Modern agents are conventionally divided: according to the nature of the damaging effect, into neuroparalytic, generally poisonous asphyxiating, vesicant, irritant and psychogenic; depending on the boiling point and volatility into persistent and unstable.
Nervous agents are a group of lethal agents, which are highly toxic phosphorus-containing agents (sarin, soman, Vi-X). All phosphorus-containing substances are highly soluble in organic solvents and fats and easily penetrate intact skin. They act in droplet-liquid and aerosol (vapor, fog) states. Once in the body, phosphorus-containing agents inhibit (suppress) enzymes that regulate the transmission of nerve impulses in the systems of the respiratory center, blood circulation, cardiac activity, etc.
Poisoning develops quickly. At small toxic doses (mild lesions), constriction of the pupils of the eyes (miosis), salivation, chest pain, and difficulty breathing occur. With severe lesions, difficulty breathing, profuse sweating, stomach cramps, involuntary loss of urine, sometimes vomiting, convulsions and respiratory paralysis immediately occur.
Generally poisonous substances are a group of fast-acting volatile agents (hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, carbon monoxide, arsenic and hydrogen phosphide) that affect the blood and nervous system. The most toxic are hydrocyanic acid and cyanogen chloride.
In case of severe poisoning with a generally toxic agent, a metallic taste in the mouth, tightness in the chest, a feeling of strong fear, severe shortness of breath, convulsions, and paralysis of the respiratory center are observed. Poisonous substances with asphyxiating effects, which, when inhaled, damage the upper respiratory tract and lung tissue. The main representatives: phosgene and diphosgene. When inhaling phosgene, you feel the smell of rotten hay and an unpleasant sweetish taste in the mouth, a burning sensation in the throat, cough, and tightness in the chest.
Upon leaving the contaminated atmosphere, these signs disappear. After 46 hours, the condition of the affected person deteriorates sharply. A cough appears with copious discharge of foamy fluid, breathing becomes difficult.
Poisonous substances with blister action mustard gas and nitrogen mustard gas. Mustard gas easily penetrates the skin and mucous membranes; entering the blood and lymph, it spreads throughout the body, causing general poisoning of a person or animal. When drops of mustard gas come into contact with the skin, signs of damage are detected after 48 hours. In mild cases, redness of the skin appears, followed by the development of swelling and a feeling of itching. With more severe skin lesions, blisters form, which burst after 23 days and form ulcers. In the absence of infection, the affected area heals after 10-20 days.
Damage to the skin by mustard vapors is possible, but less so than by drops. Mustard fumes cause damage to the eyes and respiratory system. When the eyes are affected, there is a feeling of eye congestion, itching, inflammation of the conjunctiva, necrosis of the cornea, and the formation of ulcers. 46 hours after inhaling mustard gas vapor, a dry and sore throat, a sharp painful cough, then hoarseness and loss of voice, inflammation of the bronchi and lungs appear.
Irritating toxic substances- a group of agents that affect the mucous membranes of the eyes (lacrimators, for example chloroacetophenone) and the upper respiratory tract (sternites, for example adamsite). The most effective agents are those with combined irritant action, such as SI and SI-ER.
Psychogenic toxic substances- a group of agents that cause temporary psychoses due to disruption of chemical regulation in the central nervous system. Representatives of these are substances such as “LSD” (lesergic acid ethylamide), Bi-Z. These are colorless crystalline substances, poorly soluble in water, and are used in aerosols. If they enter the body, they can cause movement disorders, visual and hearing impairments, hallucinations, mental disorders, or completely change the normal pattern of human behavior; (a state of psychosis similar to that observed in patients with schizophrenia).
Persistent agents- a group of high-boiling agents that retain their damaging effect from several hours to several days and even weeks after use. Persistent toxic substances (PTC) evaporate slowly and are resistant to air and moisture. The main representatives of V-X (V-gases), soman, mustard gas.
Unstable agents- a group of low-boiling agents that contaminate the air for a relatively short period (from several minutes to 12 hours). Typical representatives of NO are phosgene, hydrocyanic acid, and cyanogen chloride.
POISONIC SUBSTANCES (OB)- highly toxic chemical compounds adopted by the armies of a number of capitalist states and intended to destroy enemy personnel during military operations. Sometimes agents are also called chemical warfare agents (CWA). In a broader sense, chemical agents include natural and synthetic compounds that can cause mass poisoning of people and animals, as well as affect vegetation, including agricultural crops (agricultural pesticides, industrial poisons, etc.).
