What happened in the show: Walter White prepares ricin twice in the show, the first batch was intended to kill Tuco Salamanca but the drug kingpin didnt bite and tossed the packet aside. We saw the real effects of ricin towards the very end of Season 5. Lydia Rodarte-Quayle originally supplied methylamine to Gus Fring, later working with Walts drug empire and Jack Welkers white supremacist gang. Walt replaces a packet of sugar substitute with ricin and she happily stirs it into her chamomile tea. A few hours later shes feeling under the weather and Walt tells her shes been poisoned with ricin theres nothing she can do. Could it really happen? Yes. Ricin is highly poisonous if inhaled or injected, meaning just a few grains can kill an adult; around 20 micrograms per kilo of body weight. Injecting ricin is a method used by the KGB to assassinate defectors so its definitely a real thing. When ingested though, its much less potent. More of the product is needed to kill a person and if caught early, patients can recover. In Breaking Bad, Lydia doesnt realise shes been poisoned, she experiences symptoms similar to flu and thats when its too late. Depending on dose, it can take victims 3-5 days to die after initially ingesting ricin.
