Weapons of mass destruction Chemical weapons
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History of the use of chemical weapons Chemical weapons were used: First World War (1914-1918) Rif War (1920-1926) Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1941) Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) Vietnam War (1955-1975) Civil War in North Yemen (1962-1970) Iran-Iraq War (1980-
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Definition and properties of chemical weapons Chemical weapons are toxic substances and the means by which they are used on the battlefield. The basis of the destructive effect of chemical weapons is toxic substances. Toxic agents (CA) are chemical compounds that, when used, can injure unprotected personnel or reduce their combat effectiveness. In terms of their damaging properties, explosive agents differ from other military weapons: - they are capable of penetrating with the air into various buildings, military equipment and inflicting damage on the people in them; – they can maintain their destructive effect in the air, on the ground and in various objects for some, sometimes quite a long time; – spreading in large volumes of air and over large areas, they inflict damage on all people within their sphere of action without protective equipment; – OM vapors are capable of spreading in the direction of the wind to Author: Nurmukhamedov significant distances from the areas of A.F. direct use of chemical weapons. 3
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Properties of agent Chemical munitions are distinguished by the following characteristics: – – – – – Persistence Depending on how long after use toxic substances can retain their damaging effect, they are conventionally divided into: – – persistence of the agent used; nature of the physiological effect of the agent on the body human means and methods of use tactical purpose speed of onset of impact persistent (mustard gas, lewisite, VX) unstable (phosgene, hydrocyanic acid) The persistence of toxic substances depends on: – – – – their physical and chemical properties, methods of application, meteorological conditions, the nature of the area, on in which poisonous substances were used. Persistent agents retain their damaging effect from several hours to several days and even weeks.
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Types of agents according to their physiological effects on humans Nerve paralytics, vesicants, sneezes, general toxic irritants
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Types of agents Nerve agents cause damage to the central nervous system. The main purpose of using nerve agents is to quickly and massively incapacitate personnel with as many deaths as possible. Blistering agents cause damage mainly through the skin, and when used in the form of aerosols and vapors, also through the respiratory system. Generally toxic agents affect through the respiratory system, causing the cessation of oxidative processes in the tissues of the body. Asphyxiating agents primarily affect the lungs. Psychochemical agents are capable of incapacitating enemy manpower for some time. These toxic substances, acting on the central nervous system, disrupt the normal mental activity of a person or cause mental disabilities such as temporary blindness, deafness, a sense of fear, and limitation of the motor functions of various organs. May be fatal at very high concentrations
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Methods of using agents can be used for the purpose of: - defeating manpower for their complete destruction or temporary incapacitation, which is achieved by using mainly nerve agents; - suppression of manpower in order to force it to take protective measures for a certain time and thus complicate its maneuver, reduce the speed and accuracy of fire; this task is accomplished by using agents with blister and nerve action; - pinning down (exhausting) the enemy in order to complicate his combat operations for a long time and cause losses in personnel; this problem is solved by using persistent agents; - contamination of the terrain in order to force the enemy to leave their positions, prohibit or make it difficult to use certain areas of the terrain and overcome obstacles.
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Methods of application aviation missiles Methods of delivery landmines artillery
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Characteristics of the main agents Nerve agents Sarin GB is a colorless or yellow liquid, almost odorless, which makes it difficult to detect by external signs. Longevity in summer - several hours, in winter - several days. Sarin causes damage through the respiratory system, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. When exposed to sarin, the victim experiences drooling, profuse sweating, headaches, vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, severe convulsions, paralysis and, as a result of severe poisoning, death. Soman GD is a colorless and almost odorless liquid. In many properties it is very similar to sarin. The persistence of soman is slightly higher than that of sarin; its effect on the human body is approximately 10 times stronger. V-gases VX are a low-volatile, colorless liquid with a shelf life of 7-15 days in summer and indefinitely in winter. V-gases are 100 - 1000 times more toxic than other nerve agents. They are highly effective when acting through the skin. Contact of small drops of V-gases on human skin usually causes death.
