Poisonous substances are chemical compounds with a high degree of toxicity, which are used as chemical weapons. Their special properties include the ability to be used to infect territory, food and military equipment, as well as to tactically defeat the enemy. These chemical compounds penetrate into the human body through the digestive tract, organs respiratory system, skin pores and mucous membranes.
Review of the most dangerous toxic substances
Chemical weapons created on the basis of toxic substances (CA) were actively used during the First World War. The massive use of chemical warfare agents (CWA) has officially ceased since 1997, although behind the scenes research in this area continues. Data on new developments are under the control of intelligence services and rarely become publicly available. Among the chemical agents that have received publicity, the most dangerous drugs are those from the following list:
| VX, V-Ex, V-X, V-gas | A group of chemical compounds with nerve paralytic (neurotoxic) properties. For a long time it was considered the most toxic of all chemical agents invented by man. Externally, vi-gas resembles a thick, oily, transparent liquid with a high degree of volatility. Inhalation of the gas causes death after just a quarter of an hour; when the poison comes into contact with the skin, its effect slows down to several hours. When spread to the surrounding area, it persists for 1–2 weeks. The most famous case of use is associated with the assassination of the brother of Kim Jong-un, the ruler of the DPRK, in 2017. |
| Chlorine | One of the first BOVs used during the First World War. It is a pulmonary toxic gas; if it enters the lungs, it causes severe tissue burns and suffocation. Moreover, it is an important biogenic element, found in all living organisms on the planet. The most famous case of use is the Battle of Ypres in 1915, the beginning of the massive use of chemical weapons (mustard gas) during hostilities. |
| Sarin | A transparent liquid with nerve paralytic properties, easily soluble in water. It can survive on the territory for up to 4 hours after spreading. At moderate lethal concentrations it leads to fatal outcome one minute after inhalation or skin contact. Sarin was used during the terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway in 1994, as well as during a military operation in Syria (2013). |
| Soman | A clear liquid with nerve-paralytic properties, has the smell of apples or freshly cut hay. More toxic (2.5 times) and more persistent analogue of sarin. There have been no officially known cases of use. |
| Cyclosarin | A nerve agent, 4 times more toxic than sarin. It is a colorless liquid with sweetish smell, reminiscent of the aroma of peaches. Permitted for production, storage and use for research, but not for military purposes. |
| Phosgene | A toxic, asphyxiating gas with a specific odor reminiscent of rotten hay. It belongs to the category of asphyxiating chemical agents; after a quarter of an hour, the lethal concentration leads to pulmonary edema and death. Extremely dangerous, but only in contact with the respiratory system. Phosgene was widely used during combat operations at the beginning of the last century. |
| Adamsite | A yellow powder, it was used in the form of aerosols during the First World War. It affects only the respiratory tract, leading to severe irritation and suffocation. High concentrations of this substance lead to death within a minute after contact. |
| Hydrocyanic acid | An extremely volatile, toxic liquid with the odor of bitter almonds. Causes tissue hypoxia internal organs, leads to death after a quarter of an hour. It was used in 1916 on the Somme River, by the Nazis in concentration camps, and also in US prisons when executing death sentences until 1999. |
| Newbie | It belongs to the third generation of chemical weapons and consists of relatively harmless components, or precursors. When they are combined, chemical warfare agents with a high degree of toxicity are formed. According to some reports, during the Foliant program in the USSR, a toxic substance with binary properties was developed by a group of researchers, but the exact data about it is a state secret. Novichok gained fame in 1995 in the poisoning of Russian banker Ivan Kivelidi (the poison was applied to a telephone receiver), and in 2018 he appeared in the Skripal case. |
| Polonium-210 | Extremely toxic, carcinogenic and radiotoxic substance. 4 trillion times more toxic than hydrocyanic acid. It affects the liver, kidneys, spleen, bone marrow, and with tactile contact leads to radiation damage to the skin and all internal organs. It is not used as a chemical weapon, but gained fame in the poisoning of Russian state security lieutenant colonel Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. |
Types and classification of toxic substances
The generally accepted physiological classification of toxic substances identifies 7 main categories, taking into account the specifics of their effects on humans:
| Nerve agents | Organic compounds related to phosphoric acid derivatives. This group of pesticides is considered the most toxic: if you open a test tube with such a compound for a few seconds, holding your breath, you can die - the gas will penetrate through the pores of the skin and enter the blood. This effect of the poison is called resorptive. This group includes Sarin, Soman, V-gas. Nerve-paralytic toxic substances are distinguished by their ability to inhibit the activity of enzymes and cause the accumulation of acetylcholine in the tissues, which is responsible for nervous excitation and the performance of many vital functions. important organs. |
| Suffocating | Chemical compounds that affect the respiratory system and lead to a severe form of toxic shock. The most well-known asphyxiating agents are diphosgene and phosgene. |
| Blisters | Chemical warfare agents that cause inflammatory processes in the skin and mucous membranes, and subsequently lead to their necrosis and destruction. Mustard gas and lewisite fall into this category. |
| Psychochemical | A category of substances that can cause conditions resembling clinical manifestations acute psychoses. A single exposure to chemical agents leads to various mental changes, from mild disturbances to complete mental disorder. The most famous are BZ (bizet), amphetamine, DLC. |
| Generally poisonous | BOV, characterized by the absence of local symptoms. The routes of their penetration into the body do not affect the localization of the consequences of toxic damage - the toxin becomes the cause of general poisoning. Among the most common representatives of the category, it is worth noting cyanogen bromide, cyanogen chloride, and hydrocyanic acid. |
| Lachrymators | Agents that irritate the membranes of the eyes. Sometimes they are also called tear bombs. These chemicals cause irritation to the endings trigeminal nerve, stimulation of the muscles of the eyelids and lacrimal glands. As a result, as defensive reaction, the victim begins to experience uncontrollable lacrimation, and the muscles of the eyelids spasm. The category includes chloroacetophenone, chloropicrin, bromoacetone. |
| Sternites | Category of chemical compounds that penetrate into human body when inhaled, settle on mucous membranes respiratory tract and provoke their severe irritation. It is manifested by coughing and sneezing, and subsequently by intense, uncontrollable vomiting. Among the known sternites are adamsite and diphenylcyanarsine. They were actively used during the First World War and received the common name “blue cross” because of the markings used then. |
Sometimes lachrymators and sternites are combined into a common group - irritant toxic substances, or irritants. A number of researchers also highlight the following groups toxic substances:
- Algogens, or pain agents, are compounds that, when they come into contact with the skin, cause hyperemia and severe pain that persist for several hours. Among them are capsaicin, methoxycycloheptatriene, dibenzoxazepine.
