Mixer      06/29/2020

How much salt is a lethal dose? Lethal doses of common substances for humans (9 photos). About other toxic substances

Curious people ask different questions. Someone is interested in who the great Leonardo da Vinci painted under the guise of Mona Lisa, someone wants to understand the differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. And someone is interested lethal dose salt for humans, and to the accuracy of grams. One can only hope that this is purely academic interest and not data collection for an upcoming crime disguised as food poisoning. So, what information has mankind accumulated over millennia of using this seasoning and preservative?

There are different salts

First of all, it is worth clarifying that we are talking about table or table salt, without which food in most cultures and cuisines of the world will be considered bland and tasteless.

The fact is that there are a huge number of salts - compounds of metal cations with various acidic residues, and in a wide variety of combinations. They have different properties, from harmless baking soda, familiar to all housewives, to the poisonous, radioactive salts of cesium, strontium, polonium, with which the best intelligence services in the world poison traitors to the Motherland.

Table salt is not poison, in the direct sense of the word, but its amount, harmless to humans, has been determined by doctors (physiologists, nutritionists) to be 4–6 g per day for a healthy person. It plays a huge role in metabolism, maintaining water-salt balance, maintaining the desired blood composition, for the production of gastric juice, heart function and many other parameters of the normal existence of the human body. A complete lack of salt in food can lead to irreversible disorders and death within 10 days.

Excess salt in the diet is no less dangerous. Experiments with laboratory mammals that have a similar addiction - mice, rats, pigs - have shown that, in conventional terms for the body of scientists, the lethal dose of salt for humans is about 3 g / kg of body. Therefore, for a person weighing 80 kg, this will be 240 - 250 g of table salt once. A painful death will occur from rapid swelling of all organs, mucous membranes, thrombosis of the circulatory system, failure of the nervous and excretory systems.

Questions and life

A quarter of a kilogram pack of salt eaten in one sitting - these are the numbers cheerfully reprinted on the Internet by idle connoisseurs of everything in the world. The question "on filling" - who in a sober mind and with memory, and even without them, will do this - for some reason remains out of the topic of discussion.

It seems that, on the contrary, such a procedure at the very beginning of its implementation will serve complete sobering up, awareness and natural-forced cleansing using large quantity drinking.

The fact that even a single use of a large amount of such a seasoning, a preservative in preparations, specific folk dishes such as pickles, herring, sauerkraut, eaten with enormous appetite and in the same quantities, leads to undesirable consequences - strong thirst, a sharp increase in blood pressure, and general malaise of the body, many of the readers know. But a lethal dose of salt for a person, taken in this way, is from the realm of idle fables accompanied by beer and fish. Every doctor will tell you that excessive use of this natural substance, which is necessary for the body, is harmful, and he will be absolutely right.

Not all of us know that consuming some of our usual foods can be fatal to humans. These include: alcohol, caffeine, salt and even water. It is important to observe moderation in everything. It would seem that the human body should have time to adapt to everything over the course of a lifetime, but this is far from the case. One of the most harmful substances, which most people eat in huge quantities every day without knowing it, is salt.

We are all used to hearing about salt every day, but rarely have any of us thought about what it is, what benefits or harm this substance carries.

Some claim with complete confidence that there is a certain lethal dose of salt for humans. It's worth looking into this issue. (or the type that a person is used to using in food) is a natural mineral substance. Its first extraction was carried out many centuries ago. Based on its chemical content, we can say that table salt is sodium chloride in the form of crystals. It includes 60.6% chlorine and 39.4% sodium. Salt dissolves perfectly in water. Despite the fact that many are inclined to believe that a lethal dose of salt does exist, it, especially in moderate quantities, is the basis of human life.

Properties and functions of salt

Salt, which is habitual for us, is the most important food additive for humans. It is usually sold in powdered form. It happens that table salt contains some additives that can only change its color and taste, but not its basic properties.