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Blistering agents Representatives: mustard gas HD, lewisite L, Mustard gas is a dark brown oily liquid with a characteristic odor of garlic or mustard. Its durability on the ground is: in summer - from 7 to 14 days, in winter - a month or more. The effect of mustard gas appears after a period of latent action. When it comes into contact with the skin, mustard gas is absorbed into the skin. After 4 - 8 hours, redness and itching appear on the skin. After a day, small bubbles form, which merge into single large bubbles. The appearance of blisters is accompanied by malaise and fever. After 2 - 3 days, the blisters burst, leaving ulcers that do not heal for a long time. The organs of vision are affected by mustard gas at negligible concentrations in the air and exposure time is 10 minutes. Then photophobia and lacrimation appear. The disease can last 10 - 15 days, after which recovery occurs. The digestive organs become infected through food. The period of latent action (30 - 60 minutes) ends with the appearance of stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; then general weakness, headache, weakening of reflexes occur. In the future - paralysis, severe weakness and exhaustion. If the course is unfavorable, death occurs on days 3–12 as a result of complete decline
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Generally toxic agents Hydrocyanic acid AC and cyanogen chloride SC, arsenic hydrogen, hydrogen phosphide. Hydrocyanic acid AC is a colorless liquid with an odor reminiscent of bitter almonds. Hydrocyanic acid evaporates easily and acts only in a vapor state. Characteristic signs of damage by hydrocyanic acid are: – – – – – – metallic taste in the mouth, throat irritation, numbness of the tip of the tongue, dizziness, weakness, nausea. shortness of breath, slow pulse, loss of consciousness, sharp convulsions. Convulsions are observed for a relatively short time; they are replaced by complete relaxation of the muscles with loss of sensitivity, a drop in temperature, respiratory depression with subsequent cessation. – Cardiac activity after stopping breathing continues for another 3 to 7 minutes.
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Asphyxiating Phosgene CG and diphosgene CG2 Phosgene is a colorless, highly volatile liquid with the smell of rotten hay or rotten apples. Durability 30-50min. The period of hidden action is 4 - 6 hours. When phosgene is inhaled, a person feels a sweetish, unpleasant taste in the mouth, followed by coughing, dizziness and general weakness. When leaving the contaminated air, the signs of poisoning quickly pass, and a period of so-called imaginary well-being begins. But after 4 - 6 hours, the affected person experiences a sharp deterioration in their condition: a bluish discoloration of the lips, cheeks, and nose quickly develops; general weakness, headache, rapid breathing, severe shortness of breath, a painful cough with the release of liquid, foamy, pinkish sputum indicate the development of pulmonary edema. The process of phosgene poisoning reaches its climax within 2 - 3 days. With a favorable course of the disease, the affected person’s health will gradually begin to improve, and in severe cases of damage, death occurs. Diphosgene also has an irritant effect
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Irritating agents This group includes gases CS, CN, CR. CS in low concentrations has an irritating effect on the eyes and upper respiratory tract, and in high concentrations it causes burns to exposed skin, in some cases - respiratory and cardiac paralysis and death. Signs of damage: severe burning and pain in the eyes and chest, severe lacrimation, involuntary closing of the eyelids, sneezing, runny nose (sometimes with blood), painful burning in the mouth, nasopharynx, upper respiratory tract, cough and chest pain. Tear - chloroacetophenone "Bird cherry" (named for its characteristic odor, bromobenzyl cyanide and chloropicrin. Lachrymation occurs at a concentration of 0.002 mg/l, at 0.01 mg/l it becomes intolerable and is accompanied by irritation of the skin of the face and neck. At a concentration of 0.08 mg/l and exposure 1 minute a person is incapacitated for 15-30 minutes; concentration 10-11 mg/l is lethal. Does not affect the eyes of animals. Sneezing agents This group includes agents DM (adamsite), DA (diphenylchloroarsine) and DC (diphenylcyanarsine ) The lesion is accompanied by uncontrollable sneezing, coughing and chest pain. Associated phenomena such as nausea, the urge to vomit, headache and pain in the jaws and teeth, a feeling of pressure in the ears, indicate damage to the paranasal sinuses. In severe cases, damage to the respiratory tract is possible leading to toxic pulmonary edema.
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Agent of psychochemical action representative: Lysergic acid dimethylamide, Bi-Z (BZ) Lysergic acid dimethylamide. If it enters the human body, mild nausea and dilated pupils appear within 3 minutes, and then hallucinations of hearing and vision that last for several hours. Bi-Z (BZ) When exposed to low concentrations, drowsiness and decreased combat effectiveness occur. When exposed to high concentrations, at the initial stage, rapid heartbeat, dry skin and dry mouth, dilated pupils and a decrease in combat effectiveness are observed for several hours. Over the next 8 hours, numbness and speech inhibition occur. This is followed by a period of excitement, lasting up to 4 days. In 2-3 days. after exposure to 0V, a gradual return to normal begins.
