Chemical weapons and possible consequences. Chemical weapon

On April 24, 1915, on a front line near the city of Ypres, French and British soldiers noticed a strange yellow-green cloud that was rapidly moving in their direction. It seemed that nothing foreshadowed trouble, but when this fog reached the first line of trenches, people in it began to fall, cough, suffocate and die.

This day became the official date of the first massive use of chemical weapons. The German army fired 168 tons of chlorine in the direction of enemy trenches on a front six kilometers wide. The poison struck 15 thousand people, of which 5 thousand died almost instantly, and the survivors died later in hospitals or remained disabled for life. After applying gas German troops went on the attack and occupied enemy positions without loss, for there was no one to defend them.

The first use of chemical weapons was considered successful, so it soon became a real nightmare for soldiers. opposing sides. Chemical warfare agents were used by all countries participating in the conflict: chemical weapons became a real "calling card" of the First World War. By the way, the city of Ypres was “lucky” in this regard: two years later, the Germans in the same area used dichlorodiethyl sulfide against the French, a chemical weapon of blistering action, which was called mustard gas.

This small town, like Hiroshima, has become a symbol of one of the gravest crimes against humanity.

On May 31, 1915, chemical weapons were first used against Russian army The Germans used phosgene. The cloud of gas was mistaken for camouflage and more soldiers were sent to the front lines. The consequences of the gas attack were terrible: 9 thousand people died a painful death, even grass died due to the effects of the poison.

History of chemical weapons

The history of chemical warfare agents (CW) goes back hundreds of years. Various chemical compounds were used to poison enemy soldiers or temporarily disable them. Most often, such methods were used during the siege of fortresses, since it is not very convenient to use poisonous substances during a maneuver war.

For example, in the West (including Russia) artillery "stinking" cannonballs were used, which emitted suffocating and poisonous smoke, and the Persians used an ignited mixture of sulfur and crude oil during the storming of cities.

However, of course, it was not necessary to talk about the mass use of toxic substances in the old days. Chemical weapon began to be considered by the generals as one of the means of warfare only after they began to receive poisonous substances in industrial quantities and learned how to store them safely.

It also required certain changes in the psychology of the military: back in the 19th century, poisoning your opponents like rats was considered an ignoble and unworthy deed. The use of sulfur dioxide as a chemical warfare agent by British Admiral Thomas Gokhran was met with indignation by the British military elite.

Already during the First World War, the first methods of protection against poisonous substances appeared. At first, these were various bandages or capes impregnated with various substances, but they usually did not give the desired effect. Then gas masks were invented, in their own way. appearance reminiscent of modern. However, gas masks at first were far from perfect and did not provide the required level of protection. Special gas masks have been developed for horses and even dogs.

The means of delivery of poisonous substances did not stand still. If at the beginning of the war gas was sprayed from cylinders in the direction of the enemy without any fuss, then they began to use artillery shells and mines. New, more deadly types of chemical weapons have emerged.

After the end of the First World War, work in the field of creating poisonous substances did not stop: methods of delivering agents and methods of protection against them improved, new types of chemical weapons appeared. Combat gases were regularly tested, special shelters were built for the population, soldiers and civilians were trained in the use of personal protective equipment.

In 1925, another convention was adopted (the Geneva Pact), which prohibited the use of chemical weapons, but this in no way stopped the generals: they had no doubt that the next big war would be chemical, and they were intensively preparing for it. In the mid-thirties, nerve gases were developed by German chemists, the effects of which are the most deadly.

Despite the lethality and significant psychological effect, today we can confidently say that chemical weapons are a passed stage for humanity. And the point here is not in conventions prohibiting the persecution of their own kind, and not even in public opinion(although it also played a significant role).