Other names for salt: table, stone, food. Or such a chemical name as sodium chloride. In modern production, they began to prepare salt with various additives: iodine, fluorine, magnesium, calcium and others. Many housewives will note one more thing useful property- use of salt in canning. Thanks to this, vegetables and fruits can be stored in jars long time and delight us with its taste and benefits on cold winter evenings. Despite the fact that there is an opinion about the version that there is a lethal dose of salt for a person, the substances contained in it are vital for the body. For example, sodium in salt constantly maintains the right level osmotic pressure, acid-base balance, water-salt metabolism in the human body. Thanks to the optimal sodium content, the muscles of the heart, intestines and kidneys, and nerve endings work well. Chlorine is also important for the body: it breaks down fats, removes urea, supports the functioning of the central nervous and reproductive systems, and has a positive effect on bone tissue.

The benefits of salt for the human body

It is important to know that salt is not formed in the human body. It must come there in the right quantity from external sources. Salt is completely absorbed in the small intestine and excreted through the sweat glands, intestines and kidneys. Here it will be relevant to talk about a person, which can easily occur with excessive loss of water (diarrhea or vomiting). In this case, it is even possible. Therefore, with such a diagnosis, it is urgent to compensate for the lost balance of water and the salt it contains. Of course, there is a lethal dose of salt for humans, but moderate amounts consumed in food are the main source of chlorine and sodium in the body. If these substances in the organs and systems of the human body become insufficient, the following symptoms occur: general weakness, tachycardia, low blood pressure, involuntary muscle contraction, etc.

Is salt used in medicine?

While humanity is “puzzled” over the question of what is a lethal dose of salt, it is perfectly used for the treatment and prevention of numerous diseases.

For example, colds in the nose can be cured by rinsing it with a solution of sodium chloride. This not only helps to moisturize its mucous membrane, but also kills numerous viruses and bacteria that have settled in it. Salt water enemas help a person cope with constipation by forcing the intestines to work. In general, table salt stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, improving digestion by increasing the production of gastric acid.

Types of table salt

The modern food industry has begun to supply markets with brands and types of salt unknown to us. Its cost is sometimes significantly inflated. Is it justified, is such salt useful? And how much can you eat? A lethal dose of salt, no matter what its appearance, still exists, so you shouldn’t get too carried away.

According to the extraction method, there are several types of salt:

  • evaporation: extracted from the subsoil, then water is evaporated from it;
  • stone: mined in special quarries using appropriate equipment;
  • self-precipitating: such salt precipitates on its own, all that remains is to collect it;
  • cage: evaporates naturally at the bottom of salt lakes.

If we talk about types of salt based on artificial additives or special treatments, then they distinguish:

  • dietary - has a fairly specific taste;
  • “Thursday”, “Papuan”, Himalayan, and many others.

Should food be salted?

There is an opinion that three tablespoons of salt is a lethal dose for a person that can cause in his body. It cannot be said that if you consume such a quantity of this product, you can die, but it is easy to harm the body, and quite seriously. And to avoid such disastrous consequences, you need to know the normal dose of salt for it.

It is generally accepted that this is 1 teaspoon of salt per day (this is approximately 11 grams of sodium chloride). In those countries where the climate is much hotter and less humid, sweating among local residents is increased, and the need for a daily dose of salt increases significantly, almost 2 times (25-30 grams per day). Well, now think about how much table salt you actually consume per day. Most likely, this figure is significantly higher than the norm, and it can even be referred to as a lethal dose of salt, provided that you suffer from any diseases for which this product is contraindicated. In other words, the person in this case is just slowly killing himself. By the way, the calorie content of salt is reduced, it is close to zero.

Children's body and salt. Pregnancy and salt

We have already found out that salt is necessary for the human body. It participates in its metabolic processes and vital functions.

Therefore, both the child and the pregnant woman need enough salt. But there are some small clarifications here:

  • With established breastfeeding The baby receives the right amount of salt through mother's milk along with other nutrients and vitamins. Therefore, it is not necessary to add salt to the first complementary food. Of course, as the child grows and the need for minerals increases, salt must be added to his food, but in moderation.
  • Pregnancy is a special condition in which the body is responsible for the growth and development of the baby for nine months. Therefore, the need for salt in women is interesting position increases significantly. Of course, you need to know the limits, i.e., if edema occurs, reduce the amount of sodium chloride consumed. But pregnant women are strictly prohibited from completely eliminating salt from their daily diet.
  • The lethal dose for babies and expectant mothers is somewhat different, but it exists, so do not give your child a lot of sodium chloride, as an immature body may not be able to cope with its elimination.

What amount of salt is harmful for an adult?