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There are agents that combine tear and sneeze effects. Irritating agents are in service with the police in many countries and are therefore classified as police or special non-lethal means (special means). There are agents that combine tear and sneeze effects. Irritating agents are in service with the police in many countries and are therefore classified as police or special non-lethal means (special means). There are known cases of the use of other chemical compounds that are not aimed at directly defeating enemy personnel. Thus, in the Vietnam War, the United States used defoliants (the so-called “Agent Orange” containing toxic dioxin), which caused leaves to fall from trees
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In 1940, a large plant owned by IG Farben was launched in Oberbayern (Bavaria) for the production of mustard gas and mustard compounds with a capacity of 40 thousand tons. In total, in the pre-war and first war years, about 17 new technological installations for the production of chemical agents were built in Germany, the annual capacity of which exceeded 100 thousand tons. In the city of Duchernfurt, on the Oder (now Silesia, Poland) there was one of the largest chemical agents production facilities. By 1945, Germany had in reserve 12 thousand tons of herd, the production of which was not available anywhere else. The reasons why Germany did not use chemical weapons during the Second World War are still not clear; according to one version, Hitler did not give the command to use chemical weapons during the war because he believed that the USSR had a larger number of chemical weapons. In 1940, a large plant owned by IG Farben was launched in Oberbayern (Bavaria) for the production of mustard gas and mustard compounds with a capacity of 40 thousand tons. In total, in the pre-war and first war years, about 17 new technological installations for the production of chemical agents were built in Germany, the annual capacity of which exceeded 100 thousand tons. In the city of Duchernfurt, on the Oder (now Silesia, Poland) there was one of the largest chemical agents production facilities. By 1945, Germany had in reserve 12 thousand tons of herd, the production of which was not available anywhere else. The reasons why Germany did not use chemical weapons during the Second World War are still not clear; according to one version, Hitler did not give the command to use chemical weapons during the war because he believed that the USSR had a larger number of chemical weapons.
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Despite the precautions taken by the world community, there is a danger of using chemical weapons. Each country has a strategic reserve of it. And therefore this type of weapon is a potential environmental problem for the whole world. Despite the precautions taken by the world community, there is a danger of using chemical weapons. Each country has a strategic reserve of it. And therefore this type of weapon is a potential environmental problem for the whole world.
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History of the use of chemical weapons Chemical weapons were used: First World War (1914-1918) Rif War (1920-1926) Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1941) Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) Vietnam War (1955-1975) North Yemen Civil War (1962-1970) Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) *
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Definition and properties of chemical weapons Chemical weapons are toxic substances and the means by which they are used on the battlefield. The basis of the destructive effect of chemical weapons is toxic substances. Toxic agents (CA) are chemical compounds that, when used, can injure unprotected personnel or reduce their combat effectiveness. In terms of their damaging properties, explosive agents differ from other military weapons: they are capable of penetrating with the air into various buildings, military equipment and inflicting damage on the people in them; they can maintain their destructive effect in the air, on the ground and in various objects for some, sometimes quite a long time; spreading in large volumes of air and over large areas, they inflict damage on all people within their sphere of action without protective equipment; Agent vapors are capable of spreading in the direction of the wind to significant distances from areas where chemical weapons are directly used. *
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Properties of agent Chemical munitions are distinguished by the following characteristics: the durability of the agent used; the nature of the physiological effect of the agent on the human body; means and methods of application; tactical purpose; speed of onset of impact; Persistence Depending on how long after use toxic substances can retain their damaging effect, they are conditionally are divided into: persistent (mustard gas, lewisite, VX) unstable (phosgene, hydrocyanic acid) The persistence of toxic substances depends on: their physical and chemical properties, methods of application, meteorological conditions, the nature of the area in which the toxic substances are used. Persistent agents retain their damaging effect from several hours to several days and even weeks. *
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Types of agents according to their physiological effects on humans: nerve agents, blister agents, generally poisonous, suffocating, psychochemical, sneezing, tear irritants *