The military has practically abandoned poisonous substances, because chemical weapons have more disadvantages than advantages. Let's look at the main ones:

• Strong dependence on weather conditions. At first, poison gases were released from cylinders downwind in the direction of the enemy. However, the wind is changeable, so during the First World War there were frequent cases of defeat of their own troops. The use of artillery ammunition as a method of delivery solves this problem only partially. rain and just high humidity air dissolves and decomposes many toxic substances, and ascending air currents carry them high into the sky. For example, the British built numerous fires in front of their line of defense so that hot air would carry enemy gas upwards.
• Storage insecurity. Conventional ammunition without a fuse detonates extremely rarely, which cannot be said about shells or containers with explosive agents. They can lead to mass casualties, even deep in the rear in a warehouse. In addition, the cost of their storage and disposal is extremely high.
• Protection. Most important reason renunciation of chemical weapons. The first gas masks and bandages were not very effective, but soon they provided quite effective protection against RH. In response, chemists came up with blistering gases, after which a special chemical protection suit was invented. Reliable protection against any weapon appeared in armored vehicles mass destruction including chemical. In short, the use of chemical warfare agents against the modern army is not very effective. That is why in the last fifty years, OV has been more often used against civilians or partisan detachments. In this case, the results of its use were truly horrific.
• Inefficiency. Despite all the horror that war gases caused in soldiers during great war, loss analysis showed that conventional artillery fire was more effective than the firing of munitions with explosive agents. The projectile stuffed with gas was less powerful, therefore it destroyed enemy engineering structures and barriers worse. The surviving fighters quite successfully used them in defense.

Today, the greatest danger is that chemical weapons may fall into the hands of terrorists and be used against civilians. In this case, the victims can be horrifying. A chemical warfare agent is relatively easy to make (unlike a nuclear one), and it is cheap. Therefore, the threats of terrorist groups regarding possible gas attacks should be treated very carefully.

by the most big disadvantage chemical weapons is its unpredictability: where the wind will blow, whether the humidity of the air will change, in which direction the poison will go along with groundwater. Whose DNA will be embedded with a mutagen from a war gas, and whose child will be born a cripple. And these are not theoretical questions at all. American soldiers crippled after the use of their own Agent Orange gas in Vietnam is clear evidence of the unpredictability that chemical weapons bring.

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War is terrible in itself, but it becomes even more terrible when people forget about respect for the enemy and begin to use such means from which it is already impossible to escape. In memory of the victims of the use of chemical weapons, we have prepared for you a selection of six of the most famous such incidents in history.

1. Second Battle of Ypres during WWI

This case can be considered the first in the history of chemical warfare. On April 22, 1915, Germany used chlorine against Russia near the city of Ypres in Belgium. On the front flank of the German positions, 8 km long, cylindrical cylinders of chlorine were installed, from which a huge cloud of chlorine was released in the evening, blown away by the wind towards the Russian troops. The soldiers did not have any means of protection, and as a result of this attack, 15,000 people received severe poisoning, of which 5,000 died. A month later, the Germans repeated the attack on Eastern Front, this time 9000 soldiers were gassed, 1200 died on the battlefield.

These casualties could have been avoided: Allied military intelligence warned of a possible attack and that the enemy had cylinders of unknown purpose. However, the command decided that the cylinders could not conceal any particular danger, and the use of new chemical weapons was impossible.

This incident can hardly be considered a terrorist attack - it nevertheless happened in the war, and there were no casualties among the civilian population. But it was then that chemical weapons showed their terrible effectiveness and began to be widely used - first during this war, and after the end - in peacetime.

Governments had to think about chemical protection means - new types of gas masks appeared, and in response to this - new types of poisonous substances.

2. The use of chemical weapons by Japan in the war with China

The next incident occurred during the Second World War: Japan used chemical weapons many times during the conflict with China. Moreover, the Japanese government, headed by the emperor, considered this method of warfare to be extremely effective: firstly, chemical weapons at a cost no more than ordinary ones, and secondly, they can do without almost no losses in their troops.

