Skin irritation, rash, potentially for toxins to be absorbed through the skin, but especially dangerous if you have a small cut or abrasion you may not have noticed. Touching your eyes or nose after handling is also problematic and an easy mistake to make if you’ve been around plants that easily cause irritation.
All the advice I’ve ever read says don’t touch. Don’t know of a grown adult who’s ever died doing so, but it’s nasty stuff. I googled (duckduckgod?). Eating 6 leaves is enough to kill you, seeds and roots even less.
Here’s a bbc countryfile article. The problem with some of these poisons is that it takes a while before you know you’ve been poisoned and even longer for you to die an unpleasant death.
Luckily it’s not as bad as the organometalics. Don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Karen Wetterhan. Chemistry professor who dropped one or two drops of dimethylmercury on her protective gloves. Thought nothing of it. Went through her latex glove, absorbed through her skin within 15 seconds, she didn’t notice it happening. Took her 10 months to die of mercury poisoning.
Shit’s no joke. I have two relatives who worked in the chemical industry. One has chronic leukemia. The other has Parkinson’s. Environmental exposure is likely to be a factor or have exacerbated things for both of them.
TLDR: wear gloves and protective gear when necessary.
What is bad about touching it bare handed?
Skin irritation, rash, potentially for toxins to be absorbed through the skin, but especially dangerous if you have a small cut or abrasion you may not have noticed. Touching your eyes or nose after handling is also problematic and an easy mistake to make if you’ve been around plants that easily cause irritation.
All the advice I’ve ever read says don’t touch. Don’t know of a grown adult who’s ever died doing so, but it’s nasty stuff. I googled (duckduckgod?). Eating 6 leaves is enough to kill you, seeds and roots even less.
Here’s a bbc countryfile article. The problem with some of these poisons is that it takes a while before you know you’ve been poisoned and even longer for you to die an unpleasant death.
Luckily it’s not as bad as the organometalics. Don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Karen Wetterhan. Chemistry professor who dropped one or two drops of dimethylmercury on her protective gloves. Thought nothing of it. Went through her latex glove, absorbed through her skin within 15 seconds, she didn’t notice it happening. Took her 10 months to die of mercury poisoning.
Shit’s no joke. I have two relatives who worked in the chemical industry. One has chronic leukemia. The other has Parkinson’s. Environmental exposure is likely to be a factor or have exacerbated things for both of them.
TLDR: wear gloves and protective gear when necessary.