PROBLEM ARTICLES UDC: 615.099:546 DOI: 10.33273/2663-4570-2021-91-1-5-21 TO SUBSTANTIATION OF THE LIST OF HAZARDOUS HIGHLY TOXIC CHEMICALS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO SPECIAL CONTROL REGARDING HANDLING, STORAGE, USE AND DISPOSAL Part 1 (ricin, thallium compounds and organophosphorus compounds) M. Prodanchuk1, G. Balan1,O. Kravchuk1, P. Zhminko1, I. Maksymchuk2, N. Chermnykh1 1L.I. Medved’s Research Centre of Preventive Toxicology, Food and Chemical Safety, Ministry of Health, Ukraine (State Enterprise), Kyiv, Ukraine 2National Police of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine ABSTRACT. The Aim of the Research. Based on an analytical review of literature data, to identify a group of highly toxic chemicals which over the past decades are most often used in deliberate criminal and suicidal incidents, sabotage and terrorist act; the traffic, storage, use and disposal of which must be especially carefully monitored by law enforcement agencies. Materials and Methods. An analytical review of scientific publications was carried out using the abstract databases of scientific libraries Pub Med, Medline and text databases of scientific publishing houses Elsevier, Pub Med, Central, BMJ group as well as other VIP data- bases. Methods of systemic, comparative, and content analysis were used. Results and Conclusions. The scientific publications on hazardous highly toxic chemicals, which over the past quarter century are most often used in the world, notably in deliberate criminal and suicidal incidents, sabotage, and terrorist acts, are being analysed. It was found that these chemicals mainly include ricin, thallium compounds, organophosphorus compounds, as well as chemical warfare agents, arsenic and its compounds, cyanides, and inorganic water-soluble mercury compounds (mercury bichloride, sodium merthiolate), as well as paraquat and diquat pesticides. Based on the analysis of their toxicity, clinical and morphological expression of intoxication with var- ious routes of entry into the body, the need to include them in the List of Highly Hazardous Chemicals, whose traffic, storage, use, and disposal require stricter control of law enforcement agencies, is justified. The first part of this article presents ricin, thallium compounds, organophosphorus compounds, and chemical warfare agents. Key Words: hazardous highly toxic chemicals, ricin, thallium compounds, organophosphorus compounds. Introduction. An important factor in social Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of June 20, and economic relations in the use of hazardous 1995 №440 (hereinafter – Resolution №440), chemicals is the creation and functioning of which approved the Procedure to obtain a per- mechanisms for restraining and legal regula- mit for the production, storage, transportation, tion of their traffic, as well as the determina- use, burial, destruction and disposal of toxic tion of punitive measures in case of violation of substances, including products of biotechnolo- established norms and rules. gy and other biological agents; and which con- In previous publications we focused on this tained the List of poisonous substances, includ- issue and described the consequences of dereg- ing products of biotechnology and other bio- ulation of legislation in the handling of toxic logical agents, the production, storage, trans- substances [3], which arose due to the intensi- portation, use, burial, destruction and disposal fication of European integration processes in of which are carried out with a permit (here- Ukraine, in more detail. To deepen the coop- inafter referred to as the List) [8]. eration with international organizations for the This List significantly simplified and legally development of small and medium-sized busi- guaranteed the powers of law enforcement nesses and industry, Ukraine has undertaken to agencies and expert institutions that docu- bring the legislation of Ukraine in line with the mented crimes related to violation of the rules requirements of the European Union’s legisla- for handling toxic substances. But after the tion, in particular on energy efficiency and invalidation of this List, unfortunately, the cleaner production. In this regard and in order positions, priorities, and advantages in the to implement the Plan, the Government of activities of lawyers were strengthened, namely Ukraine adopted Resolution №405 of Septem- concerning lawyers participating in the pre- ber 3, 2014 “On invalidating certain resolutions trial investigation, as well as during judicial of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine” [7], consideration of criminal proceedings, pro- where, among others, the Resolution of the tecting persons who negligently handle or ille- UKRAINIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN PROBLEMS OF TOXICOLOGY 1/2021 5 PROBLEM ARTICLES gally use poisonous substances, which are and suicidal incidents, sabotage, and terrorist undoubtedly a source of public danger, threat acts in the world; the traffic, storage, use and to human health and life. But, regrettably, disposal of which require particularly strict there