pedwards@wingnut.foxnet.net (Philip Edwards) writes:
> In Canada they use a substance called oleoresin capsicum in "pepper spray".
> It has been called a non-lethal use-of-force alternative. As one of the
> first aboriginal police services governor (volunteer position in Ontario)
> for the city of Thunder Bay, I thought that this would be a good idea. After
> some though however, I related to my colleagues on the police board that I
> wanted to know what other effects the substance might have on people. I told
> them that some people might have an adverse reaction to it ... in fact, I
> told them that someone might die as a result of it. This was before I knew
> anything about it and it hadn't been used in Canada very much.
I was surprised to see a chemistry Q. in your mail list...I asked my sister's
husband, who is the Aust. equivalent of an Assist. prof. in organic chem.
about this spray. He told me a bit, which you might like to pass onto Philip.
I was not sure about protocol for this.
anyhow.....
ETHANOL -D6: A molecule of ethanol, where all the hydrogens are replaced
by deuterium atoms. He said that this sibstance is VERY EXPENSIVE used only
in special applications in certain analytical techniques, and definitely not
for spraying on crowds.
He said the subst, was more toxic than ethanol..something called the
isotope effect, which means that its chemically more stable, and gets
degraded more slowly and hangs around in the system.
NONANOIC ACID VANILLIAMIDE this is structurally related to the HOT compound
in capsicum (capsaicine) This affects breathing and would start burning the
nose and eyes - as in an unexpected dose of pepper dust in the kitchen - It
would be shocking for the victim...not being able to breath and/or see...
He defined asphyxia as coronary failure, paralysis of the muscle system,
as in a comparative eg. jumpimng into cold water, or sudden cot death in
infants.
Arnold has found an interesting and disturbing connection between one of the
ingredients of the spray and a poisonous agent responsible for killing 300
people and affecting 20,000 in spain...You may recall the Spanish salad oil
poisoning of 1981?
The spray ingredient is NONANIC ACID VANILLAMIDE;
Apparently the poisonous agent in the Sp. oil. was chemically remarkably
related to this ingredient of the spray.
Experts, enquiring into the poisoning thought that not only was it poisoning
that caused death but, also allergic shock that killed by a hyper-response
of the immune system. Some of the sypmtoms were similar to atypical pneumonia.
"chemically..related": here means that both are aniline derivatives (benzene
ring with an amino function attached to it) acylated with medium chain (spray)
or cahin fatty acids.
The spary ingrdient has 2 more groups hanging off the benzene ring.
(ie vanilline, hence the name) the oil poison does not.
Arnold thought that the connection between the two should have been
noticed before now, since he found the info fairly easily, and it's not
his area of expertise....therefore one might assume that those whose area
it is, should have seen the material and recognised similarities....
REFERENCES: philip may care to check up himself;
NATURE, 302, 737 (1983) : THE LANCET 1, 969 (1982).
There is other lit. published but in german....newsletters i gather.
Arnold suggested that Philip do a search of PATENT literature, and a
COMPOUND search search, connecting with features like 'application' and
'toxicity.' he may have done this already... At the very least the
similariity between the two needs to be investigated to establish how far
the results of exposure are the same... like everything else one should
try to keep an open mind... philip needs to have a chemist in this field
check on it... Arnold as i said is not an expert in this field and this
really needs to be checked out by one who is...