NOTE: Safe use of protective clothing and equipment requires specific skills developed through training and experience. Level A protection should be used until monitoring results confirm the contaminant and the concentration of the contaminant. However, it is unlikely that tetrodotoxin will require this amount of protection.įirst Responders should use a NIOSH-certified Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) with a Level A protective suit when entering an area with an unknown contaminant or when entering an area where the concentration of the contaminant is unknown. GENERAL INFORMATION: The following are general recommendations for hazardous material exposure.ROUTES OF EXPOSURE: Exposure occurs due to ingestion of fish or other food containing tetrodotoxin.Agricultural: Because tetrodotoxin is unlikely to be disseminated through indoor or outdoor air, it is also unlikely to be disseminated through agricultural products.

Outdoor Air: Because the natural source of tetrodotoxin is from living organisms, and manufacturing tetrodotoxin artificially in appreciable quantities is extremely difficult, dissemination through outdoor air is unlikely.Food: Exposure to tetrodotoxin usually occurs through eating improperly prepared fish or possibly through contamination of other food products.Water: Because the natural source of tetrodotoxin is from living organisms, and manufacturing tetrodotoxin artificially in appreciable quantities is extremely difficult, dissemination through water is unlikely.Indoor Air: Because the natural source of tetrodotoxin is from living organisms, and manufacturing tetrodotoxin artificially in appreciable quantities is extremely difficult, dissemination through indoor air is unlikely.Tetrodotoxin interferes with the transmission of signals from nerves to muscles and causes an increasing paralysis of the muscles of the body. Human poisonings occur when the flesh and/or organs of the fish are improperly prepared and eaten. DESCRIPTION: Tetrodotoxin is an extremely potent poison (toxin) found mainly in the liver and sex organs (gonads) of some fish, such as puffer fish, globefish, and toadfish (order Tetraodontiformes) and in some amphibian, octopus, and shellfish species.APPEARANCE: Colorless crystalline solid that darkens when heated above 428☏ (220☌).

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