Agents cause mass damage and death of people as a result of direct effects on the body (primary damage), as well as through human contact with environmental objects or consumption of food and water contaminated with agent (secondary damage). Agents can enter the body through the respiratory system, skin, mucous membranes, and digestive tract. Forming the basis of chemical weapons (see), chemical agents are the subject of study of military toxicology (see Toxicology, military toxicology).
Certain tactical and technical requirements are imposed on chemical agents - they must have high toxicity, be available for mass production, stable during storage, simple and reliable for combat use, capable of causing injury in a combat situation to people who do not use chemical protective equipment, and resistant to degassers. At the modern stage of development of chemistry. weapons, the armies of capitalist countries can use poisons as chemical agents, which under normal conditions do not affect the body through unprotected skin and respiratory organs, but cause severe injuries as a result of wounds from shrapnel or special chemical damaging elements. ammunition, as well as the so-called. binary mixtures, at the time of application of chemicals. ammunition that forms highly toxic agents as a result of the interaction of harmless chemicals. components.
A strict classification of OM is difficult, in particular, due to the extreme diversity of physical and chemical compounds. properties, structure, primary biochemicals, reactions of OM with numerous receptors in the body, a variety of functional and organic changes at the molecular, cellular, organ levels, often accompanied by various kinds of nonspecific reactions of the whole organism.
Clinical, toxicological and tactical classifications have acquired the greatest importance. In accordance with the first agent, they are divided into groups: nerve agents (see) - tabun, sarin, soman, V-gases; common toxic substances (see) - hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, carbon monoxide; skin vesicants (see) - mustard gas, trichlorotriethylamine, lewisite; asphyxiating toxic substances (see) - phosgene, diphosgene, chloropicrin; irritating toxic substances (see) - chloroacetophenone, bromobenzyl cyanide (lacrymators), adamsite, substances CS, CR (sternites); psychotomimetic toxic substances (see) - lysergic acid diethylamide, substance BZ. It is also customary to divide all agents into two large groups: lethal agents (nerve-paralytic, vesicant, suffocating and generally toxic agents) and temporarily incapacitating agents (psychotomimetic and irritant effects).
According to the tactical classification, three groups of agents are distinguished: non-persistent (NO), persistent (SOV) and poisonous-smoky (POISON V).
With all the diversity of biol, the effects on the body of OM have certain common physical-chemical properties. properties that determine their group characteristics. Knowledge of these properties makes it possible to foresee methods of combat use and the degree of danger of chemical agents in specific meteorological conditions. conditions and the likelihood of secondary damage, justify the methods of indicating and degassing agents, as well as use appropriate anti-chemical and medical agents. protection.
The practically important properties of OM are the melting and boiling points, which determine their state of aggregation and volatility at ambient temperature. These parameters are closely related to the durability of agents, i.e. their ability to maintain their destructive effect over time. The group of unstable chemical agents includes substances with high volatility (high saturated vapor pressure and low, up to 40°, boiling point), for example, phosgene, hydrocyanic acid. Under normal weather conditions, they are in the atmosphere in a vapor state and cause only primary damage to people and animals through the respiratory system. These substances do not require sanitization of personnel (see Sanitation), degassing of equipment and weapons (see Degassing), since they do not infect environmental objects. Persistent agents include agents with a high boiling point and low vapor pressure. They retain their resistance for several hours in the summer and up to several weeks in the winter and can be used in droplet-liquid and aerosol form (mustard gases, nerve agents, etc.). Persistent agents act through the respiratory system and unprotected skin, and also cause secondary damage upon contact with contaminated environmental objects, consumption of poisoned food and water. When using them, partial and complete sanitization of personnel, decontamination of military equipment, weapons, and medical equipment are necessary. property and uniforms, examination of food and water (see Indication of weapons).
Possessing high solubility in fats (lipids), OM are able to penetrate biol, membranes and affect enzyme systems located in membrane structures. This causes the high toxicity of many chemical agents. The solubility of chemical agents in water is associated with their ability to infect water bodies, and their solubility in organic solvents is associated with their ability to penetrate the thickness of rubber and other products.
When degassing OM and using honey. means of protection in order to prevent damage, it is important to take into account the ability of the OM to hydrolyze with water, alkali solutions or the like, their ability to interact with chlorinating agents, oxidizing agents, reducing agents or complexing agents, as a result of which the OM is destroyed or non-toxic products are formed.