- Emetics, or emetic agents. Their toxic effect mainly affects the functioning of the digestive tract, regardless of the method of entry of the toxin into the body. These include phenylimidophosgene and ethylcarbazole.
- Malodorants are chemical agents characterized by a sharp, extremely unpleasant odor. They have a moderate or low degree of toxicity and are usually included in mixtures with irritants (for example, in the Israeli drug Skunk).
Depending on the speed of action, in toxicology the following types of toxic substances are distinguished:
- fast-acting - Soman, Sarin, V-gas;
- slow-acting (with a latent period) - lewisite, adamsite, phosgene.
Protection against toxic substances
Since the first use of chemical warfare agents, methods of protection against it have been developed and improved. The degree of damage caused by these compounds depends on the qualifications, training and security of the person. The use of chemical agents for combat purposes leads to death in 5–70% of cases. Among civilians, the mortality rate may be much higher.
Defence from toxic substances depends on following principles:
- Measures for indication and detection, disinfection of the area.
- Application of funds personal protection– gauze bandages, gas masks, self-contained breathing apparatus, rubberized suits.
- The use of drugs to protect exposed skin areas - antidotes, special creams with filtering and protective properties.
- Use of collective protective equipment.
The low effectiveness of chemical weapons and the negative assessment from the world community have led to cases of use chemical warfare agents are rare, and are mainly associated with terrorist activities. However, their danger lies in the fact that a number of compounds are actively used in industry and can be released into the atmosphere due to careless handling or an industrial accident.
First aid for poisoning
When the first signs of damage appear toxic substances the victim must be provided with first aid. Symptoms of intoxication may vary depending on the type of specific poison. Employees industrial enterprises Those using chemical agents during their activities must be aware of the necessary measures in the event of an emergency, equipped with protective equipment and appropriate medications.
Severe forms of intoxication chemical warfare agents, as a rule, are fatal, so it is impossible to help the victims in this case. First aid for mild and moderate damage to the OB is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Put a gas mask on the victim or replace damaged personal protective equipment with a working one. If the victim is in the area of direct action of the agent, pre-treat the facial skin with liquid from an individual chemical package.
- In case of damage to the respiratory organs by a suffocating BOV - ensure the immobility of the victims; in the cold season - to warm. Do artificial respiration prohibited - this will lead to intoxication of the person providing assistance.
- In case of contact with a generally poisonous agent, crush the ampoule with the antidote and put it inside the gas mask. If you are suffocating, perform artificial respiration.
- If nerve gas poisoning occurs, it is necessary to put a gas mask on the victim and administer an antidote from the first aid kit subcutaneously or intramuscularly. Treat the skin additionally with a chemical package solution.
- If a person comes into contact with a psychochemical, blister or irritant agent, it is necessary to rinse skin and mucous membranes with soapy water, clean clothes with a brush.
After providing first aid, immediate evacuation of victims from the area of exposure to chemical agents is necessary.
Toxic substances(OV) - toxic chemical compounds designed to destroy enemy personnel during military operations and at the same time preserve material assets during an attack in the city. Can enter the body through the respiratory system, skin and digestive tract. Combat properties ( combat effectiveness) OM are determined by their toxicity (due to the ability to inhibit enzymes or interact with receptors), physicochemical properties (volatility, solubility, resistance to hydrolysis, etc.), ability to penetrate the biobarriers of warm-blooded animals and overcome defenses.
First generation chemical weapons include four groups of toxic substances:
1) OV vesicant action(persistent chemical agents: sulfur and nitrogen mustards, lewisite).
2) OV general toxic effect(unstable agent hydrocyanic acid). ;
3) OV suffocating effect(unstable agents phosgene, diphosgene);
4) OV irritating effect(adamsite, diphenylchloroarsine, chloropicrin, diphenylcyanarsine).
The official date for the start of large-scale use of chemical weapons (namely as weapons of mass destruction) should be considered April 22, 1915, when german army near the small Belgian town of Ypres used a chlorine gas attack against the Anglo-French Entente troops. A huge poisonous yellow-green cloud of highly toxic chlorine, weighing 180 tons (out of 6,000 cylinders), reached the enemy’s advanced positions and struck 15 thousand soldiers and officers within a matter of minutes; five thousand died immediately after the attack. Those who survived either died in hospitals or became disabled for life, having received silicosis of the lungs, severe damage to the visual organs and many internal organs.
Also in 1915, on May 31, on the Eastern Front, the Germans used an even more highly toxic toxic substance called phosgene (full carbonic acid chloride) against Russian troops. 9 thousand people died. On May 12, 1917, another battle of Ypres.
And again German troops They use chemical weapons against the enemy - this time the chemical warfare agent of skin, vesicant and general toxic effects - 2,2 dichlorodiethyl sulfide, which later received the name "mustard gas".
First World War other toxic substances were also tested: diphosgene (1915), chloropicrin (1916), hydrocyanic acid (1915). Before the end of the war, toxic substances (CA) based on organoarsenic compounds were developed, which have a general toxic and pronounced irritant effect - diphenylchloroarsine , diphenylcyanarsine.
During the First World War, all warring states used 125 thousand tons of toxic substances, including 47 thousand tons by Germany. About 1 ml suffered from the use of chemical weapons during the war. Human. At the end of the war, the list of potentially promising and already tested chemical agents included chloroacetophenone (lacrymator), which has a strong irritant effect, and, finally, a-lewisite (2-chlorovinyldichloroarsine).
Lewisite immediately attracted close attention as one of the most promising chemical warfare agents. Its industrial production began in the United States even before the end of the World War; our country began producing and accumulating lewisite reserves already in the first years after the formation of the USSR.
The end of the war only slowed down work on the synthesis and testing of new types of chemical warfare agents for some time.
However, between the first and second world wars, the arsenal of deadly chemical weapons continued to grow.
In the thirties, new toxic substances with blister and general toxic effects were obtained, including phosgenoxime and “nitrogen mustards” (trichlorethylamine and partially chlorinated derivatives of triethylamine).
