This list covers 19 poisons, ranging alphabetically from “Arsenic” to “Azinphos-methyl”. They come from plants, fungi, metals, industrial chemicals, and everyday products, and they show up in medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, and even household cleaning supplies.
Poisons are substances that harm or kill living organisms by disrupting normal body functions, often at surprisingly small doses. Many, like atropine and acetaminophen, are also used safely in controlled medical amounts, showing how the line between remedy and danger often comes down to quantity.
Below you’ll find the table with the poison, source, effects, antidote, and description for each entry.
Poison: the name of the toxic substance, so you can quickly identify which one you’re looking at.
Source: where the poison comes from, whether it’s a plant, mineral, gas, or manufactured product, so you understand its origin.
Effects: the main symptoms it causes in the body, helping you recognize what exposure might look like.
Antidote: the treatment or substance that can counteract the poison, so you know what response exists, if any.
Description: a short explanation of the poison’s background, giving you context on how it works or why it matters.
Poisons
| Poison | Source | Effects | Antidote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | Naturally occurring in soil, water, and some industrial byproducts | Vomiting, diarrhea, multi-organ failure | Dimercaprol (BAL) |
| Aconitine | Extracted from monkshood (Aconitum) plants | Numbness, irregular heartbeat, paralysis | No specific antidote; supportive care |
| Amatoxins | Death cap and related Amanita mushrooms | Severe vomiting, liver failure | Silibinin, N-acetylcysteine |
| Atropine | Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) | Dilated pupils, rapid heartbeat, delirium | Physostigmine |
| Antimony | Mined ore and industrial byproducts | Vomiting, cardiac arrhythmia | Dimercaprol (BAL) |
| Aflatoxin | Mold (Aspergillus) growing on stored grains and nuts | Liver damage, jaundice | No specific antidote |
| Azide | Industrial chemical and airbag propellant | Low blood pressure, seizures, cellular suffocation | No specific antidote; supportive care |
| Abrin | Seeds of the rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) | Organ failure, internal bleeding | No specific antidote |
| Anatoxin-a | Toxic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms | Muscle twitching, respiratory paralysis | No specific antidote |
| Aldicarb | Carbamate pesticide | Sweating, drooling, respiratory failure | Atropine, pralidoxime |
| Arsine | Industrial gas used in semiconductor and metal refining | Hemolysis, kidney failure | No specific antidote; exchange transfusion |
| Aristolochic Acid | Aristolochia (birthwort) plants | Kidney failure, elevated cancer risk | No specific antidote |
| Acetaminophen | Common over-the-counter pain reliever, in overdose | Nausea, liver failure | N-acetylcysteine |
| Ackee | Unripe ackee fruit (contains hypoglycin A) | Severe vomiting, dangerously low blood sugar | Glucose, supportive care |
| Atractyloside | Atractylis gummifera (Mediterranean thistle) | Vomiting, seizures, liver failure | No specific antidote |
| Antifreeze | Automotive coolant (ethylene glycol) | Vomiting, kidney failure, metabolic acidosis | Fomepizole, ethanol |
| Ammonia | Household cleaning products, industrial chemical | Airway burns, breathing difficulty | No specific antidote; supportive care |
| Acrylamide | Forms in starchy foods cooked at high heat | Nerve damage, numbness | No specific antidote |
| Azinphos-methyl | Organophosphate pesticide | Cholinergic crisis, respiratory failure | Atropine, pralidoxime |