The most important characteristic of agents that determines their combat properties is toxicity - a measure of biol, action, edges expressed by a toxic dose, i.e., the amount of a substance that causes a certain toxic effect. When an agent gets on the skin, the toxic dose is determined by the amount of agent per 1 cm2 of body surface (mg/cm2), and with oral or parenteral (through a wound) exposure - the amount of agent per 1 kg of body weight (mg/ kg). When inhaled, the toxic dose (W, or Haber constant) depends on the concentration of the toxic substance in the inhaled air and the time a person spends in the contaminated atmosphere and is calculated by the formula W = c*t, where c is the concentration of OM (mg/l, or g/ m 3), t - time of exposure to OM (min.).
Due to accumulation (cumulation) or, conversely, rapid detoxification of chemicals. substances in the body, the dependence of the toxic effect on the amount and rate of entry of pollutants into the body is not always linear. Therefore, the Haber formula is used only for a preliminary assessment of the toxicity of compounds.
To characterize the toxicity of agents in military toxicology, the concepts of threshold (minimum effective), average lethal and absolutely lethal doses are usually used. The threshold dose (D lim) is considered to be the dose that causes changes in the functions of any organs or systems that go beyond physiological limits. The average lethal dose (DL 50) or absolutely lethal dose (DL 100) is understood as the amount of agent that causes the death of 50 or 100% of those affected, respectively.
Prevention of poisoning by highly toxic chemical compounds for various purposes is ensured by the use of personal protective equipment for the respiratory system and skin, strict adherence to safety measures, as well as medical care. control over working conditions and the health status of persons working with them (see Poisoning).
Protection against toxic substances
Protection against toxic substances is carried out in the general system of protection against military weapons (see) with the participation of chemical, engineering, medical and other services of the Armed Forces and Civil Defense and includes: constant monitoring of chemicals. situation, timely notification of a chemical threat. attacks; provision of military personnel, civil defense formations and the population with individual technical and medical means of protection (see), sanitation of personnel, examination of food and water that have been contaminated, medical and evacuation measures for the affected (see. Source of mass casualties). Medical care in these conditions is organized in accordance with the general principles of staged treatment of the wounded and sick with their evacuation according to their intended purpose and taking into account the specifics of the lesions of one or another agent. Of particular importance in this case is the speed and accuracy of the implementation of measures to stop the further entry of toxic substances into the body and their active elimination, urgent neutralization of the poison or neutralization of its effect with the help of specific medications - antidotes of OM (see), as well as symptomatic therapy aimed at protection and maintenance of body functions, which are predominantly affected by these agents.
Bibliography: Harmful substances in industry, ed. N.V-. Lazareva et al. vol. 1 - 3, JI., 1977; Ganzhara P. S. and Novikov A. A. Textbook on clinical toxicology, M., 1979; Luzhnikov E.A., Dagaev V.N. and Firsov N. N. Fundamentals of resuscitation in acute poisoning, M., 1977; Emergency care for acute poisoning, Handbook of toxicology, ed. S. N. Golikova, M., 1977; Guide to the toxicology of toxic substances, ed. G. N. Golikova, M., 1972; S a-notsky I.V. and Fomenko V.N. Long-term consequences of the influence of chemical compounds on the body, M., 1979; Franke 3. Chemistry of toxic substances, trans. from German, M., 1973.
V. I. Artamonov.
Toxic substances are poisonous chemical compounds that serve to defeat enemy forces during war. They have a number of physical and chemical properties, due to which in a combat situation they can be in a liquid, aerosol or vapor state and are the basis of chemical mass destruction). Agents penetrate into various open spaces, shelters or structures and affect living organisms that are located there, maintaining their effect for a certain period of time after their use.
Chemical warfare agents enter the human body in several ways: through the skin, respiratory or digestive organs, and mucous membranes. Moreover, the degree and nature of the damage depend on the routes of entry into the body, the rate of distribution throughout it and removal from it, as well as on the modes of action of toxic substances and the individual characteristics of the human body.
