LAS VEGAS -- One of the police officers who went to a motel room where ricin was later found tested positive for trace amounts of a substance that is also derived from castor beans, authorities said.

Castor beans are the raw material for ricin. Several beans were discovered with a medical vial of the poison in an Extended Stay America.

An official at the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory in Las Vegas confirmed the officer had trace detectible levels of the substance "ricinine" in his urine. The officer's name and age haven't been made public.

Ricinine is not dangerous, a lab official said. The officer is showing no signs or symptoms in ricin poisoning, according to The Associated Press.

Authorities are trying to determine if the officer was exposed to castor oil, cosmetics, particle board, paints or other manufactured products derived from castor beans. She said about 5 percent of the U.S. population is believed to have similar trace detectible levels of ricinine in their system.

Las Vegas police aren't responding to requests for comment.

Roger Von Bergendorff, 57, was sickened last month from his exposure to ricin. During a conversation with his brother, Von Bergendorff said he made the toxin for self-protection and may have been poisoned by it.

Ricin can be deadly if ingested, inhaled or injected into the body. Authorities said that two-tenths of a milligram is enough to kill a person. It has been used in some cancer research, but it has also been used in assassinations and turned up in the homes of suspected terrorists.

The toxin is 6,000 times more potent than cyanide.

People caught possessing the toxin can be imprisoned for up to 10 years.