Second generation.
5) OV nerve-paralytic action.
Since 1932 in, different countries Intensive research is being carried out on organophosphate nerve agents - second generation chemical weapons (sarin, soman, tabun). Due to the exceptional toxicity of organophosphorus agents (OPCs), their combat effectiveness increases sharply. During these same years, chemical munitions were improved. In the 50s, a group of FOVs called “V-gases” (sometimes “VX-gases”) was added to the family of second-generation chemical weapons.
First obtained in the USA and Sweden, V-gases of a similar structure soon appear in service in the chemical forces and in our country. V-gases are tens of times more toxic than their “brothers in arms” (sarin, soman and tabun).
Third generation.
6) p psycho-chemical agents
In the 60-70s, third-generation chemical weapons were developed, which included not only new types of toxic substances with unexpected mechanisms of destruction and extremely high toxicity, but also more advanced methods of their use - chemical cluster munitions, binary chemical weapons, etc. R.
The technical idea behind binary chemical munitions is that they are loaded with two or more starting components, each of which can be a non-toxic or low-toxic substance. During the flight of a projectile, rocket, bomb or other ammunition towards a target, the initial components are mixed in it to form the final product chemical reaction chemical warfare agent. In this case, the role of a chemical reactor is played by ammunition.
In the post-war period, the problem of binary chemical weapons was of secondary importance for the United States. During this period, the Americans accelerated the equipment of the army with new toxic nerve agents, but since the early 60s, American specialists again returned to the idea of creating binary chemical munitions. They were forced to do this by a number of circumstances, the most important of which was the lack of significant progress in the search for toxic substances with ultra-high toxicity, i.e. third generation toxic substances.
During the first period of implementation of the binary program, the main efforts of American specialists were aimed at developing binary compositions of the standard nerve agents, VX and sarin.
Along with the creation of standard binary 0B, the main efforts of specialists are, of course, focused on obtaining more effective 0B. Serious attention was paid to the search for binary 0B with so-called intermediate volatility. Government and military circles explained the increased interest in work in the field of binary chemical weapons by the need to solve problems of the safety of chemical weapons during production, transportation, storage and operation.
An important stage in the development of binary ammunition is the actual design development of shells, mines, bombs, missile warheads and other means of use.
Physiological classification.
The physiological classification, like all others, is very conditional. On the one hand, it allows you to combine into a single system for each group of measures for degassing and protection, sanitary treatment and first medical care. On the other hand, it does not take into account the presence of side effects in some substances, which sometimes pose a great danger to the affected person. For example, irritant substances PS and CN can cause severe lung damage, even fatal, and DM causes general poisoning body with arsenic. Although it is accepted that the intolerable concentration of irritating substances should be at least 10 times lower than the lethal one, in real conditions of using chemical agents this requirement is practically not observed, as evidenced by numerous facts of the severe consequences of the use of police substances abroad. Some 0B in their effect on the body can be simultaneously classified into two or more groups. In particular, substances VX, GB, GD, HD, L have an unconditionally generally toxic effect, and substances PS, CN have a suffocating effect. In addition, new 0Bs appear from time to time in the arsenal of chemical weapons of foreign countries, which are generally difficult to attribute to any of the six groups mentioned above. Tactical classification.
The tactical classification divides 0B into groups according to combat purpose. In the US Army, for example, all 0V are divided into two groups:
Deadly(according to American terminology, lethal agents) are substances intended to destroy manpower, which include nerve agents, vesicants, general poisonous and asphyxiating agents;
Temporarily incapacitating personnel(in American terminology, harmful agents) are substances that allow solving tactical problems of incapacitating manpower for periods from several minutes to several days. These include psychotropic substances (incapacitants) and irritants (irritants).
Sometimes a group of irritants, as substances that incapacitate manpower for a period of time slightly exceeding the period of direct exposure to 0B and measured in minutes - tens of minutes, are classified as a special group of police substances. Obviously, the goal here is to exclude them from combat weapons in the event of a ban on chemical weapons. In some cases, training agents and formulations are included in a separate group.
The tactical classification of 0B is also imperfect. Thus, the group of lethal chemical agents includes the most diverse compounds in terms of physiological action, and all of them are only potentially lethal, because final result The action of 0B depends on its toxicity, the toxodose entering the body and the conditions of use. The classification does not take into account such important factors, as a chemical discipline of manpower exposed to a chemical attack, the provision of its means of protection, the quality of means of protection, the state of weapons and military equipment. However, physiological and tactical classifications of 0B are used when studying the properties of specific compounds.
Often in the literature, tactical classifications of 0B are given, based on taking into account the speed and duration of their destructive effect, and suitability for solving certain combat missions.
There are, for example, fast-acting and slow-acting agents depending on whether they have a period of latent action or not. Fast-acting ones include nerve paralytic, generally poisonous, irritant and some psychotropic substances, i.e. those that in a few minutes lead to death or loss of combat effectiveness (performance) as a result of temporary defeat. Slow-acting substances include blisters, asphyxiants and certain psychotropic substances that can destroy or temporarily incapacitate people and animals only after a period of latent action lasting from one to several hours. This separation of 0B is also imperfect, because some slow-acting substances, if introduced into the atmosphere in very high concentrations, will cause damage in a short time, with virtually no period of latent action.
Depending on the duration of preservation of the damaging ability, agents are divided into short-acting (unstable or volatile) and long-acting (persistent). The damaging effect of the former is calculated in minutes (AC, CG). The action of the latter can last from several hours to several weeks after their use, depending on meteorological conditions and the nature of the terrain (VX, GD, HD). This division of 0B is also conditional, since short-acting 0B often becomes long-acting in the cold season.
The systematization of 0B and poisons in accordance with the tasks and methods of their use is based on the isolation of substances used in offensive and defensive combat operations, as well as in ambushes or sabotage. Sometimes there are also groups of chemical means for destroying vegetation or removing foliage, means for destroying certain materials, and other groups of means for solving specific combat missions. The conventionality of all these classifications is obvious.
There is also a classification of chemical agents according to serviceability categories. In the US Army they are divided into groups A, B, C. Group A includes service chemical ammunition, which at this stage most fully satisfies the tactical and technical requirements for them. Group B includes spare service chemical ammunition, which in terms of basic tactical and technical requirements is inferior to group A samples, but can replace them if necessary. Group C includes weapons that are currently out of production, but may be in service until their reserves are used up. In other words, group C includes weapons equipped with obsolete toxic substances.