is no legislative definition of the term for control of law enforcement agencies. such a threat in the legal field. Materials and Methods. An analytical This circumstance practically casts doubt review of scientific publications was carried on the legitimacy of the activities of the pre- out using the abstract databases of scientific trial investigation bodies to document crimes libraries Pub Med, Medline and text databases related to the traffic of toxic substances. This of scientific publishing houses Elsevier, Pub fact gives bonuses to the suspect’s defence side. Med, Central, BMJ group as well as other VIP In the case of bringing criminal proceedings to databases. Methods of systemic, comparative, trial, which happens extremely rarely, their and content analysis were used. work is reduced to nothing due to the lack of a judicial perspective, because social, economic, Results and Conclusions and legal relations in this area are uncertain 1. Ricin. Ricin is found in the seeds of the and disordered. Currently, the Cabinet of castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis, R. com- Ministers of Ukraine is considering the “List munis) and is one of the most highly toxic sub- of toxic substances, including products of stances. Castor-oil plant grows widely in trop- biotechnology and other biological agents” ical regions and has been cultivated since under №27421/10/1-18, which includes 485 ancient times to produce castor oil as a laxative names of chemicals and their compounds. and fuel for oil lamps [9, 10]. Currently, cas- They must be subject to appropriate regulatory tor-oil plant is used in medicine for the devel- control, in particular at the stages of entry into opment of anticancer drugs, in the production the country, both legal and illegal production, of laxative from castor oil, as well as for cos- manufacture, shipment, storage, transporta- metics, paints, oils and other industrial prod- tion, use, destruction, and disposal in accor- ucts [9, 10, 11]. The main producers of castor dance with EU legislation. Along with an beans are China, India, Bangladesh, and the extended list of hazardous chemicals in each USA, where they are widely used to obtain country (including the post-Soviet countries), castor oil. There is no ricin in the oil itself; the it has been legislatively approved a list of 6–7 technology of its production includes inactiva- highly toxic hazardous chemical compounds, tion of the toxin by heating. which over the past 25 years are most often Purified ricin is a white, odourless powder used in the world in criminal and suicidal inci- that is highly soluble in water and retains toxic dents, sabotage, and terrorist acts, and that properties over a wide range of PH. In aqueous require stricter regulatory control. The danger solutions, ricin is inactivated at a temperature lies in the fact that these highly hazardous of 80°C within an hour; in dry form, it is more chemicals enter the country not so much stable [10, 11, 12]. through the customs border as through smug- The molecular weight of ricin is 60–65 kDa. gling. They are disseminated through adver- Ricin, like cholera and pertussis toxins, is a tisements on the Internet and often manufac- binary toxin. It belongs to the A-B family, tured in illegal laboratories. which has two functionally different polypep- Analysis of foreign and Ukrainian literature tide chains A and B. Chain A is ricin A toxin or has shown that during this time, in criminal and RTA; it has a molecular weight of 32 kDa, and suicidal incidents, sabotage and terrorist acts, the chain B, known as ricin B toxin or RTB, has a following chemicals are mainly used; they are molecular weight of 34 kDa [9, 10, 25]. Chains ricin, thallium, organophosphorus compounds A and B are linked by a disulphide bond. The (Ops) and chemical warfare agents (CWA), amount of ricin toxin and its isoforms depends cyanides, pesticides paraquat and diquat, arsenic on the castor-oil plant variety, its maturity, and and inorganic mercury compounds (mercury growing conditions. The best-known isoforms bichloride, sodium merthiolate). of ricin toxin include R. Communis agglutinin The Aim of the research. Based on an ana- (RCA), ricin D (RTD) and ricin E (RTE). lytical review of literature data, to identify a Agglutinin R. Communis binds to erythrocytes group of highly toxic chemicals which over the and causes their agglutination and haemolysis past decades are most often used in criminal [9, 10, 11]. The subunits of ricin A and B, as 6 UKRAINIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN PROBLEMS OF TOXICOLOGY 1/2021 PROBLEM ARTICLES such, are not toxic, the toxic effect is present Lethal doses of ricin depend on the method only when the two subunits interact in the ricin of administration into the animal’s body, on molecule. The B-chain is a lectin that binds to the type of animal, on the degree of purifica- galactose on the surface of the target cell, caus- tion of ricin, on the conditions of its storage ing endocytosis and the penetration of the and the presence of isoforms in the prepara- ricin molecule into the cell [9, 10, 11]. From tion.