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Types of agents Nerve agents cause damage to the central nervous system. The main purpose of using nerve agents is the rapid and massive incapacitation of personnel with the greatest possible number of deaths. Blistering agents cause damage mainly through the skin, and when used in the form of aerosols and vapors, also through the respiratory system. Generally toxic agents affect through the respiratory system, causing the cessation of oxidative processes in the tissues of the body. Asphyxiating agents primarily affect the lungs. Psychochemical agents are capable of incapacitating enemy manpower for some time. These toxic substances, acting on the central nervous system, disrupt the normal mental activity of a person or cause mental disabilities such as temporary blindness, deafness, a sense of fear, and limitation of the motor functions of various organs. May be fatal at very high concentrations*
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Methods of using agents can be used for the purpose of: - defeating manpower for their complete destruction or temporary incapacitation, which is achieved by using mainly nerve agents; - suppression of manpower in order to force it to take protective measures for a certain time and thus complicate its maneuver, reduce the speed and accuracy of fire; this task is accomplished by using agents with blister and nerve action; - pinning down (exhausting) the enemy in order to complicate his combat operations for a long time and cause losses in personnel; this problem is solved by using persistent agents; - contamination of the terrain in order to force the enemy to leave their positions, prohibit or make it difficult to use certain areas of the terrain and overcome obstacles.. *
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Characteristics of the main agents Nerve agents Sarin GB is a colorless or yellow liquid, almost odorless, which makes it difficult to detect by external signs. Longevity in summer - several hours, in winter - several days. Sarin causes damage through the respiratory system, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. When exposed to sarin, the victim experiences drooling, profuse sweating, headaches, vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, severe convulsions, paralysis and, as a result of severe poisoning, death. Soman GD is a colorless and almost odorless liquid. In many properties it is very similar to sarin. The persistence of soman is slightly higher than that of sarin; its effect on the human body is approximately 10 times stronger. V-gases VX are a low-volatile, colorless liquid with a shelf life of 7-15 days in summer and indefinitely in winter. V-gases are 100 - 1000 times more toxic than other nerve agents. They are highly effective when acting through the skin. Contact of small drops of V-gases on human skin usually causes death. *
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Blistering agents Representatives: mustard gas HD, lewisite L, Mustard gas is a dark brown oily liquid with a characteristic odor of garlic or mustard. Its durability on the ground is: in summer - from 7 to 14 days, in winter - a month or more. The effect of mustard gas appears after a period of latent action. When it comes into contact with the skin, mustard gas is absorbed into the skin. After 4 - 8 hours, redness and itching appear on the skin. After a day, small bubbles form, which merge into single large bubbles. The appearance of blisters is accompanied by malaise and fever. After 2 - 3 days, the blisters burst, leaving ulcers that do not heal for a long time. The organs of vision are affected by mustard gas at negligible concentrations in the air and exposure time is 10 minutes. Then photophobia and lacrimation appear. The disease can last 10 - 15 days, after which recovery occurs. The digestive organs become infected through food. The period of latent action (30 - 60 minutes) ends with the appearance of stomach pain, nausea, vomiting; then general weakness, headache, weakening of reflexes occur. In the future - paralysis, severe weakness and exhaustion. If the course is unfavorable, death occurs between 3 and 12 days as a result of complete loss of strength and exhaustion. *
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Generally toxic agents Hydrocyanic acid AC and cyanogen chloride SC, arsenic hydrogen, hydrogen phosphide. Hydrocyanic acid AC is a colorless liquid with an odor reminiscent of bitter almonds. Hydrocyanic acid evaporates easily and acts only in a vapor state. Characteristic signs of damage by hydrocyanic acid are: metallic taste in the mouth, throat irritation, numbness of the tip of the tongue, dizziness, weakness, nausea. shortness of breath, slow pulse, loss of consciousness, sharp convulsions. Convulsions are observed for a relatively short time; they are replaced by complete relaxation of the muscles with loss of sensitivity, a drop in temperature, respiratory depression with subsequent cessation. Cardiac activity after stopping breathing continues for another 3 to 7 minutes. *
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Asphyxiating Phosgene CG and diphosgene CG2 Phosgene is a colorless, highly volatile liquid with the smell of rotten hay or rotten apples. Durability 30-50min. The period of hidden action is 4 - 6 hours. When phosgene is inhaled, a person feels a sweetish, unpleasant taste in the mouth, followed by coughing, dizziness and general weakness. When leaving the contaminated air, the signs of poisoning quickly pass, and a period of so-called imaginary well-being begins. But after 4 - 6 hours, the affected person experiences a sharp deterioration in their condition: a bluish discoloration of the lips, cheeks, and nose quickly develops; general weakness, headache, rapid breathing, severe shortness of breath, a painful cough with the release of liquid, foamy, pinkish sputum indicate the development of pulmonary edema. The process of phosgene poisoning reaches its climax within 2 - 3 days. With a favorable course of the disease, the affected person’s health will gradually begin to improve, and in severe cases of damage, death occurs. Diphosgene also has an irritating effect *