The most common tactical and physiological classifications of OM.
Tactical classification:
By elasticity saturated vapors
(volatility) are classified into:
unstable (phosgene, hydrocyanic acid);
persistent (mustard gas, lewisite, VX);
poisonous fumes (adamsite, chloroacetophenone).
By the nature of the impact on manpower:
lethal: (sarin, mustard gas);
temporarily incapacitating personnel: (chloroacetophenone, quinuclidyl-3-benzilate);
irritants: (adamsite, Cs, Cr, chloroacetophenone);
educational: (chloropicrin);
According to the speed of onset of the damaging effect:
fast-acting - do not have a period of latent action (sarin, soman, VX, AC, Ch, Cs, CR);
slow-acting – have a period of latent action (mustard gas, Phosgene, BZ, lewisite, Adamsite);
Physiological classification
According to physiological classification, they are divided into:
nerve agents: (organophosphorus compounds): sarin, soman, tabun, VX;
Generally toxic agents: hydrocyanic acid; cyanogen chloride;
blister agent: mustard gas, nitrogen mustard gas, lewisite;
Agents that irritate the upper respiratory tract or sternites: adamsite, diphenylchloroarsine, diphenylcyanarsine;
asphyxiating agents: phosgene, diphosgene;
irritants to the eye membranes or lachrymators: chloropicrin, chloroacetophenone, dibenzoxazepine, o-chlorobenzalmalondinitrile, bromobenzyl cyanide;
psychochemical agents: quinuclidyl-3-benzilate.
Chemical agents (CW, BOV - nrk; synonym: chemical warfare agents - nrk) - highly toxic chemical compounds intended for use in war for the purpose of destroying or incapacitating enemy personnel; adopted by armies in a number of capitalist states.
Fast-acting poisonous substances- O. v., clinical signs of damage to which appear a few seconds or minutes after their impact on the body.
Toxic substances that temporarily incapacitate- O. v., causing reversible processes in the human body that temporarily interfere with the performance of professional (combat) activities.
Delayed-acting poisonous substances- O. v., clinical signs of damage which appear after a latent period lasting several tens of minutes or more.
Poisonous substances with blister action(syn.: vesicants, toxic substances vesicants - nrk) - O. v., toxic effect which are characterized by the development of an inflammatory-necrotic process at the site of contact, as well as a resorptive effect, manifested by dysfunction of vital organs and systems.
Skin-resorptive toxic substances- O. v., capable of penetrating the body upon contact with intact skin.
Nerve agents(syn.: nerve gases - NRG, nerve agent toxicants) - fast-acting O. v., the toxic effect of which is manifested by dysfunction of the nervous system with the development of miosis, bronchospasm, muscle fibrillation, sometimes general convulsions and flaccid paralysis, as well as dysfunction other vital organs and systems.
Poisonous substances are unstable(NOV) - gaseous or rapidly evaporating liquid O. v., the damaging effect of which lasts no more than 1-2 hours after use.
Generally poisonous substances- O. v., the toxic effect of which is characterized by rapid inhibition of tissue respiration and the development of signs of hypoxia.
Poisonous substances police- temporarily disabling O. v. irritant and tear action.
Poisonous substances of psychotomimetic action(syn.: O. v. psychotic, O. v. psychotomimetic, O. v. psychochemical) - O. v. causing temporary mental disorders, usually without pronounced disturbances in the activity of other organs and systems.
Irritating toxic substances(syn. sneezing toxic substances) - fast-acting O. v., the toxic effect of which is characterized by irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Tear-acting toxic agents(syn. lachrimators) - fast-acting O. v., the toxic effect of which is characterized by irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and nasopharynx.
Poisonous substances are persistent(OWL) - O. v., the damaging effect of which persists for several hours or days after application.
Asphyxiating agents- O. v., the effect of which is characterized by the development of toxic pulmonary edema.
Organophosphorus poisonous substances(FOV) - O. v., which are organic esters of phosphoric acids; belong to O. v. neuroparalytic action.
New generation - Substances that can be used in combat situations.
There are many groups of substances that have attractive military properties. Often the assignment of a substance to one group or another is very conditional and is made according to the primary purpose of the action on the object.
Deadly
Substances of this group are intended to destroy enemy personnel, domestic and farm animals.
GABA agonists (convulsant poisons) are highly toxic substances, usually of a bicyclic structure. Relatively simple in structure, stable to hydrolysis. Examples: bicyclophosphates (tert-butyl bicyclophosphate), TATS, flucibenes, arylsilatranes (phenylsilatrane).
Bronchoconstrictors are bioregulators. They have a bronchoconstrictor effect, leading to death from respiratory failure. Examples: leukotrienes D and C.
Hyperallergens (nettle poisons) are a relatively new group of toxic substances. The peculiarity of the action is sensitization of the body with subsequent provocation of acute allergic reaction. The main disadvantage is the effect of the second dose - the first time it enters the body, they have a much weaker effect than when administered again. Examples: phosgenokee, urushiols.
Cardiotoxins are substances that selectively affect cardiac activity. Examples: cardiac glycosides.
Blisters are substances used by the military since World War I. They are standard toxic substances. Significantly less toxic than organophosphates. The main military advantage is the delayed lethal effect with a crippling effect; this requires the enemy to expend effort and resources to provide medical care to the injured. Examples: sulfur mustard, sesquimustard, oxygen mustard, nitrogen mustard, lewisite.
Nerve agents - organophosphorus substances of this group cause death by any route of ingestion. Highly toxic (high toxicity in contact with skin is especially attractive). They are used as standard toxic substances. Examples: sarin, soman, tabun, VX, aromatic carbamates.
Systemic poisons (generally poisonous) - simultaneously affect many body systems. Some of them were in service with various countries. Examples: hydrocyanic acid, cyanides, fluoroacetates, dioxin, metal carbonyls, tetraethyl lead, arsenides.
Toxins are substances that have extremely high toxicity with a wide variety of symptoms. The main disadvantages of natural toxins, from a military point of view, are their solid state of aggregation, inability to penetrate the skin, high price, and instability to detoxification. Examples: tetrodotoxin, palytoxin, botulinum toxins, diphtheria toxin, ricin, mycotoxins, saxitoxin.
