Letter 14038

How much of copper sulphate do you consume before you die [Canada] 

I was wondering if you consume a Diluted copper sulfate [link is to product info at Amazon] can it kill you, and if it can how much do you have to consume before you die?

Bob Brown
- St.Johns, Newfoundland, Canada

Writing a murder mystery? Planning an episode of Fear Factor?  :-)

With all the possible things to think about, may we ask why you just happen to be wondering how much of something can kill you? Of all the things that can kill you, may we ask why you just happen to to be wondering about dilute copper sulphate, as opposed to dandelions, red ants, pencil erasers, toothpicks, or 500 million other things? Shall we read between the lines and scream "Get to a Doctor immediately!" Shall we call DYFS, suspecting your child found and drank some but you refuse to report it?

Consuming too much of anything at all will kill you. How much copper sulphate it takes would depend on how dilute it was, body weight, general health, whether it was a one-day accident or a continuous drinking of it (lacing a well with root killer), etc., etc., etc., ad infinitum. Please post a real world question. Thanks!

 
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com Inc. - Brick, NJ

First, what is dilute?? Second, it will depend on your body size and how strong an immune system you have. Third, it will depend on at what rate you injest it. Forth, are you planning on suicide, if so, it will not be a pleasant way to go. Fifth, what was your real question?

James Watts
- FL

Process: copper is attacked with sulphuric acid. Chemical formula: CuSO45H2O. Appearance: large blue obliquely angled crystals, soluble in water.

Copper content: 25.5%, LD50 Acute oral: >1,000 mg/kg in adult male rats. 1 gram per kilo of rat will kill 50% of the test rats. People will be similar. A 220 pound man will take about 100 grams to kill 50% more or less.

Since CuS)4 is not an acute toxin it kills by gross chemical effects on membranes of the heavy metal copper it will have a similar LD50 in all mammals.

Solubility: very soluble in water 230 g/kg at 25°C, not very stable. When heated, copper sulphate loses its crystallisation water and becomes white, but regains its blue colour in the presence of even a minimum trace of humidity.

Formulation: neutralisation hard to obtain and to maintain, pH quite acid.

Bill Jackson
- Toronto, Canada

Dear Bob:

First of all, I have to express similar concerns over the nature of your question. If you or someone else has ingested this material, you need to consult your local poison control center and get it dealt with. On the other hand, you will find that solicitating this kind of information from any organization will be met with suspicion. For instance, one of the hats I wear is training for hazardous materials in the workplace and wanted to compare the lethal doses between the different types of alcohols (including drinking alcohol) in order to make a point about exposure. While I could easily find the information on Isopropyl and ethanol (because it is published), I simply could not convince anybody to share the same information on drinking alcohol ... no matter what reason I gave them. I suppose this makes sense.

Warren Keller
- Burlington, Ontario

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