Biological and Chemical Weapons

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Biological and Chemical Weapons
Ethics in Technology

• By
• Chee Seng Goh
• Darrell Lee Niemann
• Xuan Noël
• May 20th, 2002

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Definitions

• Chemical weapons are synthesized chemical
  substances adapted for military use and are
  intended to cause diseases or death in human,
  animal or plant life
• Biological or germ weapons are natural or
  cultivated living organisms that are adapted to
  incapacitate, kill, or otherwise impede an
  adversary
• Source The Monterey Institute of International
  Studies

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History of Chemical/Biological Development

• Ancient times
• As far back as 4th BC, enemies wells and rivers
  were polluted, sulfur based gases were blown into
  besieged cities.
• Middle Ages and Renaissance
• Use of sleep-inducing fumes, blinding quicklime,
  Arsenic, Curare, batrachotoxin from frogs, etc
• Plague or smallpox infected corpses were known to
  be catapulted into besieged cities
• 18th and 19th century
• Manufacture of more sophisticated devices in the
  18th century based on arsenic, lead, verdigris,
  euphoria, etc (Cited by the German military
  author Fleming in 1726).
• Smallpox and plague were used as biological
  weapons during the end of 18th century
• Not much was done during the 19th century, most
  of interest in ballistics and cannons

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History of Chemical/Biological Development

• World wars and in between
• 1915-1916 Chlorine and phosgene gas, dispersed by
  the wind killed 6000 soldiers and injured 2000.
• 1917 10,000 tons of Mustard gas were manufactured
• 1920 Mustard gas used during Russian revolution
• 1930s Germany manufactures Sarin
• Very little chemical weapons used during WWII
  because of a certain equilibrium on both sides.
• Recently
• US used defoliants, and yellow rain
  (trichothecene mycotoxins) in Vietnam.
• During the Afghan war (1979-1983) Soviet Union
  used mustard gas and other very hard to detect
  chemical weapons.
• End of 1970s the Iraqi started to produce
  mustard gas, cyanide and tabun which they used
  during the Iran-Iraq conflict.
• 1990 and the Gulf War, Iraq ranked 3rd on the
  chemical and Biological weapon race with 50,000
  shells and bombs containing mustard gas, sarin
  and cyclohexyl sarin.

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History of Chemical/Biological Development

• Latest incidents
• 1992 in Virginia, a man sprayed his roommate with
  what he claimed to be Anthrax, and caused 20
  people to be hospitalized.
• 1994 in Tokyo, Aum Shinrikyo member attempted to
  release Anthrax from the top of a building.
• 1995 also from the cult Aum Shinrikyo, 5 men
  released Sarin (nerve agent) in the Tokyo subway,
  resulting in 12 dead and 54 injured.
• 2001 23 cases of Anthrax infections in the US

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Different Agents

• How does it work?
• Blister agents Cause blisters on skin and damage
  the respiratory tract, mucous membrane and
  eyes
• Nerve agents Lethal substances that disable
  enzymes responsible for the transmission of
  nerve impulses
• Choking agents Substance that damage respiratory
  tract, causing extensive fluid build-up in the
  lungs.
• Blood agents Interfere with the absorption of
  oxygen into the bloodstream
• Incapacitating agents Rapidly produce temporary
  disabling effects
• Source CIA Chemical and Biological Threat

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What is Anthrax?

• Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused
  by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus
  anthracis.
• A tough protective coat allows the bacteria to
  survive for decades as spores.

Anthrax under amicroscope Courtesy Center for
Disease Control  
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Anthrax Danger

• highly lethal
• one of the easiest biological agents to
  manufacture
• relatively easy to develop as a weapon
• easily spread in the air over a large area
• easily stored and dangerous for a long period

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Anthrax

• Anthrax infection can occur in three forms
• cutaneous (skin),
• inhalation
• gastrointestinal

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Cutaneous (skin) Anthrax

• - direct skin contact with spores in nature,
  contact with infected animals or animal products
  (occupational exposure)

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Inhalation and Gatrointestinal Anthrax

• - inhalation of
• aerosolized spores
• - consumption of
• undercooked or raw meat products or dairy
  products from infected animals.

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Anthrax Threat (I)effective as a biological
weapon

• almost always DEADLY if not treated early.
• spores can be produced in large quantities using
  basic knowledge of biology.
• spores can be stored for decades without losing
  potency.
• spores can be easily spread in the air by
  missiles, rockets, artillery, aerial bombs
  sprayers.

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Anthrax Threat (II)no indication of exposure

• There is no cloud or color.
• There is no smell.
• There is no taste.
• There is no indication of an attack when
  dispersed by aerosol spray.

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Anthrax Threat (III)potential adversaries known

• At least 7 of our potential adversaries have
  worked to develop an offensive biological warfare
  capability using anthrax.
• Iraq has admitted to producing and weaponizing
  anthrax.
• The Former Soviet Union produced hundreds of tons
  of weapons-grade anthrax spores.