Scientists and doctors around the world have been asking this question for many years, trying to find the most accurate answer to it. So, let's discuss how many tablespoons of salt is a lethal dose for one person? After all, we consume it in large quantities per day. Still, it is customary to talk about grams of salt, which can harm the human body, and they amount to 3 g/kg of weight. That is, if the average person eats a quarter of a pack of table salt (250 g), he will die. Yes it is. Especially if he did not consume the proper amount of fluid. And he ate it in one sitting. Your blood pressure will immediately rise, swelling will appear, swelling of the lungs and brain will occur, in short, you are guaranteed to die.

Salt poisoning

Of course, in this case we are talking about a daily violation in the amount of sodium chloride consumed. People say that 3 tablespoons of salt is a lethal dose. But is it? It is difficult to apply this norm to each specific person, because we all have different weight and height, and the distribution of all substances used in the body of an individual person is different.

Therefore, scientists are inclined to believe that the lethal dose of salt for humans is 3 g/kg of body weight. These norms were obtained by conducting the necessary experiments on rats. Of course, it is difficult to compare animals and humans. Usually the first of them are much more easily poisoned by salt, since they do not drink the proper amount of water per day. This only worsens the situation that is detrimental to their body. How to understand what happens in our body when excess salt gets there? Immediately, the pressure rises sharply due to a change in the composition of the blood. The person feels very bad. Dehydration sets in, work is disrupted nervous system. The result of these irreversible consequences: death of the human body due to insufficient supply of the required amount of oxygen to its tissues and organs.

Salt is a life-threatening habit

It turns out that the statement “3 tablespoons of salt is a lethal dose” is not entirely true. Therefore, you must calculate this amount specifically for yourself, based on your weight: 3 g per 1 kg of person’s weight. Get used to eating salt in moderation, and then excess weight, swelling, and high blood pressure will never bother you.

Remember that in any business it is important to know the measure. This also applies to the use of salt. It is very important for your body, one might say, vital. But its excessive use in the end is capable of destroying a person.

In our life, it is very important to observe moderation and proper concentration in everything. This was very accurately expressed by one of the founders of modern pharmacology, Paracelsus (1493 – 1541) in his famous phrase: “Everything is poison, everything is medicine; both are determined by the dose.” Absolutely every substance, even the most irreplaceable and necessary for the continuation of life, has its own lethal dose, which, moreover, is not so great.

Lethal dose of alcohol

Alcohol, of course, is not vital necessary product nutrition, but many people love to use it as such, often completely forgetting about any measure. A single lethal dose for a person ranges from 4 to 12 grams of pure alcohol per kilogram of weight. Also, for an adult male, the lethal concentration will be the presence of 5-6 ppm ethanol in the blood ( 1 ppm of a substance means that 1 liter of liquid contains 1 ml of this substance). This concentration can be achieved by drinking about 3 bottles of vodka in one sitting ( unless, of course, the body’s natural defense works in the form of an urgent release of excess toxic substance by all possible ways ). But there are also funny cases. For example, in 2004, in a hospital in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, 9.14 ppm of ethanol was found in the blood of a pedestrian hit by a car. The test was repeated several times, and all the time a concentration was obtained that was many times higher than the lethal one. The most interesting thing is that the unusual patient soon recovered.

Despite its toxicity, ethanol can be used as an antidote for poisoning with other alcohols ( for example methanol or ethylene glycol).

Lethal dose of vitamin

Absolutely all vitamins essential for life are terrible poisons if consumed without moderation. Sometimes both a deficiency and an excess of a particular vitamin leads to very similar external manifestations. For example, vitamin A deficiency and hypervitaminosis will have dry, rough skin and increased hair loss as a symptom. The amounts of vitamins in which they are vital are usually very small, and exceeding these concentrations leads to either acute or chronic poisoning. The doses in which vitamins can be taken must be indicated on the packaging of the drug, because in order to kill or seriously injure yourself, one or two pharmacy packages are enough.

Lethal dose of sunlight

After several years of regularly repeating “ abnormal heat“Even northern residents know how dangerous the Sun can be. From the beginning of the 20th century until about the 1980s, it was generally accepted that the more time you spent in the sun, the healthier you would be. But now it is already known for sure that excessive exposure to the Sun leads not only to purely external skin defects, but also to such “ long lasting» consequences such as accelerated aging, decreased sexual function and the development of cancer ( insufficient exposure to the Sun is also fraught with exactly the same consequences).

