Nerve agents properties

Properties. Some physical properties of nerve agents are given in Table 2. The G-agents, miscible in both polar and nonpolar solvents, hydrolyze slowly in water at neutral or slightly acid pH and more rapidly under strong acid or alkaline conditions. The hydrolysis products are considerably less toxic than the original agent. 

VM also called Edemo is a "V-series" nerve agent closely related to the better-known VX nerve gas. Like most of the agents in the V-series (with the exception of VX), VM has not been studied extensively studied. Little known about this compound other than its chemical formula. Since it is structurally very similar to VX it can be assumed that most properties will be similar also. 

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. 

The interplay between the chemical and biological properties of the threat agent, on the one hand, and the specific attack scenario, on the other, can influence the lethality of the attack. Table 2-2 shows the relative respiratory toxicities (expressed as the lethal concentration of toxin at which 50 percent of test animals are killed, or LCT50, in milligrams per minute per cubic meter) of a variety of toxic gases compared with chlorine gas, which was used as a chemical weapon in World War I. According to Table 2-2, the nerve agent sarin (GB) has a respiratory toxicity approximately 100 times that of chlorine, while sulfur mustard (HD) is about 7 times more toxic. However, the lethality of an attack... 

The components, by-products of the reaction or solvents used to facilitate mixing the components may have their own toxic properties and could present additional hazards. They may also change the rate that the binary nerve agent volatilizes or penetrates the skin. Residual components may react with common materials, such as alcohols, to produce other nerve agents. For data on binary components, see the Component Section (C01-C) following information on the individual agents. 

Solvents have been added to nerve agents to facilitate handling, to stabilize the agents, or to increase the ease of percutaneous penetration by the agents. Percutaneous enhancement solvents include dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylpalmitamide, N,N-dimethyldecanamide, and saponin. Color and other properties of these solutions may vary from the pure agent. Odors will vary depending on the characteristics of the solvent(s) used and concentration of nerve agent in the solution. 

Carbamate nerve agents do not have good warning properties. They have no odor, and, other than causing miosis, aerosols do not irritate the eyes. Contact neither irritates the skin nor causes cutaneous injuries. 

Vultacs, 23 644 Vuorelaineite, 6 471t VX nerve agent, 5 819 physical properties, 5 820t... 

Understanding and comparing degradation pathways of nerve agents on catalyst (clays and metal oxides) enable theoretical predictions as to the most likely intermediate and final products, thereby shortening the period of expense and experimentation. This review is devoted to explore fundamental capabilities of CC techniques including the ab initio methods as tools to characterize properties of... 

Analyzes of the calculated IR and Raman spectra point out to the enhancement of the P=0 stretching mode with respect to the isolated DFP, and this property could be used to detect nerve-agents using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. 

The G-agents are all viscous liquids of varying volatility (vapor density relative to air between 4.86 and 6.33) with faint odors ( faintly fruity , or spicy , odor of camphor ). Agent VX is an amber-colored hquid with a vapor density of 9.2, and is considered odorless. Thus, nerve agent vapors possess little to no olfactory warning properties (Table 6.1). 

TABLE 6.1. Physical and chemical properties of organophosphorous nerve agents... 

Among promising candidates as antidotes against CNS intoxication by OP nerve agents, memantine (MEM) has been shown to pose both anti-excitotoxic and anti-epileptic properties. Memantine is an uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, clinically used for the treatment of Alzheimer s disease, Parkinson s disease and spasticity, in the absence of serious side effects (Ozsuer et al, 2005 Lipton, 2005). From a series of rat in vivo experiments, it is evident that pre-administration of memantine significantly protects... 

TABLE 50.1. Physicochemical properties of VX and G-type OP nerve agents... 

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