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Irritating agents This group includes gases CS, CN, CR. CS in low concentrations has an irritating effect on the eyes and upper respiratory tract, and in high concentrations it causes burns to exposed skin, in some cases - respiratory and cardiac paralysis and death. Signs of damage: severe burning and pain in the eyes and chest, severe lacrimation, involuntary closing of the eyelids, sneezing, runny nose (sometimes with blood), painful burning in the mouth, nasopharynx, upper respiratory tract, cough and chest pain. Tear - chloroacetophenone "Bird cherry" (named for its characteristic odor, bromobenzyl cyanide and chloropicrin. Lachrymation occurs at a concentration of 0.002 mg/l, at 0.01 mg/l it becomes intolerable and is accompanied by irritation of the skin of the face and neck. At a concentration of 0.08 mg/l and exposure 1 minute a person is incapacitated for 15-30 minutes; concentration 10-11 mg/l is lethal. Does not affect the eyes of animals. Sneezing agents This group includes agents DM (adamsite), DA (diphenylchloroarsine) and DC (diphenylcyanarsine ) The lesion is accompanied by uncontrollable sneezing, coughing and chest pain. Associated phenomena such as nausea, the urge to vomit, headache and pain in the jaws and teeth, a feeling of pressure in the ears, indicate damage to the paranasal sinuses. In severe cases, damage to the respiratory tract is possible , leading to toxic pulmonary edema.*
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Agent of psychochemical action representative: Lysergic acid dimethylamide, Bi-Z (BZ) Lysergic acid dimethylamide. If it enters the human body, mild nausea and dilated pupils appear within 3 minutes, and then hallucinations of hearing and vision that last for several hours. Bi-Z (BZ) When exposed to low concentrations, drowsiness and decreased combat effectiveness occur. When exposed to high concentrations, at the initial stage, rapid heartbeat, dry skin and dry mouth, dilated pupils and a decrease in combat effectiveness are observed for several hours. Over the next 8 hours, numbness and speech inhibition occur. This is followed by a period of excitement, lasting up to 4 days. In 2-3 days. after exposure to 0V, a gradual return to normal begins. *
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This is a weapon of mass destruction, the action of which is based on the toxic properties of chemicals.
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Poisonous substances with blister action. Generally poisonous substances. Toxic nerve agents.
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Nerve agents that affect the central nervous system. The purpose of using nerve agents is to quickly and massively incapacitate personnel with as many deaths as possible. Toxic substances in this group include sarin, soman, tabun and V-gases.
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Sarin is a chemical warfare agent with a nerve agent. Chemical name: isopropyl ester of methylphosphonic acid fluoride. Protection from damage Protection from the damaging effects of sarin is achieved by using modern gas masks and special protective suits.
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Soman is a colorless liquid with a faint odor of mown hay. A chemical warfare agent with a nerve-paralytic effect. In many properties it is very similar to sarin, but is much more (2.5 times) toxic. The persistence of soman is slightly higher than that of sarin. The first signs of damage are observed at concentrations of about 0.0005 mg/l after a minute (constriction of the pupils of the eyes, difficulty breathing). The average lethal concentration for exposure through the respiratory system is 0.03 mg min/l. The lethal concentration for resorption through the skin is 2 mg/kg. Protection against soman - gas mask and skin protection products, as well as antidotes. First synthesized in Germany in 1944 for use as an agent. Atropine is used as an antidote.
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Tabun is a nerve agent (NEA). The lethal concentration of tabun in the air is 0.4 mg/l (1 min), upon contact with the skin in liquid form - 50-70 mg/kg; at a concentration of 0.01 mg/l (2 min), tabun causes severe miosis (constriction of the pupil). A gas mask serves as protection from the herd. The herd was first received before World War II, but was not used in combat.
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V-gases (V-agents) VE, VG, VM, VX, VP, VS, VR and EA-3148 are a group of nerve agents (poisonous agents) developed in the 50s of the 20th century. They are low-volatile liquids with a high boiling point, so their resistance is several times higher than that of sarin. V-gases are tens of times more toxic than other nerve agents. They are highly effective when acting through the skin. Thus, for the most famous of the series of V-agents - VX - the mean lethal concentration when exposed through the respiratory system is 0.01 mg min/l (the period of latent action is 5 - 10 minutes), the mean lethal dose when resorption through the skin is 0.1 mg/kg.
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Poisonous substances with blister action. They cause damage mainly through the skin, and when used in the form of aerosols and vapors, also through the respiratory system. The main toxic substances are mustard gas and lewisite.