To date, there is no specific classification of these substances. Of greatest importance are:
1. Physiological classification (according to the effect on the body). These include unstable toxic substances, persistent and toxic-smoky agents.
a) unstable OM - capable of contaminating the atmosphere, they form a vapor cloud that spreads throughout and dissipates quite quickly.
b) persistent agents - liquid substances that create a cloud that is contaminated with an aerosol. Some of the chemicals settle in the form of dew on the surrounding area.
c) smoky agents - used in the form of various smokes and consist of
2. Tactical classification (based on behavior on the ground). This includes lethal toxic substances that incapacitate for a certain period of time and irritate agents.
a) lethal action - serve to eliminate living organisms.
b) incapacitating - serve to create a mental disorder in people.
c) irritants - serve to exhaust people.
Also, based on the nature of the effect on the human body, the following are distinguished:
1. Nerve agents (sarin, VX, soman) - contain phosphorus and are therefore highly toxic. They have the ability to accumulate and affect the human nervous system whenever they enter the body. These are colorless, odorless liquids that dissolve well in natural solvents, but least of all in water.
2. Toxic agents (phosphine, arsine, hydrocyanic acid) - disrupt tissue respiration, stopping their oxidative processes. These substances enter the body through the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract.
3. Asphyxiants (chloropicrin, diphosgene and phosgene) - affect the lung tissue and upper respiratory tract, causing suffocation and death.
4. Irritating toxic substances (CS, dibenzoxazepine, chloroacetophenone) - contributes to irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory system and eyes. Used in aerosol form, causing burns, respiratory paralysis, and death.
5. Blistering agents (lewisite, mustard gas) - enter the body through the skin and mucous membrane, causing poisoning and the formation of ulcers at points of contact with the skin.
6. Psychogenic substances (OB, BZ) - cause psychosis and physical disorders by interrupting neuromuscular transmission of impulses.
7. Toxins (botulinum, staphylococcal enteroxin) - cause paralysis of the central nervous system, vomiting, poisoning of the body.
Thus, to date, almost all types of toxic substances have been studied. All of them are capable of affecting the human body, causing its poisoning. For timely protection, it is important to quickly detect the agent, establish its type and concentration. Only then can high results be achieved in providing medical care to victims during military operations.
Toxic substances (CS) are poisonous chemical compounds intended to harm people.
Toxic substances are classified as means of mass destruction. As a military weapon, explosives have been known since ancient times. They were widely used during the First World War, causing significant losses among the personnel of the warring armies. In 1925, in Geneva, on the initiative of the League of Nations, a treaty was drawn up banning the use of chemical weapons. However, some countries (including the United States) have not ratified this treaty.
OVs were continuously improved. During the Second World War, the Germans obtained the most effective organic phosphorus agents (OPS) of the “tabun” type. There are other weapons in foreign armies.
The means of using chemical agents are artillery shells, rockets and mines, aerial bombs mounted on aircraft, pouring devices and special devices for the formation of aerosols (generators, checkers). Gaseous and aerosol pollutants contaminate the air, while droplet pollutants contaminate areas of tens and hundreds of square kilometers. A chemical cloud, while maintaining an effective concentration of OM, can move in the direction of the wind over long distances.
From a tactical point of view, toxic substances are divided into persistent and unstable. Persistent ones remain active on the ground for days and hours, while unstable ones remain active for tens of minutes. The most common classification of agents - clinical - distinguishes the following groups of agents: 1) nerve agents (tabun, sarin, soman, phosphorylthiocholines); 2) generally toxic (hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, carbon monoxide, arsenic hydrogen, hydrogen phosphide); 3) asphyxiating (chlorine, phosgene, diphosgene, chloropicrin in high concentrations); 4) blister agents (mustard gas, trichlorotriethylamine, lewisite, phosgenoxime); 5) tear relievers (bromobenzyl cyanide, chloroacetophenone, chloropicrin in small concentrations); 6) irritants to the upper respiratory tract (diphenylchloroarsine, diphenylcyanarsine, adamsite, capsaicin and its derivatives).
The foreign press discusses the combat significance of the new warheads. The code CS denotes an irritant agent: it causes lacrimation, irritation of the upper respiratory tract, and in high concentrations, vomiting. Psychotomimetics - agents such as lysergic acid diethylamide - cause visual and auditory hallucinations, temporary or euphoria, persecutory mania and panic, depersonalization and other symptoms reminiscent of schizophrenia; Duration of action - up to 12 hours.
The substances that act on crops are 2,4-D-derivatives of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. These chemical agents cause intensive growth of individual parts of the plant and its death due to a sharp disruption of metabolic processes.