Toxic alkaloids are substances of different structures produced by plants and animals. Due to their relative availability, these substances can be used as toxic agents. Examples: nicotine, coniine, aconitine, atropine, C-toxiferine I.
Heavy metals - inorganic substances capable of causing fatal injuries of both acute and chronic nature. They have greater ecotoxic significance, as they persist for a long time in the natural environment. Examples: thallium sulfate, mercuric chloride, cadmium nitrate, lead acetate.
Asphyxiants are long-known standard toxic substances. The exact mechanism of their action is unknown. Examples: phosgene, diphosgene, triphosgene.
Mutilating
Substances in this group provoke a long-term illness that can be fatal. Some researchers also include blister substances here.
Causing neurolatyrism - cause specific damage to the central nervous system, leading to the movement of animals in a circle. Examples: IDPN.
Carcinogenic - a group of substances that provoke development cancerous tumors. Examples: benzopyrene, methylcholanthrene.
Hearing impairing - used to damage the human hearing system. Examples: antibiotics of the streptomycin group.
Irreversible paralytics are a group of substances that cause demyelination of nerve fibers, which leads to paralysis of varying extent. Examples: tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate.
Affects vision - causes temporary or permanent blindness. Example: methanol.
Radioactive - cause acute or chronic radiation sickness. Can have almost anyone chemical composition, since all elements have radioactive isotopes.
Supermutagens are substances that provoke the occurrence of genetic mutations. May also be included in various other groups (often, for example, highly toxic and carcinogenic). Examples: nitrosomethylurea, nitrosomethylguanidine.
Teratogens are a group of substances that cause deformities during fetal development during pregnancy. The purpose of military use may be genocide or obstruction of birth healthy child. Examples: thalidomide.
Non-lethal
The purpose of using substances in this group is to render a person incapacitated or create physical discomfort.
Algogens are substances that cause strong painful sensations upon contact with skin. Currently, there are compositions sold for self-defense of the population. They often also have a lachrymatory effect. Example: 1-methoxy-1,3,5-cycloheptatriene, dibenzoxazepine, capsaicin, pelargonic acid morpholide, resiniferatoxin.
Anxiogens cause an acute panic attack in a person. Examples: cholecystokinin type B receptor agonists.
Anticoagulants - reduce blood clotting, causing bleeding. Examples: superwarfarin.
Attractants – attract various insects or animals (for example, stinging, unpleasant) to a person. This can lead to a panic reaction in a person or provoke an insect attack on a person. They can also be used to attract pests to enemy crops. Example: 3,11-dimethyl-2-nonacosanone (cockroach attractant).
Malodorants - cause the removal of people from the territory or from a certain person due to people’s aversion to the unpleasant odor of the area (person). Unpleasant smell may have either the substances themselves or the products of their metabolism. Examples: mercaptans, isonitriles, selenols, sodium tellurite, geosmin, benzcyclopropane.
Causing muscle pain – cause severe pain in a person’s muscles. Examples: thymol amino esters.
Antihypertensives - greatly reduce blood pressure, causing orthostatic collapse, as a result of which a person loses consciousness or the ability to move. Example: clonidine, canbisol, platelet activating factor analogues.
Castrators - cause chemical castration (loss of reproduction). Examples: gossypol.
Catatonic - cause the development of catatonia in those affected. Usually referred to as a type of psychochemical toxic substance. Examples: bulbocapnin.
Peripheral muscle relaxants - cause complete relaxation of skeletal muscles. Can cause death due to relaxation of respiratory muscles. Examples: tubocurarine.
Central muscle relaxants - cause relaxation of skeletal muscles. Unlike peripheral ones, they have less effect on breathing and their detoxification is difficult. Examples: muscle relaxin, phenylglycerin, benzimidazole.
Diuretics - cause a sharp acceleration of emptying Bladder. Examples: furosemide.
Anesthetics - cause anesthesia in healthy people. So far, the use of this group of substances is hampered by the low biological activity of the substances used. Examples: isoflurane, halothane.
Truth drugs cause people to develop a state where they cannot consciously tell a lie. It has now been shown that this method does not guarantee the complete truthfulness of a person and their use is limited. Usually these are not individual substances, but a combination of barbiturates and stimulants.
Narcotic analgesics - in doses above therapeutic ones have an immobilizing effect. Examples: fentanyl, carfentanil, 14-methoxymethopon, etorphine, afin.
Memory Impairing - Causes temporary memory loss. Often toxic. Examples: cycloheximide, domoic acid, many anticholinergics.
Neuroleptics - cause motor and mental retardation in humans. Examples: haloperidol, spiperone, fluphenazine.
Irreversible MAO inhibitors are a group of substances that block monoamine oxidase. As a result, when consuming foods high in natural amines (cheeses, chocolate), a hypertensive crisis is provoked. Examples: nialamide, pargyline.
Will suppressors - cause impairment of the ability to make independent decisions. They are substances of different groups. Example: scopolamine.
Prurigens - cause intolerable itching. For example: 1,2-dithiocyanoethane.
Psychotomimetic drugs - cause psychosis that lasts for some time, during which a person cannot make adequate decisions. Example: BZ, LSD, mescaline, DMT, DOB, DOM, cannabinoids, PCP.
Laxatives cause a sharp acceleration in the emptying of intestinal contents. With prolonged use of drugs in this group, exhaustion of the body may develop. Examples: bisacodyl.
Lachrymators (lacrimators) cause severe lacrimation and closure of a person’s eyelids, as a result of which the person temporarily cannot see what is happening around him and loses his fighting ability. There are standard toxic substances used to disperse demonstrations. Examples: chloroacetophenone, bromoacetone, bromobenzyl cyanide, ortho-chlorobenzylidene malonodinitrile (CS).
Sleeping pills – cause a person to fall asleep. Examples: flunitrazepam, barbiturates.
Sternites - cause uncontrollable sneezing and coughing, as a result of which a person can throw off the gas mask. There are report cards. Examples: adamsite, diphenylchloroarsine, diphenylcyanarsine.
Tremorgens - cause convulsive twitching skeletal muscles. Examples: tremorine, oxotremorine, tremorgenic mycotoxins.