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Mustard gas affects the human body in several ways: 1-destruction of intercellular membranes; 2-carbohydrate metabolism disorder; 3-“tearing out” nitrogenous bases from DNA and RNA. Mustard gas has a damaging effect through any route of entry into the body. Damage to the mucous membranes of the eyes, nasopharynx and upper respiratory tract occurs even at low concentrations of mustard gas. At higher concentrations, along with local lesions, general poisoning of the body occurs. Mustard gas has a latent period of action (2-8 hours) and is cumulative.
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Blistering action The mechanism of lewisite's blister action is associated with the destruction of cellular structures. Acting in a drop-liquid state, lewisite quickly penetrates into the thickness of the skin (3-5 minutes). The latent period is practically absent. Signs of damage immediately develop: pain and burning at the site of exposure. Then inflammatory changes in the skin appear, the severity of which determines the severity of the lesion. Mild lesions are characterized by the presence of painful erythema. Moderate damage leads to the formation of a superficial bubble. The latter quickly opens. The erosive surface epithelializes within several weeks. A severe lesion is a deep, long-lasting ulcer. When skin is damaged by lewisite vapors, a latent period lasting 4-6 hours is observed, followed by a period of diffuse erythema, primarily on open areas of the skin. Acting in high concentrations, the substance can cause the development of surface blisters. Healing takes on average 8-15 days. Protection from damage Protection from the damaging effects of lewisite is achieved by using modern gas masks and special protective suits.
As A. Fries says: “The first attempt to defeat the enemy by releasing poisonous and asphyxiating gases, it seems, was made during the war between the Athenians and the Spartans (BC), when, during the siege of the cities of Plataea and Belium, the Spartans impregnated wood with resin and sulfur and burned it under the walls of these cities, in order to suffocate the inhabitants and facilitate the siege. A similar use of poisonous gases is mentioned in the history of the Middle Ages. Their action was similar to the action of modern asphyxiating shells, they were thrown out with syringes or in bottles, "like hand grenades. Legends say that Preter John (about the 11th century) filled copper figures with explosive and flammable substances, the smoke of which escaped from the mouth and nostrils of these phantoms and caused great havoc in the ranks of the enemy."
The idea of fighting the enemy by using a gas attack was outlined in 1855 during the Crimean campaign by the English admiral Lord Dandonald. In his memorandum dated August 7, 1855, he proposed to the English government a project for the capture of Sevastopol using sulfur vapor: “When inspecting the sulfur furnaces in July 1811, I noticed that the smoke that is released during the crude process of smelting sulfur, at first, due to heat, rises upward, but soon falls down, destroying all vegetation and being destructive over a large area to every living creature. It turned out that there is an order forbidding people to sleep within 3 miles of the furnaces during smelting."
Nastrodamus on the first use of chemical weapons. “The smell of lemon became poison and smoke, And the wind drove the smoke towards the detachments of soldiers, Choking from the poison is unbearable for the enemy, And the siege will be lifted from the city.” “He tears this strange army to pieces, Heavenly fire transformed into an explosion, The smell from Lausanne was suffocating, persistent, And people do not know its source.
On April 14, 1915, near the village of Langemarck, French units captured a German soldier. During the search, they found a small gauze bag filled with identical scraps of cotton fabric and a bottle with a colorless liquid. It was so similar to a dressing bag that they initially did not pay attention to it. Apparently, its purpose would have remained unclear if the prisoner had not stated during interrogation that the handbag was a special means of protection against the new “devastating” weapon that the German command plans to use on this sector of the front. When asked about the nature of this weapon, the prisoner readily replied that he had no idea about it, but it seemed that these weapons were hidden in metal cylinders that were dug in no man's land between the lines of trenches. To protect against this weapon, you need to wet a piece of paper from your bag with the liquid from the bottle and apply it to your mouth and nose.
The French officers considered the prisoner's story to be the ravings of a soldier gone crazy and did not attach any importance to it. But soon prisoners captured on neighboring sectors of the front reported about the mysterious cylinders. On April 18, the British knocked out the Germans from Height 60 and at the same time captured a German non-commissioned officer. The prisoner also spoke about an unknown weapon and noticed that the cylinders with it were dug at this very height - ten meters from the trenches. Out of curiosity, the English sergeant went with two soldiers on reconnaissance and in the indicated place they actually found heavy cylinders of an unusual appearance and unknown purpose. He reported this to the command, but to no avail. In those days, British radio intelligence, which deciphered fragments of German radiograms, also brought riddles to the Allied command. Imagine the surprise of the codebreakers when they discovered that the German headquarters were extremely interested in the state of the weather!