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Making Anthrax
In its natural state, anthrax has a low rate of
infection among people, Experts say it takes a
sophisticated lab and advanced skills to turn the
natural anthrax spores into an aerosol that can
cause death from lung infection.
When released into the air, a high concentration
of spores can be drawn deep into the lungs. The
spores return to their bacterial state and a
rapidly developing anthrax infection releases
deadly toxins.
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Anthrax Challenges

• 1. CDC is expanding epidemiologic and diagnostic
  laboratory capacities and technologies.
• -includes local and state health department
  training.
• 2. Filling up gaps in our understanding of the
  immunology of anthrax and protection against
  anthrax via vaccination.
• 3. post-exposure prophylaxis against anthrax
  requires further investigation.

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Ethical Question

• Is it justifiable to use Chemical and Biological
  weapons?

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Pros and Cons of chem/bio weapons

• Pros
• Very fast acting
• Relatively cheap compared to other weapons
• Keep infrastructure intact
• Cons
• Hard to control the chemical/viral or bacterial
  expansion
• Mass destruction/intimidation
• Inhumane way of dying
• May affect future generation
• May affect the environment

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Professional

• Defense Industry provides research funding
• Regulation of usage

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Legal Issues

• As many as 21 nations, including several the U.S.
  State Department have developed lethal biological
  agents as weapons of war.
• June 2001 51 states are known to possess Some
  chemical or biological weapon
• Most recent Treaties
• 143 countries signed the Biological Weapons
  convention in 1972 banning the production,
  possession and deployment of such agents
• The Chemical and Biological Weapons
  Nonproliferation Project. 1993
• Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act
  1997
• Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention 1999

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Stakeholders

• Government
• Perpetrators
• Victims
• Scientists who develop bio-chem. Technology
• The environment
• Pretty much everybody and everything

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Possible Action

• Action 1 Governments allow the use of chemical
  and biological weapons
• Action 2 Governments ban the use and development
  of any form of chemical or biological
  weapons
• Action 3 Some limited research and development
  is allowed on certain substance Closely
  monitored
• Action 4 Peace Love

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Action 1

• Action 1 Governments allow the use of chemical
  and biological weapons
• Consequences Chemical and biological weapons
  would be used everywhere. Posing a threat to
• both population and environment
• Fairness Not fair to the governments who do not
  participate in the bio/chem warfare, and to the
  population (civilian) as a whole.
• Virtue Least virtuous

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Action 2

• Action 2 Governments ban the use and development
  of any form of chemical or biological
  weapons
• Consequences Hard to implement the total ban on
  such weaponry. Terrorist organization will still
  be able to acquire those weapons.
• Fairness If implementable, it would be fair to
  everyone however, we dont live in an ideal
  world.
• Virtue Virtous

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Action 3

• Action 3 Some limited research and development
  is allowed on certain substance Closely
  monitored
• Consequences Non lethal chem/bio might be
  developed such as riot agent. Most humane to
  implement.
• Fairness Every country has the right to decide
  on their way to use the technology
• Virtue Most realistically virtuous

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Action 4 The Ideal World

• Action 4 Peace Love. Conflicted countries
  put their weapons and sit around a table to
  diplomatically solve their differences
• Consequences In an ideal world, this might work.
  
• The world will be a better place
• Fairness Ideally fair
• Virtue Most ideally virtuous

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Ethical Analysis

• According to Utilitarianism, the greatest balance
  occurs when there is respect for all parties.
• Individuals have the right to life
• Fairness needs to exist for all stakeholders
• According to The Categorical Imperative, we
  shouldnt use on others what is undesirable used
  on us.

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Our Conclusion

• Action 3 Some limited research and development
  is allowed on certain substance Closely
  monitored
• Consequences Non lethal chem/bio might be
  developed such as riot agent. Most humane to
  implement.
• Fairness Every country has the right to decide
  on their way to use the technology
• Virtue Most realistically virtuous

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Resources

• Anthrax breakouthttp//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/fro
  ntline/shows/plague/sverdlovsk/
• Bioterrorhttp//www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bioterror/a
  gents.html
• Different Chemical and Biological agents
• http//www.stimson.org/cbw
• http//www.emedecine.com/emerg/topic853.htm
• http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/pla
  gue/sverdlovsk/
• Germs warfare
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/n
  ewsid_146000/1456414.stm
• http//cns.miis.edu/research/cbw/
• Chronology of Aum Shinrikyos Cemical and
  Biological War
• http//www.cesnur.org/testi/aum1.htm
• http//cns.miis.edu/pubs/reports/pdfs/aum_chrn.pd
  f
• History of Chem and Bio warfare
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/n
  ewsid_1456000/1456414.stm
• http//www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic853.htm
• http//www.ipsn.fr/saci/eng/CHIMIE/info/INFO_IMG/
  33800.htm

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