January 8, 2002

Dr. Steven I. Baskin

The use of chemicals as threat agents are referred to since antiquity. Cyanide found in the cherry laurel extract, for example in was utilized by Nero, the Roman emperor, to dispatch his enemies and those who he regarded as an impediment to his rule. There are ancient Chinese records who noted the use of a powder containing aconitine prepared from a plant and placed on the bed clothing that caused serious cardiac arrhythmias and death during sleeping. Members of the Borghia family have a noted place in history for dispensing of poisons and potions. Thus, it should come to no surprise that modern technology has developed a series of poisons that act to affect critical systems is the organism to be toxic.

This particular talk will discuss some of them. For example, the organophosphonates that are highly toxic to humans which unlike the their relatives, the insecticides, organophosphates were designed to be toxic primarily to insects. Because these agents differentially inhibit the cholinesterases and exhibit clinical toxicology of the cholinergic system by preventing the hydrolysis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, and thus increasing it, they are frequently referred to as “nerve agents”. Some of the prominent military nerve agents followed by their military codes are: tabun (GA), sarin (GB), soman (GD), cyclosarin (GF) and VX. They exhibit differing toxicities, vapor pressures, time of duration and stability. The physical chemical properties, toxicology, ADME and antagonists will be discussed as well as pretreatments and antidotes against these chemical terrorism agents. There are a range of different techniques for the analysis of these chemical threat agents. Some techniques could allow for the small laboratory to test for these toxic substances.