandling or misusing these products must be raised
given the extremely toxic nature of some of the compounds.
Accidental ingestions of one of the ‘‘super toxic’’ or
‘‘extremely toxic’’ poisons could result in fatal outcomes
before an effective intervention could take place. Additionally,
many of the products identified have the potential to cause not
only local tissue damage, but also systemic toxicity through
dermal absorption. Acute dermal exposures to camphor,
podophyllin, strychnine, carbolic acid (phenol), and lindane
have all resulted in systemic poisonings (2–6).
Another concern is the possibility of malicious or criminal
use of these dangerous chemicals. Poisons obtained over the
Internet have been used as murder weapons in the past (7).
Given the ease of acquisition, relative anonymity of buyers,
and extremely toxic nature of the majority of the identified
TABLE 1
Super toxic substances
Ingredients Product name Form Contents
Arsenic trioxide Daisy Fly Killer, The Felix
Girard Red Check Rat and
Mouse Killer
S,P F
Arsenous acid Dispensary tablets; Hemaboloids T F,P
Arsenite, copper
acetate
Paris Green P P
Hydrocyanic acid Hydrocyanic acid L P
Mercury cyanide Antiseptic cyanide tablets T F
Nicotine Black Leaf 40 L P
Phosphorus Stearns Electric Brand Rat and
Roach Paste
C P
Pilocarpine Pilocarpine HCl P P
Conium maculatum
leaves
Conium leaves P P
Strychnine Cenol Poisoned Wheat;
Cenol Gopher Corn;
Gopher Death;
Strychnia Powder;
Citrate of Iron, Quinia,
and Strychnia
S,P,L F,P
S=solid; P=powder; L=liquid; T=tablet; C=cream/paste; F=full; P=partially full.
F. LEE CANTRELL376
Clin
ical
Tox
icol
ogy
Dow
nloa
ded
from
info
rmah
ealth
care
.com
by
Uni
vers
itaet
s- u
nd L
ande
sbib
lioth
ek D
uess
eldo
rf o
n 12
/25/
13Fo
r pe
rson
al u
se o
nly.
substances, online auction Web sites like eBay1 could be an
attractive source for obtaining the ingredients to be used by
someone with malevolent intentions. Many of the listed toxins
have been used as homicidal or suicidal agents since the
beginning of recorded medical history (8).
In addition, if there were exposures to some of these
antiquated toxins, it might prove difficult for health care
providers to find accurate or effective treatment information in
a timely manner. For those toxins in which an effective
antidote has been established, quickly locating a relatively
obscure antidote or large quantities of a commonly stocked
antidote could prove problematic.
Many of the products identified (21 total) in this data set
were labeled as pesticides and would therefore come under the
jurisdiction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) (9) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that was passed in 1947. Under this
act, the EPA requires all pesticides sold or distributed in the
United States (including imported pesticides) to be registered
with the EPA. According to information obtained on the
EPA’s Web site, ‘‘Auction sites, like eBay, include both
general auction sites and agricultural chemical auction sites.
These Web sites often act like brokers and bring buyers and
sellers together to sell pesticides. eBay has developed, in
cooperation with U.S. EPA, and implemented a policy that
allows for the sale of general use pesticides in clean, emp-
ty containers as collectibles. This policy prohibits the sale
of restricted use pesticides, unregistered, cancelled, or sus-
pended pesticides.’’
Under eBay’s Prohibited and Restricted Items section, it
states: ‘‘It is the seller’s responsibility to ensure that the
pesticide container or device is empty and rinsed before
TABLE 2
Extremely toxic substances
Ingredients Product name Form Contents
Aconite Tincture of Aconite L P
Antimony Tartar Emetic;
Vinum Antimoniale
P,L P
Arsenate, sodium Terro Ant Killer L P
Atropine sulfate Atropine Sulfate Tablets;
Atropine Sulfate Powder
T,P P
Barium carbonate Kill the Rat P F
Barium sulfide Barium Sulfide P P
Belladonna extract Belladonna Liniment;
Belladonna Leaves
L,P P,F
Croton oil Croton Oil L P
D.D.T., sodium fluoride Rockwell’s DDT Roach Rid P P
Gelsemium Gelsemium Extract L F,P
Hydrastinine hydrochloride Hydrastinine HCl P P
Larkspur extract Larkspur Extract L P
Mercuric and potassium iodide Germicidal Disks S F
Mercurous chloride Powdered Calomel P P
Mercury bichloride Diamond Antiseptics;
Antiseptic Tablets;
Corrosive Sublimate;
White Mercury
Bichloride Tablets; etc.