The stability and behavior of toxic substances in the external environment depend on their physicochemical properties, as well as on the meteorological and topographic conditions of the area. Of the physico-chemical properties of OM, the most important are the melting and boiling points (which determine the aggregate state of the OM), volatility, chemical activity in the processes of hydrolysis, oxidation and reduction, as well as stability during detonation. Particular attention is paid to methods for creating an aerosol cloud, which makes it possible to convert low-boiling liquids and solids into finely divided particles. In this case, they proceed from the greatest stability in the atmosphere of particles with a diameter of 10 -6 -10 -4 cm and the maximum toxic efficiency (when inhaled) of particles of 10 -5 cm, since smaller ones are partially ejected during exhalation, while larger ones penetrate into the lungs less well. An aerosol cloud can consist not only of solid particles (smoke), but also of liquid ones - in the form of fog and so-called drizzle, which is especially dangerous when it gets on exposed parts of the body. The high toxicity of modern chemical agents makes it possible to create life-threatening concentrations in an aerosol cloud that is almost invisible to the eye. The stability of the concentration of OM in the air depends on meteorological factors (air temperature, wind, rain). Ravines, gorges, vegetation, area development with multi-storey buildings and some others contribute to the stagnation of organic matter.
Toxicological analysis of the action of chemical agents includes determining the routes of their introduction into the body, their distribution and transformation (detoxification, interaction with enzymes) in the body and the route of excretion. The main routes of entry of pollutants into the body are the respiratory tract and the skin. Tear agents act on the eyes. Agents can also enter the digestive tract, for example, with food and water contaminated with agents.
The strength and nature of the toxic effect of toxic substances depend primarily on the amount of chemical agents entering the body. In relation to agents acting on the respiratory organs and eyes, this amount is expressed in concentrations; when the agent acts on the skin and digestive organs - in doses.
The concentration of OM is their relative content per unit volume of air; it is expressed: a) in mg OM per 1 liter of air (mg/l) or in g per cubic meter (g/m 3); b) in volumetric ratios (the volume of OM vapor is taken in the same units as the volume of contaminated air) - per 100 volume units (in percent), per 1000 or per 1,000,000. To convert weight concentrations into volumetric ones and vice versa, the following formulas are used:
where X is the weight concentration of OM in mg/l, V is the volume concentration of OM in cm 3 /l, M is a gram molecule. Calculations using these formulas apply to 0° and 760 mm pressure.
The dose of OM for action on the skin is expressed in m per 1 cm 2 of skin (mg/cm 2) or in mg per 1 kg of body weight (mg/kg). The last designation is also used when the agent acts per os or parenterally. When an area is contaminated, the density of infection is taken into account in g per square meter of surface (g/m2). In addition, it is necessary to take into account the duration of action of the agent, during which it accumulates in the body or the summation of its effects. Therefore, time in minutes is added to the numerical designation of concentration.
Depending on the strength and nature of the toxic effect, toxic (damaging) and fatal concentrations are distinguished among the concentrations of chemical agents. The latter cause death in cases of acute intoxication. In experimental practice, they are differentiated into: a) conditionally lethal, causing death in 50% of experimental animals (CD50); b) minimally lethal, causing death in 75% of experimental animals (SD75); c) absolutely lethal, causing death in 100% of animals (SD100). Concentrations of irritating agents (tear-producing agents and irritants of the upper respiratory tract) are divided into: a) minimally irritating (threshold), at which the onset of action of the agent is observed; b) minimally intolerable, which cannot be tolerated without protective equipment.
On the practical side, when characterizing the toxic effect of an agent, it is necessary to pay attention to: a) the selectivity of the action, taking into account the different routes of entry of the toxic substance into the body and the symptoms of the lesion; b) the speed of appearance of the first signs of damage, distinguishing between fast-acting agents, when the effect appears in the first minutes after contact (tear agents, FOV, hydrocyanic acid), and slow-acting agents, when the first symptoms of damage appear after a latent period lasting hours (mustard gas) ; c) the speed of recovery, since the recovery time can be very different - from a few minutes or hours (lacrimation, irritating the upper respiratory tract) to weeks and months (FOV, mustard gas).
In combat conditions, one has to deal mainly with acute forms of lesions, which are conventionally divided into mild, moderate and severe.
