Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Terrorism

Chemical Weapons

Chemical weapons are organic and inorganic chemical substances that are harmful to humans. There are several different types of chemical agents. All work in a different manner, but are the same in one facet, in high enough concentration, they will all kill humans.

Nerve Agents: These are agents such VX, Sarin, Soman, and Tabun. These agents are organophosphates, a type of chemical usually used as insecticide. These agents cause the victim to go through failure of the Central Nervous System. The agent interferes with enzymes in the brain, like all organophosphates. The agent causes convulsions, drooling, involuntary defecation and/or urination, running nose, etc. The convulsions can be so severe that they break bones. Eventually, the agent causes the heart to stop, and the victim dies.

Vesicants (Blister Agents): These are agents such as Sulfur-Mustards, Phosgene Oxime, Nitrogen-Mustards, Lewisite, Mustard-Lewisite, etc. Vesicants are all common in the fact that they burn and blister the lungs, skin, and eyes. When these agents come into contact with tissue, they create terrible burns and blisters, which are extremely painful. A victim can killed by a vesicant when blisters are created in the lungs. When the blisters burst, they fill the lungs with fluid, and the victim drowns to death in the fluid.

Blood agents: These are agents like Cyanogen Chloride and Hydrogen Cyanide. They act to poison the blood, and act quickly, like nerve agents, within about five minutes. Coma and convulsions usually precede death of the victim.

Choking Agents: These are agents such as Ammonia, Chlorine, and Phosgene. These agents cause damage to the lungs, where the lungs fill with fluid and the victim drowns to death, much like vesicants.
All of these agents are extremely dangerous, and all are a very painful way to die. It should be mentioned, that many other deadly chemicals reside in our nation's chemical industries, and sabotage of these plants is a distinct possibility.

Chemical weapons are NOT gasses, as they are frequently called. They are either in liquid or aerosol form. (A good comparison would be a cleaner or disinfectant in a spray can.)

All of these weapons can effectively be defended against with protective equipment.

Biological Weapons

Biological weapons are diseases harnessed by man as a military weapon. Many diseases have been mentioned as being possible BW agents. However, the most mentioned are Anthrax, Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis, Botulinum toxin, Plague, Ricin, and Smallpox.

Biological weapons can be bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and essentially are nothing more than intentionally spread disease. The BW agents mentioned above are selected for their characteristics, including ease of manufacture, incubation period, resistance to treatment, method of dispersal, hardiness in different environments, lethality, and contagiousness. There is evidence Soviet scientists genetically altered diseases at their BW laboratories, making diseases even more lethal and resistant to treatment.

It should be noted, toxins are much like chemical weapons, except that they are made from biological sources.

It cannot be assumed that a BW agent can be treated. As stated in the last paragraph, some of these diseases have been altered to resist treatment, and some diseases, mostly viruses, have no cure. As with chemical weapons, the best defence against these agents is protective equipment and good hygiene.

Biological weapons are disseminated in either aerosol, liquid, or powdered form.

MAIL ROOMS

see products

(-VE) PRESSURE

see products

(+VE) PRESSURE

see products