Sunstroke– the condition is extremely dangerous, it develops suddenly, and the mortality rate reaches 30%. Therefore, if a person begins to feel unwell while in the open sun, it is better to play it safe and try to go into the shade.

Lethal dose of nicotine

Nicotine is not only found in tobacco. There is quite a lot of it in potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and green bell peppers. True, the nicotine contained in these plants does not cause harm due to its insufficient concentration.

Nicotine is a powerful poison not only for all warm-blooded animals, but even for insects. Sensitivity to nicotine different types animals is very different: for example, rats die when receiving 50 mg per kilogram of weight, mice need 5.9 mg, and for humans the dose is lethal 0.5-1 mg per kilogram of weight(for comparison, the lethal dose of the famous potassium cyanide is 1.7 mg per kilogram of weight). When smoking most of The nicotine contained in the cigarette simply burns and turns into a less toxic poison. To kill yourself immediately, rather than gradually, you need to smoke about a hundred cigarettes in one sitting.

lethal dose of table salt

No living being can live without salt. But daily requirement of this substance is extremely small - only 1.5-4 g. If the body experiences a chronic lack of salt, then bone destruction and muscle death begin, the functioning of the heart and stomach is disrupted, severe depression and other mental illnesses develop. Complete lack of salt in food however, this situation rarely occurs.) can kill in about 10 days.

Excess salt is no less dangerous than its deficiency. That " salt is white poison“When there is too much of it, everyone knows it for a long time. For humans, the lethal dose is a single consumption of about 250 g of salt. Death will be very difficult, since you will have to die from numerous edemas.

Lethal dose of caffeine

Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola and many other plants. In small doses, it causes a surge of strength and a feeling of vigor, which, however, after 3-6 hours are replaced by increased fatigue, lethargy and depression. The lethal dose for humans is 10 grams of pure caffeine ( provided that all of it goes into the blood). That is, in order to be poisoned to death, for example, by good Italian espresso, you will need to not only drink about 4.5 liters of this excellent drink at a time, but also thoroughly absorb all the caffeine it contains.

Lethal dose of water

Water is the basis of life. Everyone knows this. However, you can not only drown in water, you can also get poisoned by it, and with absolutely clean, drinking water, if you drink too much. If too much water enters the body, a state of hyperhydration occurs, leading to disruption of water-salt metabolism, numerous disorders of all body systems and death. To achieve this state, you need to drink about 7 liters of water during the day.

Water poisoning- This is rare, but it still happens sometimes. For example, soldiers become victims of water poisoning after grueling cross-country runs in the heat. But there are also funny cases - for example, the English schoolgirl Lee Bett in November 1995, celebrating her 18th birthday, first took Ecstasy, and then drank 7 liters of water in just an hour and a half. Death occurred within 4 hours.

In June 2002, in the American city of Springville, a mother forced her 4-year-old daughter to drink almost 4 liters of water as punishment. The child died and the mother went to prison.

In January 2007, radio station KDND in Sacramento ( California) ran a wonderfully stupid contest called Hold Your Wee for a Wii ( Don't pee - get a game console). One of the participants in this competition, Jennifer Strange, who drank 7.5 liters of water, died before reaching the final. And the winner of the competition ( Lucy Davidson) became seriously ill. As a result, relatives filed multimillion-dollar lawsuits against the radio station and won them.

Lethal dose of electricity

There is no need to warn about the dangers of household electricity - almost everyone who uses electrical appliances sooner or later gets the opportunity to own experience learn that electrical discharge can be very unpleasant. Nowadays you can get a very painful electric shock without even using any devices. This happens especially often in winter, when the air in apartments is dry. central heating, and sparks fly from clothes and hair with every movement. If the current passing through the human body exceeds 1mA, then this already causes very unpleasant sensations. D.C 60 mA or variable power 300-500 mA can lead to heart failure ( or restore the functioning of a heart that has just stopped).

Voltage is used to kill a person with the electric chair 2700 V and current strength 5 A. The voltage is turned on twice for a minute with a break of 10 seconds. Usually this is enough to kill oneself strong man. But on October 16, 1985, it took 5 such blows to execute William Vendiver.