By order of the emperor, special units were created to develop new types of poisonous substances. For the first time, chemicals were used by Japan during the bombing of the Chinese city of Woqu - about 1000 bombs were dropped on the ground. Later, the Japanese detonated 2,500 chemical shells during the Battle of Dingxiang. They did not stop there and continued to use chemical weapons until the final defeat in the war. In total, about 50,000 people or more died from chemical poisoning - the victims were both among the military and among the civilian population.

Later, Japanese troops did not dare to use chemical weapons of mass destruction against the advancing US and Soviet forces. Probably because of the not unfounded fear that both of these countries have their own stocks of chemicals, several times greater than the potential of Japan, so the Japanese government rightly feared a retaliatory strike on its territories.

3. US environmental war against Vietnam

The United States took the next step. It is known that in the Vietnam War, the states actively used poisonous substances. The civilian population of Vietnam, of course, had no chance to defend themselves.

During the war, starting in 1963, the United States sprayed 72 million liters of Agent Orange defoliants over Vietnam, which is used to destroy forests where Vietnamese partisans were hiding, as well as directly during the bombing of settlements. Dioxin was present in the used mixtures - a substance that settles in the body and results in diseases of the blood, liver, impaired pregnancy and, as a result, deformities in newborn children. As a result, more than 4.8 million people suffered from a chemical attack in total, and some of them experienced the consequences of forest and soil poisoning after the war was over.

The bombing almost caused an ecological catastrophe - as a result of the action of chemicals, the ancient mangrove forests growing in Vietnam were almost completely destroyed, about 140 species of birds died, the number of fish in poisoned reservoirs sharply decreased, and the one that remained could not be eaten without risk to health. But in in large numbers plague rats bred and infected ticks appeared. In some way, the consequences of the use of defoliants in the country are still being felt - from time to time children are born with obvious genetic abnormalities.

4 Sarin Attack On The Tokyo Subway

Perhaps the most famous terrorist attack in history, unfortunately a success, was carried out by the neo-religious Japanese religious sect Aum Senrikyo. In June 1994, a truck drove through the streets of Matsumoto with a heated evaporator in its back. Sarin, a poisonous substance that enters the human body through the respiratory tract, was applied to the surface of the evaporator and paralyzes nervous system. The evaporation of sarin was accompanied by the release of a whitish fog, and fearing exposure, the terrorists quickly stopped the attack. However, 200 people were poisoned and seven of them died.

The criminals did not limit themselves to this - taking into account previous experience, they decided to repeat the attack indoors. On March 20, 1995, five unidentified people descended into the Tokyo subway carrying packets of sarin. The terrorists pierced their bags in five different subway trains, and the gas quickly spread throughout the subway. A drop of sarin the size of a pinhead is enough to kill an adult, while the perpetrators carried two liter bags each. According to official figures, 5,000 people were seriously poisoned, 12 of them died.

The attack was perfectly planned - cars were waiting for the perpetrators at the exit from the metro in the agreed places. The organizers of the attack, Naoko Kikuchi and Makoto Hirata, were only found and arrested in the spring of 2012. Later, the head of the chemical laboratory of the Aum Senrikyo sect admitted that in two years of work, 30 kg of sarin was synthesized and experiments were carried out with other toxic substances - tabun, soman and phosgene.

5. Terror attacks during the war in Iraq

During the war in Iraq, chemical weapons were used repeatedly, and both sides of the conflict did not disdain them. For example, a chlorine gas bomb exploded in the Iraqi village of Abu Saida on May 16, killing 20 people and injuring 50. Earlier, in March of the same year, terrorists detonated several chlorine bombs in the Sunni province of Anbar, injuring more than 350 people in total. Chlorine is fatal to humans - this gas causes fatal damage. respiratory system, and with a small impact leaves severe burns on the skin.

