CHEMICAL WARFARE

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CHEMICAL WARFARE

• KEN JORDAN 02

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WHAT IS IT??

• Chemical Warfare is the use of chemical compounds
  to kill or injure an enemy

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THERE ARE 3 MAIN CHEMICAL AGENTS USED

• Surface Agents
• Nerve Agents
• Herbicides

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SOME SURFACE AGENTS
Phosgene Gas Choking Agent--Causes Lungs to fill with Water
Chlorine Gas Destroys Cells that Line Respiratory Tract
Mustard Gas Causes Blisters on all surfaces, leads to respiratory failure
Hydrogen Cyanide Prevents Oxygen from Reaching Blood, Almond Scent
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Surface Agents are spread through the air and
are transmitted through inhalation
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SOME NERVE AGENTS
All four of these agents disrupt the actions of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine
Sarin
Soman
Tabun
VX
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Nerve Agents are designed to attack through
both inhalation and absorption
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VX

• The deadliest of all nerve agents, VX will kill
  you in less than a minute unless its antidote,
  atropine, is administered directly into the heart.

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HERBICIDES

• Agent Orange
• -Used in Vietnam to clear away jungle
  canopy in order to better expose enemy troops
• -A true chemical weapon? Although not
  targeted at troops, it did leave lasting effects
  on some

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HISTORY

• Chemical weapons were first used in significant
  amounts in World War I.
• German troops released Chlorine Gas on
  unsuspecting French soldiers, choking them and
  causing panic.
• The Germans also used Phosgene Gas and introduced
  Mustard Gas into war in 1917.
• By 1918, all major world powers had employed
  chemical weapons.

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EFFECTS

• In 1925, following World War I, the Geneva
  Protocol was issued, outlawing all use of
  chemical and bacterial agents in warfare.
• The United States did not agree to this until
  1975!

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MODERN USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS

• Italy uses chemical weapons against Ethiopia in
  1930s.
• Egypt uses chemical weapons against Yemen in
  1960s.
• Iraq uses chemical weapons against Iran in
  1980s-1990s.
• Japanese cult releases Sarin gas into subway,
  killing 12, injuring 5500.

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HOW DO THEY AFFECT US TODAY?

• With the recent events of September 11th, the US
  has stepped up chemical research.
• If chemical warfare ensues, our water supplies,
  livestock, and breathable air would be targeted.
• Paranoia, propaganda

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CHEMICAL STRUCTURES




VX
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CHEMICAL VS. BIOLOGICALWHICH POSES A GREATER
THREAT?
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THREAT OF BIOLOGICAL WAR

• Biological weapons can be much more dangerous in
  war
• Ability to spread
• Lack of control
• Debilitating or lethal effects

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IN CONCLUSION

• Terrorists are not as likely to use chemical
  weapons as they are biological
• Chemical weapons must target a particular spot to
  be effective
• Agent Orange shows us that lasting effects can
  occur
• Plants, livestock, and people can be affected