ARSENIC POISONING

TYPE OF POISON

• Pure element on the periodic table
• Number 33
• Metalloid

LEVEL OF POISON

• 20 grams can kill a person within 20 minutes

CHEMISTRY OF THE POISON

• Arsenic is a chemical element
• The symbol is As
• Arsenic is used in bronzing, pyrotechnics, and for hardening shot
• It is increasingly be used for doping agent in solid state device
• Other names are Arsenate, Arsenic Pentoxide, and Arsenic Trichloride.

SYMPTOMS

• Vomiting (often bloody)
• Severe diarrhea (often bloody)
• Acute distress
• Often dehydration
• Hypovolemic shock

INTERFERENCE WITH THE HUMAN BODY

• Disrupts the cellular process that produces ATP
• Blocks and competes with the chemicals that form the ATP
• Messing with the ATP pathways can disturb the neurological and cardio systems
• Can cause a multi-system organ failure most likely driven by the death of cell and hemorrhaging

DETECTION

• Complete blood count
• Urine spot test/ pregnancy test

CASE STUDY

• Cynthia Sommer was convicted of killing her marine husband
• It was believed that she kill him to gain his benefits and pay of $250000 for breast implant surgery
• She was convicted of the crime and was sentenced to life without parole in 2002 in San Diego
• There was no evidence against her so she was let go

MLA

• "Arsenic Toxicity ." Arsenic Toxicity. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
• "Cynthia Sommer | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers." Cynthia Sommer | Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
• "Wife Guilty of Marine's Arsenic Murder." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2014.