Even at the very beginning of the war, in 2004, US troops used white phosphorus as a chemical incendiary weapon. When used, one such bomb destroys all living things within a radius of 150 m from the place of impact. The American government at first denied its involvement in what happened, then it was mistaken, and finally, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Barry Winable nevertheless admitted that American troops quite deliberately used phosphorus bombs to storm and fight enemy armed forces. Moreover, the US has stated that incendiary bombs are a perfectly legitimate instrument of warfare, and henceforth the US does not intend to stop using them if the need arises. Unfortunately, when using white phosphorus civilians suffered.

6. Attack in Aleppo, Syria

The militants still use chemical weapons. For example, quite recently, on March 19, 2013, in Syria, where the opposition is now fighting with incumbent president, a rocket filled with chemicals was used. There was an incident in the city of Aleppo, as a result, the center of the city, included in the UNESCO lists, was badly damaged, 16 people died, and another 100 people were poisoned. There are still no reports in the media about what substance was contained in the rocket, however, according to eyewitnesses, when inhaled, the victims experienced suffocation and severe convulsions, which in some cases led to death.

Opposition representatives blame the Syrian government for the incident, which does not admit guilt. Given the fact that Syria is prohibited from developing and using chemical weapons, it was assumed that the UN would take over the investigation, but at present the Syrian government does not give its consent to this.

Chemical weapons - toxic substances, phytotoxicants ( chemical substances that cause damage to plants) and the means of delivering them to the target.

The basis of chemical weapons is toxic substances (S). Poisonous substances are specially synthesized highly toxic chemical compounds intended for mass destruction of unprotected people and animals, contamination of air, terrain, food, feed, water, equipment and other objects. Poisonous substances are classified according to a number of criteria. The most common toxicological classification, according to which all agents are divided into the following groups /4,5,8/:

1. Nerve agents - sarin, soman, VX (Vi-X);
2. NS of blistering action - mustard gas (nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen) and lewisite;
3. General toxic agents - hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride;
4. Suffocating agents - phosgene, diphosgene;
5. Irritant agents - subdivided into irritant, tear and combined irritants, for example, chloracetophenone, adamsite, CS (CS), CR (SI-Ar);
6. OV psychogenic action (psychochemical OV) - substances such as lysergic acid diethylamide (DLK) and derivatives of benzine acid, BZ (Bi-Zet);
7. OV neurotropic action - enterotoxins (batulin type "A" and staphylococcal type "B").

Tactical classification divides OV on a combat basis into three groups:

1. Deadly, which include: nerve agents, skin-abscesses, general poisonous and suffocating agents;
2. Temporarily incapacitating, designed to weaken the combat capability of troops. These substances are also used for educational purposes. This group includes: irritant, tear and combined agents;
3. Disorganizing agents. They are a group of psychogenic poisons.

By the duration of the preservation of the damaging effect OS are divided into persistent and non-persistent. Persistent ones retain their damaging effect for several hours or days after application. Unstable agents are gases or rapidly evaporating liquids, the damaging effect of which lasts only a few tens of seconds after application. The degree and nature of the damage to people by toxic substances depend on their quantity, ways and speed of penetration into the body, as well as the mechanism of toxic action.

The amount of a substance that has entered the body is characterized by: concentration - the amount of OM per unit volume of air, liquid; infection density - the amount of OM per unit area (g / m 2); dose - the amount of OM per unit mass of a person, animal, contaminated food or feed.

According to the clinical picture, three degrees of damage are distinguished: mild, moderate and severe. With the action of very large doses of nerve agents of the nerve-paralytic and general poisonous action, death can occur instantly.

Nerve agents, according to their chemical structure, are organophosphorus substances (OPS) /4,6/.

OV toxicity. Distinctive feature Nerve agents is the ability to easily and quickly penetrate the body through the respiratory system, intact skin and the digestive tract, not only in the droplet liquid, but also in the vapor state.

