Lethal Dose Table Lethal dose (LD50) is the amount of an ingested substance that kills 50 percent of a test sample. It is expressed in mg/kg, or milligrams of substance per kilogram of body weight. Common name Toxin Lethal doses Description Toxic response Aspirin Acetyl- salicylic LD50 200 mg/kg Odorless white Gastric distress, confusion, psychosis, acid C9H8O4 (rat, oral) crystal stupor, ringing in ears, drowsiness, hyperventilation Table salt Sodium chloride LD50 3 g/kg White cubic crystal Eye irritant, elevated blood pressure NaCl (rat, oral) 12357 mg/kg (human, oral) Bleach Chlorine LD50 850 mg/kg Greenish colored Corrosive to eyes, skin, respiratory (fumes) CI2 (rat, inhaled) gas, amber liquid, tract, nausea, vomiting, pulmonary pungent odor edema Helium Helium Not established Odorless colorless Dizziness, nausea, simple asphyxiant He gas Lorchel mushroom Gyromitrin LD50 200 mg/kg Nausea, vomiting, severe liver C4H8N2O (rat, oral) damage, coma, convulsions Arsenic Arsenic, arsenic LD50 15mg/kg Grey, metallic Acute- irritates the yes, skin, trioxide (rat, oral) crystals respiratory tract, and nausea. Chronic As, As4 O6 convulsions, tissue legions, hemorrhage, kidney impairment Sugar Glucose LD50 30 g/kg Sweet white powder Depressed activity, gastrointestinal C6H12O6 (rat, oral) disturbances. If diabetic- heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, kidney damage Iron tablets Iron sulfate ~5 adult tablets toxic Grayish white Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, black FeSO4 for a 3 year old powder stool, liver damage, coma Lead Lead Lowest published Bluish or silvery Acute –headache, insomnia, joint Pb dose 450 solid pain. Chronic-anemia, kidney (human, oral) disease, reproductive and developmental toxin. Snake venom α-bungarotoxin Not available Large protein Paralysis, suffocation, loss of C338H529N97O105S11 molecule consciousness, seizures, hemorrhaging into tissues Cola Caffeine LD50 140 mg/kg White odorless Acute renal failure, nausea, psychosis, C8H10N4O2 (dog, oral) powder or crystals hemorrhage, increased pulse, convulsions Alcohol Ethanol LD50 7060 mg/kg Colorless liquid, Nausea, headache, vomiting, C2H6O (rat, oral) pleasant odor dizziness, nervous system depression, confusion, loss of consciousness Vitamin A Retinol LD50 2000 mg/kg Yellow crystals, Convulsions, unconsciousness, C20H30O (rat, oral) orange solid reproductive toxin Toxins © UC Regents, LHS Living by Chemistry, 2004. .