When diagnosing, it is important to find out from the anamnesis the time of contact with the agent, the conditions under which the injury occurred, the external signs of the injury, the symptoms of the injury, and whether the affected person used protective equipment. The massive nature of the lesions is of particular diagnostic importance. The diagnosis is made based on the victim’s complaints, objective data from a clinical study and their differential analysis (see table).
| Name of OV | Aggregate state of the agent | SD 100 (mg/l min) | Intolerable concentrations (mg/l min) | Routes of agents entering the body and symptoms of damage |
| Sarin | Liquid | 0.15X1 | Acts by inhalation and through the skin. In case of mild damage - narrowing of the pupil to the diameter of a pinhead, decreased vision, chest pain. In case of moderate damage, bronchospasm, asthmatic breathing, bronchorrhea, increased salivation, headache are added. In severe damage, convulsions, loss of consciousness, significant inhibition of blood cholinesterase, weakening of respiratory and cardiac activity | |
| Soman | Same | 0.07X1 | Same | |
| Phosphorylthiocholines | » | 2-3 mg on bare skin | Same. Effective especially through the skin | |
| Hydrocyanic acid | Very volatile liquid | 0.3x10 | When inhaled, it causes dizziness, shortness of breath, blackouts, and vomiting. In case of severe damage - convulsions, loss of consciousness and rapid death from respiratory paralysis | |
| Mustard gas | Liquid | 0.07X30 0.15x10 | Affects the eyes, respiratory organs and skin in liquid and vapor form Eyes - conjunctivitis, severe blepharospasm, sharp pain Respiratory organs - inflammatory phenomena in the upper respiratory tract, pseudo-membranous process throughout the respiratory tract followed by pneumonia Skin - chemical burn of all degrees (erythematous, bullous and ulcerous forms) In large doses, a general resorptive effect is added - suppression of hematopoiesis with leukopenia and cachexia | |
| Phosgene | Gas | 3X1 0.5X10 |
Inhalation of vapors causes death from toxic pulmonary edema | |
| Diphosgene | Liquid | 0.5X10 | Same | |
| Chloropicrin | Same | 2X10 | In small concentrations it has a tear effect, in large concentrations it acts like phosgene | |
| Bromobenzyl cyanide | » | 0.0008X10 | Tear action | |
| Adamsite | Solid | 0.005X3 | Acts in smoke form when inhaled, irritates the upper respiratory tract | |
| C.S. | Same | 0,001-0,005 | Acts as a lachrymator and irritant to the upper respiratory tract. It also causes a burning sensation on the skin and vomiting. |
Using chemical analysis, toxic substances can be detected on the victim’s clothing and in skin washes. A biochemical blood test reveals specific changes - inhibition of cholinesterase (with FOV), the presence of carboxyhemoglobin (with CO).
During the pathological examination, changes were distinguished that occurred in cases of lightning death (occurring in the period from several minutes to 1-2 hours), in the acute period (in the first 3 days), in the subacute period (from 4 to 10 days) and in the long-term period ( after 10 days). The disorders most specific to OS are observed in the acute period. When making a differential diagnosis, it is necessary to keep in mind similar changes in some infectious diseases (ornithosis, melioidosis, influenza, measles, plague, tularemia, glanders, anthrax, brucellosis). Opening should be carried out in protective clothing and rubber gloves, and contaminated materials should be decontaminated.
Prevention is achieved by using a gas mask (see), protective clothing (see) and the use of collective protective equipment.
Treatment consists of sequential implementation of the following measures. 1. Prevention of further entry of pollutants into the body. For this purpose, special treatment is carried out on exposed parts of the body (see Degassing, Sanitation) and uniforms using degassers of an individual anti-chemical package (see). The victim is put on a working gas mask (regular or special - for injuries to the head and neck), removed from the contaminated atmosphere, and the stomach is washed out (in case of oral injury). 2. Administration of antidotes for chemical agents (see). There are very active antidotes against hydrocyanic acid, OPA, and arsenic agents. 3. Treatment with symptomatic means.
Emergency treatment measures are: special treatment of exposed parts of the body and clothing of the victim (degassing of toxic substances), antidote therapy, gastric lavage in case of oral infection.
When assigning victims for evacuation (see Staged treatment), it is necessary to remember that non-transportable include: a) those affected by organophosphorus agents in severe form, b) those in a life-threatening condition, c) those affected by pulmonary edema. See also Medical assistance (in military field conditions), Civil Defense Medical Service, Sanitary and chemical protection.
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 destroying materiel. 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 of gas warfare he would 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 chemical 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, and South Sudan did not recognize it. It also did not enter into legal force in Israel and Myanmar.