The point chosen for the attack was in the north-eastern part of the Ypres Salient, at the point where the French and English fronts converged, heading south, and from where the trenches departed from the canal near Besinge. All eyewitnesses, describing the events of that terrible day on April 22, 1915, begin with the words: “It was a wonderful, clear spring day. A light breeze was blowing from the northeast... Nothing foreshadowed the imminent tragedy, the likes of which humanity had never known before . The section of the front closest to the Germans was defended by soldiers who had arrived from the Algerian colonies. Having emerged from their shelters, they basked in the sun, talking loudly to each other. Around five o'clock in the afternoon, a large greenish cloud appeared in front of the German trenches. It smoked and swirled, behaving like " heaps of black gas" from "War of the Worlds" and at the same time slowly moved towards the French trenches, obeying the will of the north-east breeze. As witnesses say, many French watched with interest the approaching front of this bizarre "yellow fog", but did not attach any importance to it. Suddenly they they felt a pungent smell. Everyone's nose stung, their eyes stung, as if from acrid smoke. The “yellow fog” choked, blinded, burned their chests with fire, turned them inside out. Without remembering themselves, the Africans rushed out of the trenches. Those who hesitated fell, suffocated. People ran screaming through the trenches; colliding with each other, they fell and struggled in convulsions, catching air with their distorted mouths. And the “yellow fog” rolled further and further into the rear of the French positions, sowing death and panic along the way. Behind the fog, German chains with rifles at the ready and bandages on their faces marched in orderly rows. But they had no one to attack. Thousands of Algerians and French lay dead in trenches and artillery positions."
Other substances used In June 1915, another asphyxiant was used - bromine, used in mortar shells; The first tear substance also appeared: benzyl bromide combined with xylylene bromide. Artillery shells were filled with this gas. The first time the use of gases in artillery shells, which subsequently became so widespread, was clearly observed on June 20 in the Argonne forests. Phosgene became widespread during the First World War. It was first used by the Germans in December 1915 on the Italian front. The most common gases used in combat were: chlorine, phosgene and diphosgene. Among the gases used in the war, it is worth noting gases with a blister effect, against which the gas masks adopted by the troops were ineffective. These substances, penetrating through shoes and clothing, caused burns on the body similar to kerosene burns.
The area shelled and saturated with these gases did not lose its burning properties for whole weeks, and woe to the person who found himself in such a place: he came out of there stricken with burns, and his clothes were so saturated with this terrible gas that just touching it amazed the person who touched it. particles of released gas and caused the same burns. The so-called mustard gas (mustard gas), which has such properties, was nicknamed by the Germans “the king of gases.” During the war years, more than a million people were affected by various gases. Gauze bandages, so easy to find a place in soldiers' backpacks, became almost useless. Radically new means of protection against toxic substances were needed.
Classification Gas warfare uses all sorts of effects produced on the human body by various types of chemical compounds. Depending on the nature of the physiological phenomena, these substances can be divided into several categories. Moreover, some of them can be simultaneously classified into different categories, combining different properties. Thus, according to the effect they produce, gases are divided into: - suffocating, causing coughing, irritating the respiratory system and can cause death from suffocation; - poisonous, penetrating the body, affecting one or another important organ and, as a result, causing general damage to any area, for example, some of them affect the nervous system, others - red blood cells, etc.; - lachrymators, causing by their action profuse lacrimation and blinding a person for a more or less long time; - suppurating, causing by its reaction either itching, or deeper cutaneous ulcerations (for example, watery blisters), spreading to the mucous membranes (especially the respiratory organs) and causing serious harm; - sneezing, acting on the nasal mucosa and causing increased sneezing, accompanied by such physiological phenomena as irritation of the throat, tearing, suffering of the nose and jaws. In the forties, nerve agent agents appeared in the West: sarin, soman, tabun, and later the “family” of VX (VX) gases. The effectiveness of chemical agents is growing, and methods of their use are being improved.
Physiological effects. Nerve agents cause damage to the central nervous system. According to the views of the US Army command, it is advisable to use such agents to defeat unprotected enemy personnel or for a surprise attack on personnel equipped with gas masks. In the latter case, it is meant that the personnel will not have time to use gas masks in a timely manner. The main purpose of using nerve agents is the rapid and massive incapacitation of personnel with the greatest possible number of deaths. Psychochemical agents appeared in the arsenal of a number of foreign countries relatively recently. They are capable of incapacitating enemy personnel for some time. These toxic substances, acting on the central nervous system, disrupt the normal mental activity of a person or cause mental disabilities such as temporary blindness, deafness, a sense of fear, and limitation of the motor functions of various organs. A distinctive feature of these substances is that to cause lethal damage they require doses 1000 times greater than to incapacitate.
