Nerve agents animal exposures

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. 

Meat from animals that have suffered only mild to moderate effects from exposure to nerve agents should be safe to consume. Milk should be discarded for the first 7 days postexposure and then should be safe to consume. Meat, milk, and animal products, including hides, from animals severely affected or killed by nerve agents should be destroyed. 

It is unlikely that the unchanged nerve agent would be detected in the blood or tissues of a casualty unless samples were collected very soon after the exposure. A number of methods have been reported for the analysis of nerve agents in blood, for application to animal studies. These involve simple liquid or SPE extraction, for example, using chloroform (sarin, soman) (47), C18 SPE (sarin, soman) l48 49 , ethyl acetate (VX) (50), usually after precipitation of proteins, and analysis by GC/MS or gas chromatography/nitrogen-phosphorus detection (GC/NPD). Sarin bound to cholinesterase and displaced with fluoride ion was extracted by C18 SPE (see Part B) (51). 

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