Photosensitizers - increase skin sensitivity to solar ultraviolet rays. When exiting sunlight the person may suffer painful burns. Examples: hypericin, furocoumarins.
Emetics (emetics) - cause a gag reflex, as a result of which being in a gas mask becomes impossible. Examples: apomorphine derivatives, staphylococcal enterotoxin B, PHNO.
Combat toxic chemical substances(BTXV) are chemical compounds that, when used, can infect people and animals. large areas, penetrate various structures, contaminate the area and water bodies. The means of their use and delivery to the target can be missiles, aerial bombs, artillery shells and mines, chemical land mines, as well as airborne discharge devices (VAL). BTXV can be used in a droplet-liquid state, in the form of gas (steam) and aerosol (fog, smoke). They can penetrate the human body and infect it through the respiratory, digestive organs, skin and eyes. In terms of their damaging properties, toxic substances differ from other military weapons in their ability to penetrate with air into various unsealed structures and objects and infect people in them, maintain their destructive effect in the air, on the ground, at various objects for several hours to several days and even weeks. Vapors of toxic substances can spread in the direction of the wind to significant distances from areas where chemical weapons are directly used.
In order to promptly identify the emerging danger of poisoning and take the necessary protective measures, it is necessary to have general idea about toxic substances, phototoxins and toxic potent substances.
Classification of BTXV
Based on their effect on the human body, BTXVs are divided into nerve paralytic, asphyxiant, general toxic, blister, toxins (botulinum, phytotoxicants, staphylococcal enterotoxin and ricin), irritant and psychochemical.
BTXV nerve-paralytic action - highly toxic organophosphorus substances (V-gases, sarin, etc.) affect nervous system. These are the most dangerous BTXVs. They affect the body through the respiratory system, skin (in vapor and droplet-liquid states), as well as when they enter the gastrointestinal tract along with food and water (that is, they have a multifaceted damaging effect). Their durability in summer is more than a day, in winter - several weeks and even months; A tiny amount of them is enough to kill a person.
Signs of damage are: drooling, constriction of the pupils, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, convulsions and paralysis.
A gas mask and protective clothing are used for protection. To provide first aid to the affected person, a gas mask is put on him and the antidote is administered using a syringe tube or by taking a tablet. If BTXV has a nerve-paralytic effect on the skin or clothing, the affected areas are treated with liquid from an individual anti-chemical package.
BTXV asphyxiating agents (phosgene, etc.) affect the body through the respiratory system. Signs of damage are a sweetish, unpleasant taste in the mouth, cough, dizziness, and general weakness. The peculiarity of the impact of this BTXV is the presence of a latent (incubation) period, when these phenomena disappear after leaving the source of infection, and the victim feels normal within 4-6 hours, unaware of the damage received. During this period (latent action) pulmonary edema develops. Then breathing may sharply worsen, a cough with copious sputum may appear, headache, fever, shortness of breath, palpitations and death will occur. For protection you must use a gas mask.
To provide assistance, they put a gas mask on the victim, take him out of the contaminated area, cover him warmly and provide him with peace. Under no circumstances should you perform artificial respiration.
Generally toxic BTCs (hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, etc.) affect the body through the respiratory system. Signs of damage include a metallic taste in the mouth, throat irritation, dizziness, weakness, nausea, severe convulsions, and paralysis. For protection you must use a gas mask. To help the victim, you need to crush the ampoule with the antidote and insert it under the gas mask helmet. In severe cases, the victim is given artificial respiration, warmed up and sent to a medical center.
BTXVs of blister action (mustard gas, etc.) have a multifaceted damaging effect. In a droplet-liquid and vapor state, they affect the skin and eyes, when inhaling vapors - the respiratory tract and lungs, and when ingested with food and water - the digestive organs. A characteristic feature of mustard gas is the presence of a period of latent action (the lesion is not detected immediately, but after some time - 4 hours or more). Signs of damage are redness of the skin, the formation of small blisters, which then merge into large ones and burst after two or three days, turning into difficult-to-heal ulcers. With any local lesions, BTXV causes general poisoning of the body, which manifests itself in fever, malaise, and complete loss of capacity.
The basis of the destructive effect of chemical weapons are toxic substances (TS), which have a physiological effect on the human body.
Unlike other weapons, chemical weapons effectively destroy enemy personnel over a large area without destruction material resources. This is a weapon of mass destruction.
Together with the air, toxic substances penetrate into any premises, shelters, and military equipment. The damaging effect persists for some time, objects and the area become infected.
Types of toxic substances
Toxic substances under the shell of chemical munitions are in solid and liquid form.
At the moment of their use, when the shell is destroyed, they come into combat mode:
- vaporous (gaseous);
- aerosol (drizzle, smoke, fog);
- drip-liquid.
Toxic substances are the main damaging factor of chemical weapons.
Characteristics of chemical weapons
These weapons are divided into:
- According to the type of physiological effects of OM on the human body.
- For tactical purposes.
- According to the speed of the onset of impact.
- According to the durability of the agent used.
- By means and methods of use.
Classification according to human exposure:
- Nerve agents. Lethal, fast-acting, persistent. Act on the central nervous system. The purpose of their use is rapid mass incapacitation of personnel with the maximum number of deaths. Substances: sarin, soman, tabun, V-gases.
- Agent of vesicant action. Lethal, slow-acting, persistent. They affect the body through the skin or respiratory system. Substances: mustard gas, lewisite.
- Generally toxic agent. Lethal, fast-acting, unstable. They disrupt the function of the blood to deliver oxygen to the tissues of the body. Substances: hydrocyanic acid and cyanogen chloride.
- Agent with asphyxiating effect. Lethal, slow-acting, unstable. The lungs are affected. Substances: phosgene and diphosgene.
- OM of psychochemical action. Non-lethal. Temporarily affect the central nervous system, affect mental activity, cause temporary blindness, deafness, a sense of fear, and limitation of movement. Substances: inuclidyl-3-benzilate (BZ) and lysergic acid diethylamide.
- Irritant agents (irritants). Non-lethal. They act quickly, but only for a short time. Outside the contaminated area, their effect ceases after a few minutes. These are tear and sneeze-producing substances that irritate the upper respiratory tract and can damage the skin. Substances: CS, CR, DM(adamsite), CN(chloroacetophenone).
