Today, many experts are firmly convinced that a large-scale war using modern weapons is simply impossible. Just as they were sure before the First World War. And before the Second World War. Therefore, someone will consider the preparation for such a cataclysm no more than paranoia. And others are purchasing personal protective equipment against weapons of mass destruction and are studying the design of a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Well, everyone chooses his own path and his priorities. But still, to know something about modern weapons of mass destruction and methods of protection will be useful to any sane person.
Chemical weapon
One of the most famous and terrible types of weapons over the past century remains a chemical. It was first widely used during the First World War. And since then it has been constantly improving, becoming more deadly and long acting. These are really terrible weapons of mass destruction of the population and the army, as well as all living things that find themselves in the infected territory.
Spraying can be carried out in various ways. There are special aircraft bombs filled with a poisonous substance (or OM), as well as mines, gas guns, artillery shells, drafts and much more. Something can only be applied on the battlefield. And something - to destroy the civilian population in cities.
More than once, chemical weapons were prohibited by international conventions - the Hague, Geneva and others. However, it still exists and is waiting in the wings.
Toxic substances act in different ways. For example, soman and sarin affect the human nervous system, leading to paralysis. Lewisite and mustard gas are an OM of a cutaneous action. That is, ulcers appear on the skin, causing excruciating pain. Phosgene and diphosgene affect the lungs, as a result of which a person simply cannot breathe and dies within minutes after poisoning. Chloro cyan and hydrocyanic acid are poisonous substances of a general toxic effect - a person who receives a dose of gas simply dies due to the fact that oxygen no longer enters the body’s tissues.
In most cases, the most reliable way to protect yourself is to use a gas mask. However, the agents of the skin-abscess action directly affect the skin - they do not have to get into the lungs or eyes of a person. Therefore, additional equipment is also used for protection - we will talk about it a little later.
Nuclear weapon
Well, if we talk about the most terrible weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons, of course, comes first. This is by no means accidental - nuclear missiles are indeed a terrible military tool that allows you to wipe entire cities together with the population from the face of the earth in a matter of minutes. Many science fiction films and books (mainly of the post-apocalyptic genre) are devoted to the consequences of the massive use of nuclear weapons. And the example of Hiroshima and Nagasaki very well demonstrates the power of weapons. But these were the very first samples of nuclear bombs! Over the next three quarters of a century, they were significantly modified.
Now let's see what weapons of mass destruction happen. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is ordinary rockets - powerful, scary and practically not knocked down, they can independently fly to any point on the Earth in a matter of minutes. They are launched from mines, from special ground carriers (trains and vehicles), airplanes, surface ships and submarines. There are also nuclear bombs - usually they are equipped with heavy strategic bombers. Finally, we must not forget about knapsack bombs. They are very small in size - can be packed in a large suitcase. Of course, their power is relatively low, but they can completely destroy everything around hundreds of meters. And when used in a limited space from them there is practically no salvation.
For a more complete picture, we should study the main factors of weapons of mass destruction.
About half of the energy released as a result of a nuclear reaction goes to create a shock wave. This is really a terrible force that can demolish houses, bridges, dams and any other buildings, like a house of cards. The radius of damage varies significantly - from several hundred meters to many kilometers. First of all, it depends on the power of the charge.
About a third of the energy is spent on light radiation. Also a terrible phenomenon - a person who is far enough from the epicenter and thanks to this has survived after the shock wave, may well go blind and get terrible burns because of this. It is no coincidence that many from school remember the quote: "take refuge in the folds of the terrain." Often this helps to survive and maintain health.
Another fifteen percent is spent on environmental contamination. It's no secret that after a nuclear explosion, the entire area around it, as well as the dust raised by the explosion, are infected with deadly radiation. Gusts of wind may well carry a cloud of dust for tens of kilometers, destroying people at a great distance from the epicenter of the explosion.
Finally, the rest of the energy is electromagnetic radiation. A side factor that destroys any complex electronics that are not protected by special screening equipment. However, an ordinary metal box can be used here.
That is, the last damaging factor for a person is not dangerous - he will not even notice his impact. Alas, no personal protective equipment against weapons of mass destruction will help from shock waves and light radiation. The only salvation may be a special bunker or at least a well-fortified basement.
But it is precisely against environmental contamination - primarily radioactive dust - that most personal protective equipment is intended. Now that the reader knows enough about the main weapons and weapons of mass destruction, we move on to the next point.
What remedies are used?
When crossing contaminated areas, it is most important to protect a person from radioactive dust. However, if we talk about chemical weapons, the situation is pretty close.
The most dangerous is the ingress of dust (or gas) into the respiratory tract. Therefore, it is most important to protect just the nose and mouth. For this, gas masks and respirators are used.
However, even settling on the skin (especially on the face and other delicate areas), radiation and toxic substances can also cause great harm to health - even death. Therefore, special protection is used to prevent this. Most often we are talking about the OZK - a combined-arms military kit. We will talk about its composition a little later. It is important that it is made of rubber. Dust easily settles on such a surface, but subsequently can also be easily washed off during a decontamination shower. A person is simply doused with water, washing away the dust from him and significantly (or completely - from poisonous substances) reducing the level of harm caused to him by weapons of mass destruction. Of course, even if a person came under the influence of weapons and weapons of mass destruction without protection and at the same time survived, a decontamination shower can also help. But only in some cases, when he was extremely briefly exposed to such an impact.
Now we will tell in more detail about different personal protective equipment against weapons of mass destruction.
