When it comes to finding the largest naturally occurring carbon chains, where one look might be a bit of surprise. THE OCEAN. In the ocean, there are living reefs, corals and substantial amounts of sea life, all of which contain carbon.
But when it comes to finding the most substantial carbon chain, palytoxin and maitotoxin have the longest naturally occurring chains. There have been huge studies done on these phenomena, and the rates at which they are continuing to grow. These carbon chains have been measured at 100 Å., or 3.93 inches. What exactly are these toxins though?
Palytoxin is a highly poisonous substance and considered to be the highest poison concentration for a non-protein matter. It is a partially saturated compound. However, unlike most poisons, boiling this one will NOT reduce the level of toxicity. These are mainly found in tropical locations.
Some sea creatures such as crabs and fish have tested positive for these toxins, but it is very rare for this to happen. Maitotoxin is also highly toxic and is produced by Gambierdiscus toxicus. This species is mainly found in Tahiti.