Asphyxiating agents primarily affect the lungs. Generally toxic agents affect through the respiratory system, causing the cessation of oxidative processes in the tissues of the body. Blistering agents cause damage mainly through the skin, and when used in the form of aerosols and vapors, also through the respiratory system.
Sarin is a colorless or yellow liquid with almost no odor, which makes it difficult to detect by external signs. It is classified as a nerve agent. It is intended primarily for contaminating the air with vapors and fog, that is, as an unstable agent. In some cases, however, it can be used in droplet-liquid form to infect the area and military equipment located on it; in this case, the persistence of sarin can be: in summer - several hours, in winter - several days. Sarin causes damage through the respiratory system, skin, and gastrointestinal tract; acts through the skin in droplet-liquid and vapor states, without causing local damage. The degree of damage caused by sarin depends on its concentration in the air and the time spent in the contaminated atmosphere. When exposed to sarin, the victim experiences drooling, profuse sweating, vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, severe convulsions, paralysis and, as a result of severe poisoning, death.
Soman is a colorless and almost odorless liquid. Belongs to the class of nerve agents. In many properties it is very similar to sarin. The persistence of soman is slightly higher than that of sarin; its effect on the human body is approximately 10 times stronger. V-gases are low-volatile liquids with a very high boiling point, so their stability is many times greater. Refers to nerve agents. They are highly effective when acting through the skin, especially in a droplet-liquid state: contact with human skin of small drops of V-gases usually causes death.
Mustard gas is a dark brown oily liquid with a characteristic odor reminiscent of garlic or mustard. Refers to skin blister agents. Mustard gas slowly evaporates from contaminated areas; Its durability on the ground is: days in summer, a month or more in winter. It has a multifaceted effect on the body: in the droplet-liquid state it affects the skin and eyes, in the vapor form it affects the respiratory tract and lungs, and when ingested with food and water it affects the digestive organs. The effect of mustard gas does not appear immediately, but after some time, called the period of latent action. When contacted with the skin, drops of mustard gas are quickly absorbed into it without causing pain. After hours, the skin becomes red and itchy. By the end of the first and beginning of the second day, small bubbles form, but then they merge into single large bubbles filled with an amber-yellow liquid, which becomes cloudy over time. The appearance of blisters is accompanied by malaise and fever. After a day, the blisters break through and reveal ulcers underneath that do not heal for a long time. If an infection gets into the ulcer, suppuration occurs and the healing time increases to months.
Phosgene is a colorless, highly volatile liquid with the smell of rotten hay or rotten apples. It acts on the body in a vapor state. Belongs to the class of suffocating agents. Has a period of hidden clock action; its duration depends on the concentration of phosgene in the air, the time spent in the contaminated atmosphere, the condition of the person, and the cooling of the body. When phosgene is inhaled, a person feels a sweetish, unpleasant taste in the mouth, followed by coughing, dizziness and general weakness. Upon leaving the contaminated air, the signs of poisoning quickly pass, and a period of so-called imaginary well-being begins. But after hours, the affected person experiences a sharp deterioration in their condition: a bluish discoloration of the lips, cheeks, and nose quickly develops; general weakness, headache, rapid breathing, severe shortness of breath, a painful cough with the release of liquid, foamy, pinkish sputum indicate the development of pulmonary edema. The process of phosgene poisoning reaches its climax within 24 hours. With a favorable course of the disease, the affected person’s health will gradually begin to improve, and in severe cases of damage, death occurs. In 1993, Russia signed and in 1997 ratified the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. In this regard, a program was adopted to destroy stockpiles of chemical weapons accumulated over many years of their production. Initially, the program was designed until 2009, but due to underfunding, changes were made to the program. The program has now been extended. Chemical weapons in Russia
Currently, there are seven chemical weapons storage facilities in Russia, each of which has a corresponding destruction facility: Pos. Gorny (Saratov region) (Commissioned) G. Kambarka (Udmurt Republic) (First stage commissioned) G. Kizner (Udmurt Republic) (Under construction) G. Shchuchye (Kurgan region) (Under construction) Pos. Maradykovo (Kirov region) (First stage commissioned) Settlement. Leonidovka (Penza region) (Under construction) Pochep (Bryansk region) (Under construction)
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