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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

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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

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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


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


377LOOK WHAT I FOUND! POISON HUNTING ON eBAY1

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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


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


F. LEE CANTRELL378

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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.

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