Schrader: The Use Of Nerve Agents
The Germen chemist Dr. Gerhard Schrader was given a task to develop a pesticide. In just two years tabun was born, it had extremely high toxicity and was the first of the substances later referred to as nerve agents. A factory was built and produced during the years of 1942-1945 12,000 tons of the chemical warfare agent tabun was made; in which the allies took large quantities of tabun at the end of the war. Even though Hitler and his army were losing the war, Schrader and his co-workers synthesized about 2,000 new compounds up until the end of the war, including sarin in 1938, manufacturing never started properly and up to 1945 only 0.5 tons of sarin was produced and in 1944 soman made its introduction. After the war immediate research
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was in full swing on the studies of the mechanisms of the nerve agents in order to discover more effective forms of protection against these new chemical warfare agents. The results were phenomenal it not only led to better forms of protection but also to new types of agents closely related to the earlier ones. ("Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons," n.d.)
Physical and Chemical Properties
Nerve agents have had an entirely dominant role since the Second World War, their among the lethal chemical warfare agents.
Nerve agents got there name because they affect the transmission of nerve impulses in the nervous system. All of the nerve agents are chemically made, they are stable and are easily dispersed, highly toxic and have rapid effects when absorbed through the skin and via respiration. Nerve agents can be manufactured by fairly simple chemical techniques; raw materials are inexpensive and are readily available generally. The nerve agents GA tabun, GB sarin, and GD soman are manufactured compounds; they are clear, colorless, tasteless liquids miscible in water and most organic solvents. GA has a slight fruity odor, GB is odorless and is the most volatile nerve agent, and GD has a slight camphor-like odor. Nerve agents have been used in wars and by terrorists, they were originally produced in search for insecticides, but because of their toxicity, they were evaluated for military use. They are known to be stored by several countries, including the United States. Tabun is the easiest to manufacture and developing countries start their chemical warfare arsenal with this nerve agents whereas industrialized countries consider tabun to be out of date and of limited use. Sarin on the other hand is a volatile substance mainly taken up through inhalation and the Syrian government has used this agent on its own people killing thousands. Soman is a moderate volatile …show more content…
substance which can be taken up by inhalation or skin contact. ("Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons," n.d.)
Symptoms When exposed to a low dose of nerve agent, which causes minor balance, the symptoms are characterized by increased creation of saliva, a runny nose, and a feeling of pressure on the chest.
The pupil of the eye becomes contracted which impairs night vision, and the accommodation capacity of the eye is also reduced therefore short range vision worsens and the victim is pained when he/she tries to focus on an object. This is accompanied by headache, more unspecific symptoms are tiredness, slurred speech, hallucinations and nausea. Exposures to a higher dose leads to a more substantial development and the symptoms are more noticeable. Bronchoconstriction and secretion of mucous in the respiratory system leads to difficulty in breathing and to coughing, discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract may develop into cramps, vomiting, involuntary discharge of urine and defecation may also occur. Discharge of saliva is powerful and the victim may experience running eyes and sweating. Symptoms from the skeletal muscles are more typical if the poisoning is moderate, may develop muscular weakness or tremors, muscular symptoms are more pronounced, may suffer convulsions and lose consciousness. The poisoning process maybe so rapid that earlier mentioned symptoms may never have time to develop. ("Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,"
n.d.)
Antidotes and Methods of Treatment If medical methods of treatment are to serve any purpose, they must be introduced immediately. The armed forces, in many countries have access to an auto-injector containing antidotes to nerve agents. It is so simple to use that person can inject him/herself or another person without any difficulty. Tabun is most effective with obidoxime but also HI-6 has a positive effect, sarin is the easiest to treat and when used increased the chances of surviving, and soman causes the most difficulty in treating; it can only use HI-6 for treatment. ("Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons," n.d.)
Conclusion
Looking back Dr. Schrader stumbled across nerve agents that have been since more developed and are still very deadly to this day; chemical warfare is a serious matter and there are countries just waiting their time until they release them.
References
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.opcw.org
was in full swing on the studies of the mechanisms of the nerve agents in order to discover more effective forms of protection against these new chemical warfare agents. The results were phenomenal it not only led to better forms of protection but also to new types of agents closely related to the earlier ones. ("Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons," n.d.)
Physical and Chemical Properties
Nerve agents have had an entirely dominant role since the Second World War, their among the lethal chemical warfare agents.
Nerve agents got there name because they affect the transmission of nerve impulses in the nervous system. All of the nerve agents are chemically made, they are stable and are easily dispersed, highly toxic and have rapid effects when absorbed through the skin and via respiration. Nerve agents can be manufactured by fairly simple chemical techniques; raw materials are inexpensive and are readily available generally. The nerve agents GA tabun, GB sarin, and GD soman are manufactured compounds; they are clear, colorless, tasteless liquids miscible in water and most organic solvents. GA has a slight fruity odor, GB is odorless and is the most volatile nerve agent, and GD has a slight camphor-like odor. Nerve agents have been used in wars and by terrorists, they were originally produced in search for insecticides, but because of their toxicity, they were evaluated for military use. They are known to be stored by several countries, including the United States. Tabun is the easiest to manufacture and developing countries start their chemical warfare arsenal with this nerve agents whereas industrialized countries consider tabun to be out of date and of limited use. Sarin on the other hand is a volatile substance mainly taken up through inhalation and the Syrian government has used this agent on its own people killing thousands. Soman is a moderate volatile …show more content…
substance which can be taken up by inhalation or skin contact. ("Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons," n.d.)
Symptoms When exposed to a low dose of nerve agent, which causes minor balance, the symptoms are characterized by increased creation of saliva, a runny nose, and a feeling of pressure on the chest.
The pupil of the eye becomes contracted which impairs night vision, and the accommodation capacity of the eye is also reduced therefore short range vision worsens and the victim is pained when he/she tries to focus on an object. This is accompanied by headache, more unspecific symptoms are tiredness, slurred speech, hallucinations and nausea. Exposures to a higher dose leads to a more substantial development and the symptoms are more noticeable. Bronchoconstriction and secretion of mucous in the respiratory system leads to difficulty in breathing and to coughing, discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract may develop into cramps, vomiting, involuntary discharge of urine and defecation may also occur. Discharge of saliva is powerful and the victim may experience running eyes and sweating. Symptoms from the skeletal muscles are more typical if the poisoning is moderate, may develop muscular weakness or tremors, muscular symptoms are more pronounced, may suffer convulsions and lose consciousness. The poisoning process maybe so rapid that earlier mentioned symptoms may never have time to develop. ("Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,"
n.d.)
Antidotes and Methods of Treatment If medical methods of treatment are to serve any purpose, they must be introduced immediately. The armed forces, in many countries have access to an auto-injector containing antidotes to nerve agents. It is so simple to use that person can inject him/herself or another person without any difficulty. Tabun is most effective with obidoxime but also HI-6 has a positive effect, sarin is the easiest to treat and when used increased the chances of surviving, and soman causes the most difficulty in treating; it can only use HI-6 for treatment. ("Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons," n.d.)
Conclusion
Looking back Dr. Schrader stumbled across nerve agents that have been since more developed and are still very deadly to this day; chemical warfare is a serious matter and there are countries just waiting their time until they release them.
References
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.opcw.org