T,P F,P
Mercury, ammoniated Ammoniated Mercury Ointment C F
Picrotoxin Picrotoxin P P
Podophyllin Podophyllin tablets T F
Scopolamine hydrobromide Scopolamine tablets T F
Sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate,
nitroglycerin
Sodium Nitrite Compound T P
Thallium Antrol Ant Trap S F
Zinc phosphide Zinc Phosphide Powder P P
S=solid; P=powder; L=liquid; T=tablet; C=cream/paste; F=full; P=partially full.
377LOOK WHAT I FOUND! POISON HUNTING ON eBAY1
Clin
ical
Tox
icol
ogy
Dow
nloa
ded
from
info
rmah
ealth
care
.com
by
Uni
vers
itaet
s- u
nd L
ande
sbib
lioth
ek D
uess
eldo
rf o
n 12
/25/
13Fo
r pe
rson
al u
se o
nly.
offering it for sale on eBay.’’ The only exception to this is the
stipulation ‘‘The container and/or original packaging is
unopened, and the pesticide is registered by U.S. EPA (Note:
Some states have additional requirements on both the seller
and pesticide product.), and the pesticide is properly labeled,
and the pesticide is not restricted, suspended, or canceled, and
the seller verifies that the container may be shipped in
accordance with postal regulations.’’
Based on our data, it appears that pesticides are being listed
for sale despite being in direct violation of eBay policies and
EPA regulations. An example of this is the availability of
products containing restricted, suspended, or cancelled toxins.
An example is the organochlorine pesticide dichlorodiphenyl-
trichloroethane or DDT, which was banned from commercial
use in the U.S. in 1972 (10). Other examples of toxins no
longer available on the U.S. market, yet listed in some of the
pesticides for sale include thallium, phosphorous, nicotine,
soluble barium, sodium fluoride, and alpha-naphthyl thiourea
(or ANTU). Another example of an apparent policy violation
is that 9 out of the 21 products labeled as pesticides (43%)
contained only part of their original contents. This clearly does
not conform to eBay’s stipulation about pesticides being in
their unopened original packaging and/or container.
eBay’s policy on the listing of medications states, ‘‘eBay
does not permit the listing of any controlled drug or item that
requires a prescription from a licensed practitioner (such as a
doctor, dentist, or optometrist) to dispense.’’ However, our data
revealed two examples of controlled substances being sold, one
preparation that contained opium extract (along with lead
acetate), as well as one that contained codeine. The sale of
these medicinal agents not only violates eBay’s internal policy
but possibly the U.S. Controlled Substances Act. While the risk
of toxicity from such outdated medications could be question-
able due to loss of potency, poisonings from medicationsFIG. 1. Examples of substances for sale.
TABLE 3
Very toxic substances
Ingredients Product name Form Contents
Caffeine salicylate Caffeine Salicylate P F
Camphor Powdered Camphor P F
Carbolic acid Carbolic Acid L P
Codeine Bell’s Codeine Syrup L P
Copper sulfate Copper Sulphate Crystals P P
Creosote Oil of Smoke; Stanley’s Crow Repellent L P
Cresylic acid Lysol Disinfectant L P
Digitalis Powdered Digitalis Leaves P P
Lead acetate, *opium extract Sugar of Lead; Lead and Opium extract*, Opium and Lead Pills* P,L,T P,F
Lead carbonate Lead Carbonate P P
Lead iodide Iodide Lead Powder P F
Lindane Gammexane Smoke Generator P F
Phenacetin, quinine Phenacetin and Quinine Compound T F
Pyrogallic acid Pyrogallic Acid P P
Sparteine Sparteine Sulfate P F
Theobromine Theobromine P P
Warfarin Rough and Ready Kills Rats and Mice S F
S=solid; P=powder; L=liquid; T=tablet; C=cream/paste; F=full; P=partially full.
F. LEE CANTRELL378
Clin
ical
Tox
icol
ogy
Dow
nloa
ded
from
info
rmah
ealth
care
.com
by
Uni
vers
itaet
s- u
nd L
ande
sbib
lioth
ek D
uess
eldo
rf o
n 12
/25/
13Fo
r pe
rson
al u
se o
nly.
35 years out of date have been reported (11). Many products
originally marketed as pharmaceutical agents to be adminis-
tered as packaged or to be used in pharmaceutical compound-
ing would not fall under the EPA’s jurisdiction.
