V-agent

Decontamination. If contaminated equipment or material does not have to be used immediately, natural aeration is an effective decontaminant procedure, as most chemical agents, including the bHster and V-agents, are volatile to a certain degree. Wind accelerates their evaporation and hastens their dissipation. Rain and dew may also cause sufficient hydrolysis of some agents. Sunlight increases the surface temperatures of military equipment and thus accelerates agent evaporation. 

They are generally divided into the G-agents, which in the unmodified state are volatile, and the V-agents, which tend to be more persistent. Even G-agents are capable of being thickened with various substances to increase the persistence and penetration of the intact skin. The principal nerve agents are Tabun (GA), Sarin (GB), Soman (GD), and VX. 

Both the G- and V-agents have the same physiological action on humans. They are potent inhibitors of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which is required for the function of many nerves and muscles in nearly every multicellular animal. Normally, AChE prevents the accumulation of acetylcholine after its release in the nervous system. Acetylcholine plays a vital role in stimulating voluntary muscles and nerve endings of the autonomic nervous system and many structures within the CNS. Thus, nerve agents that are cholinesterase inhibitors permit acetylcholine to accumulate at those sites, mimicking the effects of a massive release of acetylcholine. The major effects will be on skeletal muscles, parasympathetic end organs, and the CNS. 

Another V-agent of interest is Vx, called "V sub x." Another designation for Vx is "V-gas." The properties of Vx are similar to those of VX. It is nearly lOx more volatile than VX, but is very persistent in comparison to the G-agents. The molecular weight of Vx is 211.2. Listed values are calculated, information on this agent is limited. The physiological action, protection, and decontaminants for Vx are the same as for VX. 

V-agents - persistent, highly toxic nerve agents developed in the mid-1950s and absorbed primarily through the skin. 

This idea has been utilized in elaboration of similar mixture of alkaline hydroperoxide with foam-generating detergents recently [10] but with a lower efficiency (tested only on GD - DI50 12.9). It is obvious that such emulsion cannot be used for primary decontamination in the first line due to a very limited stability (in the order of hours only) and also due to unsufficient effectiveness against HD. Such emulsion has thus limited utility. It could be used as a means of choice in stationary facilities to utilise its excellent effectiveness against V agents. 

V-agents A group of stable nerve agents that are about ten times more toxic than Sarin. 

Most chemical agents contain specific elements in common. G and V agents all contain phosphoms and blister agents, like the mustards, contain sulfur or nitrogen. The combustion of these materials yields excited atoms that emit light characteristic of these elements. The emissions are viewed through an interference filter by a photodetector. As an alternative to a flame, low-powered, inductively coupled (or microwave) plasmas have been used as emission sources. These sources have been combined with... 

Schedule 1 of the CWC also includes quaternary salts of V agents, in which the side chain nitrogen is quaternized. Although these have generally been neglected as analytes, LC/MS and NMR are likely to be the only analytical techniques suited to the detection and identification of these compounds. 

Their use has since been confirmed in the Iraq-Iran conflict, against the Kurdish population in Iraq, and by terrorists in Japan. They can be divided into three structural classes (Figure 9) the alkyl methylphosphonofluoridates, usually referred to as G agents, for example, sarin (GB), soman (GD), cyclohexylsarin (GF) the V agents, VX (U.S.) and R-33 (Russia) and tabun (GA) (40). 

The metabolism of nerve agents is much simpler than that of sulfur mustard. The major pathway for elimination is via enzyme-mediated hydrolysis by esterases, plus some chemical hydrolysis, as shown in Figure 10. In the case of the methylphosphonofluoridates and V agents, the major product is an alkyl methylphosphonic acid (alkyl MPA) (16). A small fraction of the nerve agent binds... 

Recovery may take several months. Permanent damage to the central nervous system is possible after exposure to a high dose. G agents are lethal within 1 to 10 minutes and V agents are generally lethal within 4 to 18 hours, depending on dose and route of entry. 

During the same period, Soviet scientists developed the so-called Russian VX (VR, RVX, R 033) (Kassa et al., 2006 Kuca et al., 2006). The chemical structure of VX was unknown for a long time. Therefore some attempts to resolve this question have been made (Bajgar, 1968). Because of these ambiguities and difficulties in synthesis, model V agent [EDMM, G-ethyl 5-(2-dimethylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothioate] was initially used in the Eastern Block to study antidotal treatment. Another structural analog of VX known as Chinese VX (CVX) was also developed and studied (Eckert et al., 2006). 

Bajgar, J. (1968). Survey of chemicals for consideration as possible V agents (in Czech). Inf. Zpravodaj 9 5-17. Bajgar, J. (2006). The use of chemical weapons and negotiations on their han from historic to present time. NUCLEUS, Hradec Kralove, 180 pp. (In Czech)... 

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