Sarin inhalation

Kassa, J., Koupilova, M., Vachek, J. (2001b). The influence of low-level sarin inhalation exposure on spatial memory in rats. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 70 175-9. 

Kassa, J.. Krocova, Z, Seveloe, L., Sheshko, V., Kassaiova, I, and Neubauerova, V. (2004b). The alteration of immune reactions in inbred BALB/c mice following low-level sarin inhalation exposure. Mial. Toxical 16. 509-515. 

Gundavarapu, S., Zhuang, J., Barrett, E.G., et al., 2014. A critical role of acute bronchoconstriction in the mortality associated with high-dose sarin inhalation effects of epinephrine and oxygen therapies. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 274, 200-208. 

The toxic effects model translates the exposure profiles into casualty probabilities for the personnel, assuming a probabilistic dose-effect relationship. The casualty levels and spectra can be obtained for various type of health effects, e.g. eye effects, inhalation, percutane, subdivided in two levels (incapacitating and lethal), and various protection levels, e.g. no protection, suit only, mask only, mask and suit, and collective protection. Table 1 gives a typical result for one scenario. In case no protection is used, 63% of the population dies due to inhalation of sarin and 25% dies due to percutaneous exposure. Clearly, when both mask and suit are worn, the casualty levels are dropping drastically. 

Sarin (isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate), called GB in the United States, is a volatile substance taken up mainly through inhalation. 

Nerve Agent Substances that interfere with the central nervous system. Organic esters of phosphoric acid used as a chemical warfare agent because of their extreme toxicity (tabun-GA, sarin-GB, soman-GD, GF, and VX). All are potent inhibitors of the enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, which is responsible for the degradation of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine in neuronal synapses or myoneural junctions. Nerve agents are readily absorbed by inhalation and/or through intact skin. 

Nerve agent Chemical agent inhaled, absorbed through the skin, or ingested that causes interference with the neural synapses and overstimulation of the nervous system, which in turn leads to overreactivity in the muscles and malfunctioning of various organs. The primary agents are tabun, sarin, soman, and VX. 

Ethyl dimethylphosphoramidofluoridate (VIII) was prepared by a similar method and proved to be a very toxic liquid. Its l.d. 50, on intravenous injection into rabbits and also on subcutaneous injection into mice, was 2-5 mg./kg. Toxicity was also determined by inhalation and a Ct ((7 = concentration, <=10 min.) of 200 mg./min./cu.m. killed seven out of a batch of eleven rabbits, guinea-pigs, rats and mice a Ct of 100 mg./min./cu.m. killed four out of eleven. The compound also possessed myotic properties. Other compounds that we made in this series were much more toxic and it will be seen that they bear some resemblance to tabun and sarin now about... 

These compounds act as inhibitors in acetyl-cholinesterase metabolism5-113115 and are absorbed via inhalation, mouth, skin or muscous membranes of the eye. For Sarin, the LDI00 value for humans is expected to be 0.04-0.06 mg 1 kg-57... 

Husain, K.R., R. Vijayaraghavan, S.C. Pant, S.K. Raza, and K.S. Pandey. 1993. Delayed neurotoxic effect of sarin in mice after repeated inhalation exposure. J. Appl. Toxicol. 13 143-145. 

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