The main types of filtering gas masks
Gas mask is a simple but reliable means to protect the respiratory tract. It also protects the entire face and eyes - this is very important when exposed to certain toxic substances. It is used almost as long as chemical weapons - during the First World War, many soldiers were equipped with them.
In the Soviet Union, in almost every locality there were vast reserves of gas masks, which were to be issued to the population in a critical situation. These were mainly GP-5. Not too comfortable, completely unsuitable for running, but reliable and easy to use. Alas, today the authorities of our country have abandoned this practice of ensuring the safety of the population. Apparently, other methods of protecting the population from weapons of mass destruction are used, unknown to the broad masses.
Specialists today use other types of filtering gas masks - GP-7 created on the basis of the military PMK-2. The filters are located on the side and are greatly facilitated. This makes their use significantly more comfortable.
The main property of filtering gas masks is the purification of air from the environment by passing through special filters. Most of the toxic substances, as well as radioactive dust, settle on the cleaning granules, allowing you to breathe more or less clean air.
A bit about insulating gas masks
If we talk about especially reliable means of protection against weapons of mass destruction, then it is worth saying about insulating gas masks.
With a general similarity with filtering, they have a different principle of action. Instead of purifying the air from the environment, they create it. The filter (more precisely, in this case, a regenerative cartridge), when interacting with carbon dioxide and moisture emitted by humans, triggers a reaction. In this case, carbon dioxide decomposes and oxygen is released, which the user of the insulating gas mask can breathe. Thanks to this, a person is completely cut off from the environment and may not be afraid of exposure to radiation and even the most dangerous toxic substances.
The most common are insulating gas masks IP-4 and IP-5. They were developed back in the USSR and were used not only by the military and rescuers, but also by specialists in underwater operations. Why take a massive and heavy scuba gear with you when you can take a light and compact regenerative cartridge that turns carbon dioxide into oxygen? The duration of the standard cartridge varies from 75 to 200 minutes, depending on the intensity of the loads.
Respirators
Speaking about the methods of protection against weapons of mass destruction and specifically about the protection of the respiratory system, it is worth talking about respirators.
There are different types that vary significantly in effectiveness. Some are produced in the factory, have reliable filters and valves, significantly increasing the reliability of protection. Others have a simpler device and are generally not designed to protect the respiratory system from poisons and radiation - only from industrial dust. Accordingly, the former can be used in hazardous industries, and in case of emergency, in areas affected by weapons of mass destruction. The latter are suitable only for use in peaceful conditions - at a construction site, during the repair of enclosed spaces, and so on.
Yes, such respirators do not help from toxic substances. But when moving around a place infected with radiation, a good solution would be any dense rag wrapped around the face - this will reduce the amount of poisonous dust entering the lungs. Therefore, any respirator can save a person’s life.
The main difference from gas masks is that respirators protect only the respiratory system, allowing you to breathe relatively clean air. In general, the scalp, face and, most importantly, the eyes remain unprotected.
What is included in the OZK
Now back, as promised, to the OZK - the combined-arms protective kit. It provides comprehensive protection against toxic substances and radioactive dust.
It consists of several items. First of all, it's a raincoat. It is made of rubberized fabric - the inner shell is white, but the outer one is gray or light green. It has a hood, due to which it covers a person from head to toe. It does not let water and even air through, which protects it from dust and toxic substances. In the winter season, it turns inside out, thanks to which it can be used as a kind of camouflage dressing gown. It weighs about 1600 grams. It is available in five sizes - for users with different growth heights.
Also included are protective stockings - colloquially chuni. A pair weighs from 800 to 1200 grams. There are three sizes, which allows you to pull over any shoe, including army boots and felt boots. Three straps allow you to tightly fit the stockings on the leg, and then fastens to the belt.
Finally, rubber protective gloves - summer and winter. A pair weighs 350 grams. Winter two-fingered (in the old configuration - three-fingered, with special warm inserts. Summer five-fingered.
Also, OZK is necessarily equipped with a gas mask.
With proper use, the kit can significantly reduce the harmful effects on the human body when staying on poisoned OM or radiation area.
Individual first aid kit
Speaking of personal protective equipment against weapons of mass destruction, one cannot but say about the special AI-4 first-aid kit. It was replaced in 2012 with more modern sets of individual medical civil protection, but still many orange boxes that are well known to many have been preserved in warehouses. Compact, well thought out, easy to use and effective, it can very well save the life of the owner when used correctly. In addition to other drugs, it contains those designed specifically for cases when a person is exposed to toxic substances and radiation.
For example, in a yellow-green tube contains Acezole - a medicine that reduces carbon monoxide poisoning and toxic substances.
Raspberry and white cases contain B-190 and potassium iodide, respectively. The first is taken before it enters the zone infected with radiation, and the second after exposure.
How dangerous modern nuclear weapons are
It’s stupid to argue - nuclear weapons are the most terrible of human created. However, modern rockets and bombs are much less dangerous than those created half a century ago. Because they are "clean" - the level of radiation that rolls over at the epicenter and is capable of killing a person in a matter of minutes is rapidly decreasing. After two or three days, you can stay here for several hours without much harm to yourself. And after a week or two it is quite possible to leave the shelter in order to leave the area infected with radiation - the level is reduced to almost safe, but still hardly anyone wants to stay here longer than circumstances require.
Numerous trials have repeatedly proven this. About such a feature is worth knowing to everyone who is interested in modern weapons of mass destruction.
Conclusion
On this our article comes to an end. Now you know enough about weapons of mass destruction - both nuclear and chemical. And at the same time we learned about various ways to protect against it. It is possible that one day this knowledge will save lives - yours and your loved ones.