Q. What are chemical war fare agents (Chemical weapons)? How they are harmful to human health and environment? (43 BPSC/2001)

Q. What are chemical war fare agents (Chemical weapons)? How they are harmful to human health and environment? (43 BPSC/2001)

Ans: Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) comprise a diverse group of extremely hazardous materials. These are chemical substance whose toxic properties are used to kill, injure or incapacitate human beings. As potential weapons of mass destruction, CWAs are capable of causing a catastrophic medical disaster that could overwhelm any healthcare system.About 70 different chemicals have been used or stockpiled as chemical weapon agents during the 20th century. These agents may be in liquid, gas or solid form.
Types:

• Non-lethal:
  • Harassing agents:
    • These are substances that are not intended to kill or injure. They are often referred to as Riot Control Agents (RCAs).
    • Tear agents: These sensory irritants produce immediate pain to the eyes and irritate mucous membranes. e.g. Benzyl chloride, Benzyl bromide
    • Vomiting agents: These sensory irritants are also termed sternators or nose irritants. They irritate the mucous membranes to produce congestion, coughing, sneezing etc.
    • Malodorants: These are compounds with a very strong and unpleasant smell.
  • Incapacitating agents:
    • produce debilitating effects with limited probability of permanent injury or loss of life.
• Lethal agents:
  • producing chemical casualties without regard to long-term consequences or loss of life. e.g.
  • Blister agents: These are chemical compound that irritates and causes injury to the skin.
    • Nitrogen mustards,
    • Sulfur mustards,
  • Blood agents ( metabolic poisons),
  • Choking agents (lung irritants and cause injury to the lung-blood barrier resulting in Asphyxia).
  • Nerve agents: Disrupt the chemical communications through the nervous system. The eventual exhaustion of muscles leads to respiratory failure and death.
    • e.g. ‘Sarin gas,’ ‘Mustard gas
• The most dangerous of these are nerve agents (GA, GB, GD, and VX) and vesicant (blister) agents.

Harmful to human:

• Depending upon which compound we are using it results in burning the eyes, mucous membranes, respiratory tract, and skin, causing the formation of blisters. When absorbed through the lung, gut, or skin, they cause vomiting and diarrhea.
• Severe intoxication is manifested by salivation, involuntary defecation and urination, sweating, collapse, convulsions, and death.
• accidental release of chemical agents, which could endanger either the personnel, the civilian population or the environment.

Harmful to environment:

• nerve gases have very high potency to contaminate water as small quantities can produce toxic symptoms from ingestion.
• Fishes and other organism gets easily affected by such chemical compounds.
• Sarin is known to cause death in freshwater fishes which still have adequate amounts to pose a threat to persons upon consumption

The OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) looks into the issues related to use of chemical war fare agents ans investigates if such chemical has been used.