A concerning finding of this study is that the regulatory
status of many poisonous substances listed for sale are
relatively ambiguous in that they are neither prescription
medications nor pesticides as packaged. At least 25 listings
involved pharmaceutical grade toxins in their full, original
manufacturer-sealed containers. Included in the identified
listings was a 100-count bottle of 1/2 grain (32 mg) arsenic
trioxide tablets. Based on reported oral lethal doses of 200 mg
in adults (12) and 1 mg/kg in children (13), this would
represent enough arsenic trioxide to potentially fatally poison
at least 17 adults or 320 10-kg children. A similar example
involves a sealed 1/8-ounce bottle of pure strychnine powder
(Fig. 1). This amount would yield enough poison to potentially
kill at least 30 adults or 370 10-kg children if ingested. An
equally alarming example was a sealed 1/8-ounce bottle of
pure pilocarpine powder, an extremely potent cholinergic
agent. With a reported adult oral lethal dose of 60 mg (14),
there is enough pilocarpine in that single bottle to kill at least
60 adults.
LIMITATIONS
Several factors in this study limit the ability to draw more
concrete conclusions. The actual number of dangerous
substances available for sale during the study period might
have been much higher, but were not detected due to the
limited search terms used. Further, toxicity scales only reflect
the relative potency of a given substance and do not
incorporate other variables (bioavailability, dose, confounding
patient risk factors, etc.) that determine the actual risk of
developing clinical toxicity. Additionally, while multiple
auction items were purchased by the author and the sealed
contents appeared to be authentic, analysis to confirm
authenticity was not performed.
CONCLUSIONS
While the purity, concentration, and remaining efficacy of
the labeled ingredients could not be verified, the transporta-
tion, handling, and potential utilization of these dangerous
poisons by the general public could result in serious poison-
ings. A product containing a toxin rated either super toxic or
extremely toxic (87 total) was listed for sale roughly every
fourth day over the 10-month observational period. Given the
results of this observational study, closer scrutiny of the
existing rules, regulations, and policies regarding the sale of
PPCs via the Internet is warranted. Any Web site that allows
the sale of these items needs to be diligent in their efforts to
strictly adhere to federal guidelines in order to prevent
unnecessary and tragic poisonings.
REFERENCES
1. Gosselin RE, Smith RP, Hodge HC. Clinical Toxicology of Commercial
Products. 5th ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1984.
2. Skoglund RR, Ware LL, Schanberger IE. Prolonged seizures due to
contact and inhalation exposure to camphor: a case report. Clin Pediatr
1977; 16:901– 902.
3. Slater GE, Rumack BH, Peterson RG. Podophylline poisoning—
systemic toxicity following cutaneous application. Obstet Gynecol
1978; 52:94–96.
4. Greene R, Meatherall R. Dermal exposure to strychnine. J Anal Toxicol
Jul.– Aug. 2001; 25(5):344– 347.
5. Bentur Y, Shoshani O, Tabak A, Bin-Nun A, Ramon Y, Ulman Y,
Berger Y, Nachlieli T, Peled YJ. Prolonged elimination half-life of
phenol after dermal exposure. J Toxicol, Clin Toxicol 1998; 36(7):707–
711.
6. Lee B, Groth P. Scabies. Transcutaneous poisoning during treatment.
Pediatrics 1977; 59:643.
7. http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/01/10/otsc.gupta.cyanide/,
Accessed Feb. 10, 2005.
8. Wax PM. Historical principles and perspectives. In Goldfrank LR,
Flomenbaum NE, Lewin NA, et al., eds. Goldfrank’s Toxicologic
Emergencies. 7th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2002:1– 17.
9. http://www.epa.gov/compliance/assistance/pesticides/pestecomfact.
html#appliciblelaw, Accessed Nov. 1, 2004.
10. http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/pbt/ddt.htm, Accessed Nov. 1, 2004.
11. Regenthal R, Stefanovic D, Albert T, Trauer H, Wolf T. The
pharmacologic stability of 35-year old theophylline. Human Exp Toxicol
Jun. 2002; 21(6):343– 346.
12. Baselt RC. Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man. 7th ed.
Foster City, CA: Chemical Toxicology Institute, 2004:82 – 85.
13. Caravati ME. Arsenic and arsine gas. In Dart RC, ed. Medical
Toxicology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins,
2004:1393– 1401.
14. Cordner SM, Fysh RR, Gordon H. Deaths of two hospital inpatients
poisoned by pilocarpine. Br Med J 1986; 293:1285– 1287.
379LOOK WHAT I FOUND! POISON HUNTING ON eBAY1
Clin
ical
Tox
icol
ogy
Dow
nloa
ded
from
info
rmah
ealth
care
.com
by
Uni
vers
itaet
s- u
nd L
ande
sbib
lioth
ek D
uess
eldo
rf o
n 12
/25/
13Fo
r pe
rson
al u
se o
nly.