Terrorist attacks recent examples

Large amounts of 0-isopropyl methylphosphonic acid were found in blood and nrine of victims of the terrorist attacks with sarin in Matsumoto and Tokyo. Until recently, it was assnmed that hydrolysis of phosphofluoridates in plasma and tissues of mammals proceeds exclusively by cleavage of the P F bond. For example, treatment of C( )P( )- P-soman with rat plasma or liver homogenate did not lead to any conversion of PMPA into the secondary hydrolysis product methylphosphonic acid (MPA). Ramachandran observed that the primary hydrolysis product of DF P, i.e., 0,0-diisopropyl P-phosphoric acid, is not metabolized after s.c. admiiustration to mice. Rather, the product was excreted unchanged into urine. However, Nakajima et al. reported that MPA was detected (in urine) until the third day after hospitalization of a victim of the terrorist attack with sarin in Matsumoto. This discrepancy needs further investigation. 

In the past only two nuclear accidents (Three Mile Island and Chernobyl) were widely reported, while over 100 went unreported. These other accident were not caused by only earthquakes, design errors or terrorist acts, but more recently also by software virus attacks through the Internet. For example, on January 25, 2003 a Slammer worm penetrated the private computer network of Ohio s Davis-Besse nuclear power plant, and stopped its control computer. The only reason a meltdown did not result is because the plant was not in operation. 

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