Mechanism of action Nerve agents, penetrating into the body, inhibit the activity of the cholinesterase enzyme. This explains the intense secretion of the glands, constriction of the pupils, intestinal spasms, Bladder, bronchi, muscle cramps observed in the affected / 8 /.

The clinical picture of the human lesion.

With a mild lesion, mycosis, blurred vision, pain in the eyes and forehead, runny nose with copious liquid secretions, a feeling of tightness in the chest, difficulty exhaling appear. This phenomenon lasts 1-2 days.

Poisoned moderately severe is characterized by a greater severity of symptoms. With inhalation damage, bronchospasm is more pronounced, when it comes into contact with the skin, intense sweating and fibrillation of the muscles in the infected area are noted. Oral poisoning is accompanied by vomiting, severe intestinal spasms, diarrhea, shortness of breath, superficial with wheezing exhalation. The symptom of poisoning disappears no earlier than 4-5 days.

With a severe degree of poisoning, the toxic effect of agents on the central nervous system comes to the fore. The strongest bronchospasm, laryngospasm, twitching of the muscles of the eyelids, face and limbs, a sharp general muscle weakness, tremors develop. Following this, the affected person loses consciousness and has paroxysmal convulsions that continue until the death of the person.

Zone and focus of chemical contamination.

Territories directly affected by enemy chemical weapons, and the territory over which a cloud of contaminated air (CAP) with damaging concentrations has spread, are called the zone of chemical contamination.

The zone of chemical contamination of OM is characterized by the type of substance used, length and depth. The length of the zone is the size of the front of the release of OM from an aircraft or the diameter of the OM spray during a bomb explosion. The depth of the infection zone is the distance from the windward side of the area to that place in the direction of wind movement, where the concentration of OM becomes lower than the damaging one.

The focus of chemical damage (infection) is the territory within which, as a result of the impact of enemy chemical weapons, mass destruction of people, agricultural plants and animals occurred.

Depending on the scale of the use of chemical weapons in the zone of infection, there may be one or more foci of destruction. On the plan or map of the area, the boundaries of the zone of infection and the source of chemical damage are drawn in blue, and the territory of the focus is painted over in yellow. Nearby is written the method of application, the type of OV, the time of strikes (accidents).

Rules of behavior and actions of the population in the focus of chemical damage

Modern toxic substances have extremely high toxicity. Therefore, the timeliness of the actions of the population aimed at preventing the damage to agents will largely depend on the knowledge of the rules of behavior in case of chemical damage.

The appearance of a dark, rapidly settling and dispersing stripe behind a passing aircraft, the formation of a white or slightly colored cloud at the point of rupture aviation bomb give reason to believe that there are toxic substances in the air. In addition, OM drops are clearly visible on asphalt, building walls, plant leaves, and other objects. The presence of toxic substances can also be judged by the way flowers and greens wither under their influence, birds die.

If signs of the use of toxic substances are detected (on a signal "Chemical Alert") it is urgent to put on a gas mask, and, if necessary, skin protection equipment; if there is a shelter nearby, take cover in it. Before entering the shelter, you should remove the used skin protection equipment and outer clothing and leave them in the shelter vestibule; this precaution prevents the OV from entering the shelter. The gas mask is removed after entering the shelter.

When using a shelter (basement, covered gap, etc.), one should not forget that it can serve as protection against droplet-liquid agents getting on the skin and clothing, but does not protect against vapors or aerosols of toxic substances in the air. When staying in such shelters in conditions of external infection, it is imperative to use a gas mask.

You should stay in the shelter (shelter) until you receive an order to leave it. When such an order is received, it is necessary to put on the required personal protective equipment (persons in shelters - gas masks and skin protection, people in shelters and already using gas masks - skin protection) and leave the facility to go outside the lesion .

You need to leave the focus of chemical damage in the directions indicated by special signs or indicated by civil defense (police) posts. If there are no signs or posts, then you should move in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the wind. This will ensure the fastest exit from the lesion, since the depth of the spread of the cloud of contaminated air (it coincides with the direction of the wind) is several times greater than the width of its front.