Lethal dose of mosquitoes

Female mosquito, if not disturbed, m can suck about 5 mg of blood from a person. For a person, a loss of about 2.5 liters of blood. It turns out that a person can “ eat to death" near half a million mosquitoes But in this case, most likely, death will occur much earlier from a reaction to the mosquito saliva that they inject during the bite ( it is their saliva that causes itching, swelling and other reactions).

What is the lethal dose of salt for humans? The product is present in almost all dishes, is consumed daily and is necessary for the normal functioning of all organs. However, consuming large amounts of salt leads to negative consequences and can be fatal. How much of a substance can cause death?

Salt - sodium chloride - includes two elements necessary for humans - chlorine and sodium. With a lack of substances, the functionality of organs and systems is impaired. What are these elements needed for?

Both elements are required in the body for homeostasis.

Nutritionists around the world recommend not consuming too much salt per day. Unfortunately, in many food products the content of the element is exceeded. A person systematically consumes a dangerous amount of a substance, which leads to disruption of many body functions.

What happens:

  1. High blood pressure – hypertension. This disease poses a serious danger to the body and can cause death.
  2. Swelling. Sodium is involved in the control of water balance. An increased content of the element leads to fluid retention in the body, which provokes the development of swelling on the body. The load on the urinary system and heart muscle increases.
  3. An increased amount of salt can accumulate in the kidneys, turning into stones.
  4. High levels of salt in tissues and cells lead to disruptions in the functionality of the nervous system and problems with sleep.
  5. The risk of developing stomach cancer when consuming large amounts of the element increases significantly.

Thus, consuming too much salt leads to the appearance of unpleasant symptoms and the development of serious diseases.

Manifestations of acute salt poisoning

Acute effects occur not only due to a single use of an increased amount of a substance. Intoxication is possible when the daily dosage is doubled. In acute poisoning, the presence of certain symptoms and signs is noted.

Signs:

  • Very strong thirst
  • A sharp drop in pressure,
  • Severe weakness, loss of strength, dizziness,
  • Disruptions in the digestive system, accompanied by nausea and vomiting,
  • Increased heart rate, pulse can reach one hundred beats per minute,
  • Lack of air, asthma attacks,
  • The skin becomes pale, the mucous membranes become dry,
  • In severe cases of poisoning, there is a bluish appearance of the skin,
  • The presence of convulsive manifestations, lack of consciousness, state of delirium.

Symptoms appear gradually, becoming more intense. If you do not give the victim first medical care, then dehydration develops and the process of oxygen supply to tissues is disrupted.

There are a number of human diseases and conditions for which it is recommended to reduce salt intake. Even a daily amount of ten grams of the compound can pose a danger to normal life.

Limit:

  1. Cardiac failure,
  2. Chronic form of high blood pressure,
  3. Heart rhythm disturbances,
  4. The presence of atherosclerosis,
  5. Diabetes,
  6. Excess body weight
  7. Kidney failure in acute or chronic phase,
  8. Pathological processes in the liver,
  9. Varicose veins,
  10. Stomach diseases, presence of ulcerative manifestations,
  11. Pathologies of the adrenal glands.

People who want to reduce body weight are also advised to limit their intake of the substance to avoid fluid retention in the body.😊

In hot climates, where increased sweat release causes rapid removal of the compound, it is possible to increase the dosage of salt.

Can you die from salt? (daily dose)

How many spoons of salt greet death? Is there a possibility of death from the element? Yes, this is quite possible. The lethal dose of salt is individual for each patient and depends on his body weight. The amount is calculated simply - three grams of substance per kilogram of weight (3 tablespoons of table salt).

In children and older adults, the lethal dose of salt is less due to the failure of the cardiac system.

However, constantly exceeding the normal dosage also leads to disruption of the body's functionality and causes negative consequences.

Daily salt intake for humans

How much salt does a person need for a normal life? The daily dose of the substance is small - up to 10 grams. With a chronic deficiency of the element, destruction of bones and muscle tissue occurs, and disruptions in the functionality of the cardiac and vascular systems are noted.

Often a person is diagnosed with mental disorders and the development of severe depression. However, excess salt also negatively affects the body.

First aid and further treatment

If you suspect salt intoxication, you must call an ambulance. Before they appear, the victim is given first aid aimed at cleansing the toxin and normalizing the body’s condition.

