Lethal nerve agent

DF and its precursor, methylphosphonic dichloride (DC), are organophos-phonic acids. They will react with alcohols to form crude lethal nerve agents, such as crude GB. High overexposure may cause inhibition of cholinesterase activity. Although much less toxic than GB, DF and DC are toxic and corrosive materials. 

DF and its precursor, DC are organophosphonic acids. They will react with alcohols to form crude lethal nerve agents, such as crude GB. High overexposure may cause inhibition of cholinesterase activity. Although much less toxic than GB, DF and DC are toxic and corrosive materials. Because DF and DC are relatively volatile compounds, the primary route of exposure is expected to be the respiratory system. However, ingestion also results from inhalation exposures in animals and could occur in humans. DF and DC vapors have a pungent odor and may cause severe and painful irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Data provided is for DF only, DC has similar properties. 

Edgewood Research Development, and Engineering Center, Department of the Army. Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Lethal Nerve Agent (GA). Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD Chemical Biological Defense Command, Revised February 28,1996. 

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Lethal Nerve Agent (GD). Aberdeen Proving Ground,... 

C.A.S. Registration Number Chemical Abstracts Service. An assigned number used to identify a material. CAS numbers identify specific chemicals and are assigned sequentially the number is a concise, unique means of material identification. A product of more than one component will have a specific number for each component (i.e., the CAS for lethal nerve agent GA, or tabun, is 77-81-9 while the CAS for the liquid nerve agent GB, or sarin, is 107-44-8, and 50.642-23-4). 

APPENDIX 15 Material Safety Data Sheet Lethal Nerve Agent Sarin (GB) ... 

Material Safety Data Sheets Lethal Nerve Agents Soman... 

Dr. Aghajanian also tried the nerve agent GB (sarin) as a possible antidote. It worked quite well, as did VX, another well-known lethal nerve agent. He and Dr. Sidell sueeessfully used both drugs to reverse EA 3580 intoxieation. If not for the general publie fear of anything to do with nerve gas, one might reeommend sarin or VX as superior antidotes to use in the treatment of dmg-indueed delirium. 

Rapid advances in chemistry during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, coupled with the success of mustard gas as a toxic weapon in World War I, attracted attention to the warfare potential of chemical agents. This led to support for research on lethal nerve agents during and immediately after World War II. The research was followed by the development of treatment methods, and prominent among these was the use of cholinesterase reactivators to reverse the lethal effects of anticholinesterase nerve gases. 

Uhe stockpile (the subject of the Amy s Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program) consists of (1) bulk containers of nerve and blister agents and (2) munitions, including rockets, mines, bombs, projectiles, and spray tanks, loaded with nerve or blister agents. Buried chemical warfare materiel, recovered chemical warfare materiel, binary weapons (in which two nonlethal components are mixed after firing to yield a lethal nerve agent), former production facilities, and miscellaneous chemical warfare materiel are not included in the stockpile. The disposition of these five classes of materials is the subject of a separate Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Pro-... 

No doubt the British government had some scruples about the use of gas, and certainly by 1940 was well aware that in fact high explosive was a much more effective killer than any of the gases available to them. This was not the case in Germany. Starting in 1940 two new works were built, at Dyhernfurth and Gendorf, to exclusively produce mustard gas and the new lethal nerve agents, tabun and sarin.6... 

Some agents such as mustard gas (blister agent) and VX (the most lethal nerve agent ever produced for weaponization) are also persistent, meaning they present severe, long-term contamination hazards. Because these can act topically, secondary contact... 

Department of the Army (DA) (1992). Material safety data sheets lethal nerve agents GA, GB, VX. US Department of the Army, Edgewood Research, Development and Engineering Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. 

Even though the lethal nerve agent exposure level for animals may be higher than that for humans, it is still possible that animals eould exhibit other nonlethal effects sooner and more notieeably than humans. Rabbits develop 90% miosis at a lower inhaled eoneentration of cyclohexyl sarin when compared to humans (2.71 mg.min/m versus 13.85 mg.min/m ) (NRC, 2003). 

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