Damaging factors of chemical weapons
Toxins are chemical protein substances of animal, plant or microbial origin with high toxicity. Typical representatives: butulic toxin, ricin, staphylococcal entsrotoxin.
The damaging factor is determined by toxodose and concentration. The zone of chemical contamination can be divided into a focus area (where people are massively affected) and a zone where the contaminated cloud spreads.
First use of chemical weapons
Chemist Fritz Haber was a consultant to the German War Ministry and is called the father of chemical weapons for his work in the development and use of chlorine and other poisonous gases. The government set him the task of creating chemical weapons with irritating and toxic substances. It’s a paradox, but Haber believed that with the help gas war will save many lives by ending trench warfare.
The history of use begins on April 22, 1915, when the German military first launched a chlorine gas attack. A greenish cloud appeared in front of the French soldiers' trenches, which they watched with curiosity.
When the cloud came close, a sharp smell was felt, and the soldiers’ eyes and nose stung. The fog burned my chest, blinded me, choked me. The smoke moved deeper into the French positions, spreading panic and death, and was followed by German soldiers with bandages on their faces, but they had no one to fight with.
By evening, chemists from other countries figured out what kind of gas it was. It turned out that any country can produce it. Rescue from it turned out to be simple: you need to cover your mouth and nose with a bandage soaked in a soda solution, and plain water on the bandage weakens the effect of chlorine.
After 2 days, the Germans repeated the attack, but the Allied soldiers soaked their clothes and rags in puddles and applied them to their faces. Thanks to this, they survived and remained in position. When the Germans entered the battlefield, the machine guns “spoke” to them.
Chemical weapons of World War I
On May 31, 1915, the first gas attack on the Russians took place. Russian troops mistook the greenish cloud for camouflage and brought even more soldiers to the front line. Soon the trenches were filled with corpses. Even the grass died from the gas.
In June 1915, a new poisonous substance, bromine, began to be used. It was used in projectiles.
In December 1915 - phosgene. It has a hay smell and a lingering effect. Its low cost made it convenient to use. At first they were produced in special cylinders, and by 1916 they began to make shells.
Bandages did not protect against blister gases. It penetrated through clothing and shoes, causing burns on the body. The area remained poisoned for more than a week. This was the king of gases - mustard gas.
Not only the Germans, their opponents also began to produce gas-filled shells. In one of the trenches of the First World War, Adolf Hitler was poisoned by the British.
For the first time, Russia also used these weapons on the battlefields of the First World War.
Chemical weapons of mass destruction
Experiments with chemical weapons took place under the guise of developing insect poisons. Hydrocyanic acid, an insecticidal agent used in the gas chambers of Zyklon B concentration camps.
Agent Orange is a substance used to defoliate vegetation. Used in Vietnam, soil poisoning caused severe illnesses and mutations in the local population.
In 2013, in Syria, in the suburbs of Damascus, a chemical attack was carried out on a residential area, killing hundreds of civilians, including many children. The nerve gas used was most likely sarin.
One of the modern variants of chemical weapons is binary weapons. It comes into combat readiness as a result of a chemical reaction after combining two harmless components.
Everyone who falls into the impact zone becomes victims of chemical weapons of mass destruction. Back in 1905, an international agreement on the non-use of chemical weapons was signed. To date, 196 countries around the world have signed up to its ban.
In addition to chemical weapons of mass destruction and biological.
Types of protection
- Collective. A shelter can provide long-term stay for people without personal protective equipment if it is equipped with filter-ventilation kits and is well sealed.
- Individual. Gas mask, protective clothing and personal chemical protection package (PPP) with antidote and liquid for treating clothing and skin lesions.
Prohibited use
Humanity was shocked by the terrible consequences and huge losses of people after the use of weapons of mass destruction. Therefore, in 1928, the Geneva Protocol prohibiting the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other similar gases and bacteriological agents in war came into force. This protocol prohibits the use of not only chemicals, but also biological weapons. In 1992, another document came into force, the Chemical Weapons Convention. This document complements the Protocol; it speaks not only of a ban on the production and use, but also of the destruction of all chemical weapons. The implementation of this document is controlled by a specially created committee at the UN. But not all states signed this document, for example, Egypt, Angola, North Korea, South Sudan. He also did not enter legal force in Israel and Myanmar.
Toxic substances(OC), toxic chemical compounds intended to destroy enemy personnel during military operations. Agents can enter the body through the respiratory system, skin, mucous membranes and digestive tract. Agents also have a damaging effect when they enter a wound or burn surface. These substances have a certain complex of physical and chemical properties, thanks to which in a combat situation they are in a vapor, liquid or aerosol state. The production of chemical agents is based on simple methods obtained from accessible and cheap raw materials.
For tactical purposes Agents are divided into groups according to the nature of their damaging effects:
· lethal;
· temporarily incapacitating manpower;
· annoying.
By speed of attack damaging effects are distinguished:
· fast-acting agents that do not have a period of latent action;
· slow-acting agents with a period of latent action.
Depending on the duration of preservation of the damaging ability Lethal agents are divided into two groups:
· persistent agents that retain their damaging effect for several hours and days;
· unstable agents, the damaging effect of which persists for several tens of minutes after their use.
According to the physiological effects of OM on the body, they are distinguished:
· Nerve agents, which are also called organophosphorus agents, since their molecules contain phosphorus; (V-gases, sarin, soman)
· blisters; (mustard gas, lewisite)
· general poisonous action; (cyanchloride, hydrocyanic acid)
· suffocating; (phosgene, diphosgene)
· psychotropic (incapacitants);
DLC-lysergic acid diethylamite
· irritants (irritants). chloroacetophenone, adamsite
Toxic substances nerve agent . By chemical structure all substances in this group are organic compounds derived from phosphorus acids. FOS cause damage when entering the body in various ways: through the skin, wound, mucous membranes of the eyes, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract. The main combat agents - sarin, soman, V-gases - are highly soluble in fats and organic solvents (dichloroethane, gasoline, alcohol), and are easily resorbed through the skin.
Sarin– a colorless volatile liquid, with a boiling point of about 150˚ C, easily soluble in water and organic solvents. Durability on terrain in summer from several minutes to 4 hours, in winter - from several hours to several days.