Actions:

  • It is recommended to try to get rid of salt that has not had time to be absorbed into the blood. To do this, gastric lavage is performed with a large volume of water.
  • The poisoned person is given more to drink clean water to avoid dehydration. It is not permissible to give the patient mineral water due to the presence of salts in it.
  • The patient is given milk or a couple of spoons to drink vegetable oil to reduce the manifestations of poisoning.

The main treatment is carried out under the strict supervision of a specialist in a hospital of a medical institution.

Methods and methods of treatment

For treatment, the patient is admitted to the intensive care unit. After diagnosis, specific therapy is prescribed.

Actions:

  1. A solution of calcium gluconate, potassium supplements, and physiological fluid are administered using a dropper,
  2. Prescribed to cleanse the blood of excess salt,
  3. Pick up medicines to normalize the functioning of organs and systems.


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Treatment is continued until all body functions are completely restored. If necessary, select vitamins and pay attention to proper nutrition.

Consequences and prevention

Exceeding the dosage of salt on a daily basis can lead to disruption of many body functions, disruptions in the functioning of the nervous and cardiac systems, and sleep disturbance. Acute poisoning can cause death in the absence of necessary help.

Prevention in this case is moderate consumption of salt; it is not recommended to abuse dishes with a high content of the substance.

The lethal dose of salt for a person is individual and depends on the patient’s weight. Nutritionists recommend treating this compound carefully and with caution and not abusing it. If signs of poisoning appear, you must contact a medical facility.

Video: what happens if you eat too much salt

In our life, it is very important to observe moderation and proper concentration in everything. This was very accurately expressed by one of the founders of modern pharmacology, Paracelsus (1493 – 1541) in his famous phrase: “Everything is poison, everything is medicine; both are determined by the dose.” Absolutely every substance, even the most irreplaceable and necessary for the continuation of life, has its own lethal dose, which, moreover, is not so great.

Lethal dose of alcohol

Alcohol, of course, is not a vital food product, but many people love to use it as such, often completely forgetting about any measure. A single lethal dose for a person ranges from 4 to 12 grams of pure alcohol per kilogram of weight. Also, for an adult male, the lethal concentration will be the presence of 5-6 ppm ethanol in the blood ( 1 ppm of a substance means that 1 liter of liquid contains 1 ml of this substance). This concentration can be achieved by drinking about 3 bottles of vodka in one sitting ( unless, of course, the body’s natural defense works in the form of an urgent release of excess toxic substance by all possible means). But there are also funny cases. For example, in 2004, in a hospital in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, 9.14 ppm of ethanol was found in the blood of a pedestrian hit by a car. The test was repeated several times, and all the time a concentration was obtained that was many times higher than the lethal one. The most interesting thing is that the unusual patient soon recovered.

Despite its toxicity, ethanol can be used as an antidote for poisoning with other alcohols ( for example methanol or ethylene glycol).

Lethal dose of vitamin

Absolutely all vitamins essential for life are terrible poisons if consumed without moderation. Sometimes both a deficiency and an excess of a particular vitamin leads to very similar external manifestations. For example, vitamin A deficiency and hypervitaminosis will have dry, rough skin and increased hair loss as a symptom. The amounts of vitamins in which they are vital are usually very small, and exceeding these concentrations leads to either acute or chronic poisoning. The doses in which vitamins can be taken must be indicated on the packaging of the drug, because in order to kill or seriously injure yourself, one or two pharmacy packages are enough.

Lethal dose of sunlight

After several years of regularly repeating “ abnormal heat“Even northern residents know how dangerous the Sun can be. From the beginning of the 20th century until about the 1980s, it was generally accepted that the more time you spent in the sun, the healthier you would be. But now it is already known for sure that excessive exposure to the Sun leads not only to purely external skin defects, but also to such “ long lasting» consequences such as accelerated aging, decreased sexual function and the development of cancer ( insufficient exposure to the Sun is also fraught with exactly the same consequences).

Sunstroke– the condition is extremely dangerous, it develops suddenly, and the mortality rate reaches 30%. Therefore, if a person begins to feel unwell while in the open sun, it is better to play it safe and try to go into the shade.

