In the process of evolution, man has always had to prove his right to exist. His enemies were difficult living conditions, large predators and, worst of all, other intelligent creatures. To withstand the cold and heat, a man learned to build homes and sew clothes, and to overcome predators and intelligent enemies - he improved the ability to kill. Arrows with poisoned tips can be considered the first attempt to use organic poisonous substances. But this was not enough for humanity; it pondered how to hit the maximum number of enemies, and invented nerve gas.
What it is?
Nerve gases - a group of chemical warfare agents, which includes organophosphorus compounds (organophosphates, FOS and FOV). The substance is extremely toxic. Potentially planned to use it as a weapon of mass destruction. However, the experience of using chemical poisons during the First World War as a weapon caused a storm of protests in society. Although the development of that time was less dangerous than modern nerve gas. The Germans used chlorine for the first time as a poisonous substance. During World War II, work was carried out on the production of sarin gas. The dangerous development was postponed, but they did not completely abandon it.
Some facts from history
The first officially recorded chemical attack took place in 1915 (April). But history has known attempts at mass gas poisoning before. This was mentioned in the ancient annals of China and records of the Middle Ages.
Organophosphorus compounds were obtained in 1846 by the French chemist Louis-Jacques Tenard. In 1934, the German chemist Gerhard Schradar, trying to develop an effective insecticide, used organophosphorus substances to block the nervous system of insects. In 1936, in the process of experiments, he received nerve gas - a herd. In 1937, a scientist accidentally was exposed to a drop of his substance and found that it was toxic to humans. After that he was forced to report on the opening to the Ministry of Defense.
In 1938, Schrader, with a group of assistants, synthesized sarin nerve gas. Its indicators exceeded the effect of the herd by 10 times. In 1944, German R. Kuhn synthesized an even more toxic gas - soman. A little later, the most dangerous compound was developed - cyclosarin.
Fascist Germany either did not dare or did not have time to apply chemical developments. But experiments on prisoners of concentration camps were carried out and described.
Gas sarin. Features of exposure to the human body
The nervous system is designed so that its cells are separated from each other by a microscopically small distance. But even this smallness is enough to interrupt nerve impulses, the transmission of which is done by mediators that cross the distance and spread nervous excitation to neighboring cells and fibers. The most important in this process is acetylcholine. It overcomes the distance and causes contraction of muscle cells, after which it is destroyed by apetilcholinesterase.
The action of nerve gas is based on a violation of the process of splitting acetylcholine. Muscle cells continue to contract, nerve cells remain agitated, nausea, cramps, and death-causing paralysis occur.
Nerve gas is colorless and odorless. Oddly enough, but in the natural state of aggregation it is a liquid. Zarin, like soman and herd, is heavier than water, it is well soluble by lipids and organic solvents, boils at a temperature of 150 ° C (next-generation gases at 300 ° C). This whole group of toxic substances is extremely toxic, persistent, difficult to determine and difficult to recognize the exact type.
Nerve gas spray can
Gas cartridges are an affordable means of self-defense. However, nerve gas in the cans is not sold, because it is too dangerous. Even in very small doses, it can cause damage over a large area. Gas cartridges are filled with irritating pepper or tear irritants. These substances do not kill, but cause burning, lacrimation, coughing and vision problems. All these manifestations are temporary.
Despite the fact that nerve gases are a direct threat to humanity, they continue to be studied, synthesized and illegally used. So, in 1988, Saddam Hussein attacked the city of Halabaj, dropping air bombs with sarin and herd. Killed more than 15 thousand people of the civilian population.
In 1995, an act of terrorism involving sarin was committed in Tokyo. The gas was not in aerosol form; it was spilled in subway cars. Then 13 people died, but there were about 10 thousand cases of severe poisoning.
Giving help
Nerve gases are classified as chemical weapons of mass destruction. Affected individuals in this case require urgent medical attention. What you need to know to help a person affected by toxic substances contained in a gas mixture of nerve agent?
First Aid Procedure:
- To prevent further damage to the respiratory system, the victim needs to wear a gas mask.
- The introduction of an antidote, which alleviates the condition of the victim. This manipulation must be done as quickly as possible. For injection, use a syringe tube filled with a special medicine. The drug is administered intramuscularly. The syringe should be fixed on the victim’s clothing so that other carers know that the person has already been given an antidote.
- There is a specific fluid in the anti-chemical bag. It must be used as a sanitization of exposed parts of the skin.
- Urgently, the victim should be evacuated from the affected area. At the same time, the condition of the victim should be monitored and, if it worsens, re-enter the antidote to prevent the occurrence of seizures.
- With aerosol spraying, clothing also becomes contaminated. As soon as a person was taken out of the affected area, it is urgently necessary to replace her. Vapors of the substance remaining on clothing can affect the skin and respiratory system.
- The victim may need artificial respiration if gases such as carbon monoxide or sarin were used against him.