Soman– a transparent liquid with a boiling point of 85˚ C, vapors are six times heavier than air, with a camphor odor, poorly soluble in water, well soluble in all organic solvents, other characteristics are the same as sarin.
V -gases (phosphorylcholines)– colorless liquids with a boiling point above 300˚ C, poorly soluble in water, well soluble in organic solvents, superior in toxicity to sarin and soman, especially when in contact with skin. Durability on terrain in summer from several hours to several weeks, in winter - from 1 to 16 weeks.
The mechanism of action of FOS is complex and insufficiently studied. They inhibit many enzymes (cholinesterases) of the body, promote the accumulation of acetylcholine in tissues, which causes excitement and profound disruption of the functions of many organs and systems.
Signs of damage include excessive salivation, nasal discharge, constriction of the pupils (meiosis), suffocation, stomach cramps, paralysis, and possible death.
Urgent Care in the affected area it appears in the order of self- and mutual assistance:
Putting on a gas mask;
The use of antidotes (Athens, atropine using a syringe)
tube or container in tablets);
Treatment of contaminated areas of skin and uniforms from
individual anti-chemical package IPP-8;
Removal beyond the source of infection. If necessary -
re-administration of the antidote.
First aid for those seriously affected consists of repeated administration of antidotes; in case of respiratory arrest - in performing mechanical ventilation; subcutaneous administration of cordiamine; additional degassing of exposed skin areas and adjacent clothing.
Poisonous substances with blister action . Toxic substances with blister action include lewisite and mustard gases: pure, sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen. A characteristic feature of the effect on the body is the ability to cause local inflammatory-necrotic changes in the skin and mucous membranes in combination with a pronounced resorptive effect (after absorption), therefore they are often called agents of skin-resorptive action.
Mustard gas(as a technical product) – dark brown oily liquid with the smell of mustard or garlic, heavier than water, vapor heavier than air, boiling point 217˚ C; dissolves well in organic solvents, fats, oils, is destroyed by alkalis and chlorine-containing preparations; toxic in vapor, aerosol and droplet states. Resistance on terrain in summer is up to 1.5 days, in winter - more than a week. It can penetrate the body in any way: through the respiratory system, intact skin, wound and burn surfaces, and the gastrointestinal tract.
Mustard gas affects all organs and tissues with which it comes into contact, causing local inflammatory-necrotic lesions, and, through any route of entry into the body, has a general toxic effect in the form of damage to the central nervous system, inhibition of hematopoiesis, circulatory disorders, digestion, thermoregulation of all types of metabolism, immunity and so on.
Skin lesions occur when exposed to mustard gas in a vapor or liquid droplet state and depend on the temperature and humidity of the air, the area of the infected skin surface and its humidity, and the time of exposure. The most sensitive areas are those with delicate skin, a high content of sweat ducts (groin, armpits, inner thighs) and tight clothing (belt, collar). The duration of the latent period in the case of vapor mustard action is from 5 to 15 hours, liquid mustard - up to 2 - 4 hours.
When affected by vapor mustard gas, only erythema (redness) may develop, occurring on sensitive areas of the skin. This erythema is painless, but may be accompanied by itching, especially when warm and at night. The prognosis is favorable - by 7-10 days all phenomena disappear, pigmentation may persist for a long time.
Damage from droplet mustard gas occurs in a more severe form. Against the background of mustard erythema, after 8 - 12 hours small blisters appear, often located along the border of redness (“mustard necklace”). Then they increase in size and merge, which is accompanied by itching, burning and pain. After the 4th day, the blisters subside with the formation of a slowly healing ulcer and the frequent addition of a secondary purulent infection.
Symptoms of eye damage appear after 30 minutes - 3 hours in the form of photophobia, pain, lacrimation, redness of the mucous membrane and slight swelling. The symptoms of uncomplicated conjunctivitis disappear without a trace after 1 to 2 weeks.
At a higher concentration of mustard vapors, lesions occur moderate severity, characterized by more severe symptoms with the process spreading to the skin of the eyelids (blepharitis). The duration of the lesion is 20 - 30 days, the prognosis is favorable.
When affected by droplet-liquid mustard gas, the cornea is involved in the process - keratitis develops with the formation of ulcers, clouding of the cornea and a decrease in visual acuity, and possible death of the eye. The course is long - 4 - 6 months.
Damage to the respiratory system occurs when inhaling mustard gas vapors and the severity depends on the concentration of the agent and the duration of stay in the contaminated area.
For mild lesions, the latent period is more than 12 hours. Then signs of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract appear: runny nose, chest pain, hoarseness or loss of voice. Symptoms disappear within 10 to 12 days.
Moderate lesions are characterized by an earlier appearance (after 6 hours) and a more rapid development of the symptoms described above. On the 2nd day, deterioration occurs, chest pain and cough intensify, purulent sputum and wheezing appear, the temperature rises to 38-39º C - tracheobronchitis develops. Dead mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchi can be rejected and cause various complications. Recovery occurs in 30 - 40 days.
In case of severe damage, the latent period is shortened to 2 hours. The condition of those affected sharply worsens, shortness of breath increases, cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes appears, the cough intensifies, and on the third day mustard gas pneumonia develops with a protracted course, which is explained by a decrease in immunity. When inhaling particularly high concentrations of mustard gas or aspiration of droplet-liquid mustard gas, necrotizing pneumonia with hemoptysis develops already in the first day, respiratory failure, an extremely serious condition and an unfavorable prognosis (with widespread necrosis - death).
Damage to the gastrointestinal tract occurs when consuming food or water contaminated with mustard gas. Death occurs when 50 mg of mustard gas is ingested. The latent period is short - from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Appear severe pain in the stomach area, nausea, vomiting, loose stool. They are joined by signs of general toxicity, which, along with the depth of local changes, determine the further course.
The resorptive effect is manifested in an increase in body temperature, the appearance of adynamia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, an abnormal pulse rate, a decrease in blood pressure, the development cardiovascular failure, changes in blood.
Lewisite– oily liquid with the smell of geranium leaves, boiling point 190º C, slightly soluble in water, well soluble in organic solvents, fats, oils; enters the body by any means. Longevity in summer – hours, in winter – up to 3 days. The skin-resorptive toxicity is three times greater than mustard gas; mixes with many chemical agents and dissolves them itself. Neutralized by solutions of caustic alkalis, bleach and other oxidizing agents.