Lethal dose of nicotine

Nicotine is not only found in tobacco. There is quite a lot of it in potatoes, and in tomatoes, eggplants and green bell peppers. True, the nicotine contained in these plants does not cause harm due to its insufficient concentration.

Nicotine is a powerful poison not only for all warm-blooded animals, but even for insects. The sensitivity to nicotine in different animal species is very different: for example, rats die when receiving 50 mg per kilogram of body weight, 5.9 mg is enough for mice, and for humans, the dose is lethal 0.5-1 mg per kilogram of weight(for comparison, the lethal dose of the famous potassium cyanide is 1.7 mg per kilogram of weight). When smoking, most of the nicotine in the cigarette is simply burned off and converted into a less toxic poison. To kill yourself immediately, rather than gradually, you need to smoke about a hundred cigarettes in one sitting.

lethal dose of table salt

No living being can live without salt. But the daily requirement of this substance is extremely small - only 1.5-4 g. If the body experiences a chronic lack of salt, then bone destruction and muscle death begin, the functioning of the heart and stomach is disrupted, severe depression and other mental illnesses develop. Complete lack of salt in food however, this situation rarely occurs.) can kill in about 10 days.

Excess salt is no less dangerous than its deficiency. That " salt is white poison“When there is too much of it, everyone knows it for a long time. For humans, the lethal dose is a single consumption of about 250 g of salt. Death will be very difficult, since you will have to die from numerous edemas.

Lethal dose of caffeine

Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola and many other plants. In small doses, it causes a surge of strength and a feeling of vigor, which, however, after 3-6 hours are replaced by increased fatigue, lethargy and depression. The lethal dose for humans is 10 grams of pure caffeine ( provided that all of it goes into the blood). That is, in order to be poisoned to death, for example, by good Italian espresso, you will need to not only drink about 4.5 liters of this excellent drink at a time, but also thoroughly absorb all the caffeine it contains.

Lethal dose of water

Water is the basis of life. Everyone knows this. However, you can not only drown in water, you can also get poisoned by it, and with absolutely clean, drinking water, if you drink too much. If too much water enters the body, a state of hyperhydration occurs, leading to disruption of water-salt metabolism, numerous disorders of all body systems and death. To achieve this state, you need to drink about 7 liters of water during the day.

Water poisoning- This is rare, but it still happens sometimes. For example, soldiers become victims of water poisoning after grueling cross-country runs in the heat. But there are also funny cases - for example, the English schoolgirl Lee Bett in November 1995, celebrating her 18th birthday, first took Ecstasy, and then drank 7 liters of water in just an hour and a half. Death occurred within 4 hours.

In June 2002, in the American city of Springville, a mother forced her 4-year-old daughter to drink almost 4 liters of water as punishment. The child died and the mother went to prison.

In January 2007, radio station KDND in Sacramento ( California) ran a wonderfully stupid contest called Hold Your Wee for a Wii ( Don't pee - get a game console). One of the participants in this competition, Jennifer Strange, who drank 7.5 liters of water, died before reaching the final. And the winner of the competition ( Lucy Davidson) became seriously ill. As a result, relatives filed multimillion-dollar lawsuits against the radio station and won them.

Lethal dose of electricity

There is no need to warn about the dangers of household electricity - almost everyone who uses electrical appliances sooner or later gets the opportunity to learn from their own experience that an electric discharge can be very unpleasant. Nowadays you can get a very painful electric shock without even using any devices. This happens especially often in winter, when the air in the apartments is dried up by central heating, and sparks fall from clothes and hair with every movement. If the current passing through the human body exceeds 1mA, then this already causes very unpleasant sensations. DC current 60 mA or variable power 300-500 mA can lead to heart failure ( or restore the functioning of a heart that has just stopped).

Voltage is used to kill a person with the electric chair 2700 V and current strength 5 A. The voltage is turned on twice for a minute with a break of 10 seconds. This is usually enough to kill the strongest person. But on October 16, 1985, it took 5 such blows to execute William Vendiver.

Lethal dose of mosquitoes

Female mosquito, if not disturbed, m can suck about 5 mg of blood from a person. For a person, a loss of about 2.5 liters of blood. It turns out that a person can “ eat to death" near half a million mosquitoes But in this case, most likely, death will occur much earlier from a reaction to the mosquito saliva that they inject during the bite ( it is their saliva that causes itching, swelling and other reactions).