Poison Activity

Research:

1) Definition of poison- substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by that organism.

2) Common poison sources: bites

                                          : medicine (overdose)

                                          : food (allergies/rotten)

                                          : plants

                                          : household products (ex/ bleach)

                                          : lead

                                          : carbon monoxide

3) How do crime labs handle poison cases? What are some signs of poisoning?

                                          : enlarged pupils

                                          : sight of injection (bruise, etc.)

                                          : foaming/drooling

                                          : skin discoloration

                                          : excess vomit

                                          : vessels burst= extensive bleeding from the inside out

                                          : elevated heart/breathing rate

Class Activity:

For this activity, we had to use various reagents to identify which substance was a specific poison out of multiple unknowns. Here are my results of the experiment:
 1) Metal Poisons: Info: Chromium turned orange when acidified  
                                  : Lead forms a yellow precipitate when KI is added
                                  : Iron turns blood red when KSCN is added
                          : Results: Unknown 1 is lead
                                       : Unknown 2 is iron
                                       : Unknown 3 is chromium

Sample 2: The substance on the very right
turned blood red when KSCN was added

2) Sugars: Info: When sugar test reagent is added, a purple color will form.



                        : Results: All tests responded negatively. All of the unknowns were colorless, but then turned blue when the reagent was added.



All samples tested negatively



3) Household Ammonia: Info: An odor is present

                                            : pH is above 7 (solution is basic)

                                            : phenolthaline is pink/purple in solution (solution is basic)

                                      : Results: Unknown 2 tested positive for all three tests

4) Aspirin: Info: Bromythymel Blue will be yellow (solution is acidic)

                      :pH is below 7 (solution is acidic)

                : Results: Unknown sample 1 turned yellow in the BTB and had the pH paper indicated a pH of 2

                           : Other samples did not turn yellow and the pH paper indicated that both unknown 2&3 had a pH of 8

These are all three of the samples. Sample 2 tested positively because it
turned yellow when BTB waas added and the pH paper turned red,
indicating a pH of 2.

5)Cyanide: Info: Turns blood red when Fe+3 is added

                : Results: All unknown solutions were clear, but sample 2 turned red after the reagent was added.

These are all three samples.
Sample 2 is cyanide because it turned
blood red after Fe+3 was added.

6) Iodine: Info: Turns blue/black when starch is added

               : Results: Unknown 1 remained yellow

                           : Unknown 2 remained red
                           : Unknown 3 was is Iodine because it was originally clear but turned blue after the chemical reaction took place.

Unknown Sample 3 turned blu-ish
when the starch was added.