On the territory contaminated with toxic substances, you must move quickly, but do not run and do not raise dust.

You can not lean against buildings and touch surrounding objects - they can be infected. Do not step on visible drops and smears of agents.

It is forbidden to remove gas masks and other protective equipment in the contaminated area. In cases where it is not known whether the area is infected or not, it is better to act as if it were infected.

Particular care should be taken when moving through the infected area through parks, gardens, vegetable gardens and fields. On the leaves and branches of plants there may be settled drops of OM, when touched they can infect clothes and shoes, which can lead to injury.

If possible, you should avoid driving through ravines and hollows, through meadows and swamps, in these places a long stagnation of vapors of toxic substances is possible.

In cities, OM vapors can stagnate in closed quarters, parks, as well as in the entrances and attics of houses. The infected cloud in the city spreads over the greatest distances through the streets, tunnels, pipelines.

In case of detection after a chemical attack by the enemy or while moving through the contaminated area, drops, smears of toxic substances on the skin, clothes, shoes or personal protective equipment, you must immediately remove them with swabs of gauze or cotton; if there are no such swabs, drops (smears) of OM can be removed with swabs made of paper or rags. Affected areas should be treated with a solution from an anti-chemical bag or by thorough washing warm water with soap.

Having met on the way out of the focus of the lesion the elderly and the disabled, you need to help them go to uncontaminated territory. The injured should be helped.

After leaving the focus of chemical damage, complete sanitization is carried out as soon as possible. If this cannot be done quickly, partial degassing and sanitization are carried out.

CHEMICAL PROTECTION

For the purpose of saving their health and limiting themselves from the harmful effects of the external environment, mankind has come up with a device called a gas mask. The boys get acquainted with its structure and method of application at the lessons of physical education or pre-army training.
A gas mask, a means to protect the respiratory tract, eyes and face skin, can be of three types: filtering, insulating and hose.

A filtering gas mask is designed to protect against a specific gas. Its main task is to filter the surrounding air and rid the latter of poisonous particles. Modern filter P. ( rice. one ) consists of an anti-gas box, a front part (helmet-mask) and a bag. When you inhale, contaminated air enters the box. In an aerosol filter, it is cleaned from aerosols, and in a layer (charge) of activated carbon - from vapors and gases. The air purified in the box enters through a connecting tube under the front part of the P., consisting of a rubber helmet-mask with goggles and a valve box. The P. kit includes anti-fogging agents for spectacle lenses (a special pencil and anti-fogging films). In winter, P. is supplied with insulating cuffs, worn on the spectacle clips of the helmet-mask. Duration of P.'s use can be long; mass P. about 2 kg.

Rice. one.

Filtering gas mask: 1 - gas mask box; 2 - specially treated activated carbon; 3 - aerosol filter; 4 - rubber stopper; 5 - helmet-mask; 6 - points; 7 - valve box; 8 - connecting tube; 9 - gas mask bag; 10 - strap; 11 - braid; 12 - special pencil; 13 - anti-fogging films; 14 - insulating cuff.

When using an insulating gas mask, a person does not breathe air environment generally. In the structure of the protective agent itself, there is a regenerative cartridge that generates oxygen. Such gas masks are more versatile, but less compact.

Rice. 2.

General view of an insulating gas mask with an open bag: 1 - front part; 2 - regenerative cartridge; 3 - breathing bag; 4 - frame; 5 - bag.

Another type of protective agent against gases, which is not afraid of any chemistry, hose gas mask. In it, the supply of oxygen to a person is carried out using special tubes from ten to forty meters long. It is often used when working in mines or underwater.

And also there are children's gas masks various designs

The first gas mask was invented in tsarist Russia. Its author was the domestic scientist Zelinsky Nikolai Dmitrovich. This event happened in the year nineteen fifteen of the last century. Such means of chemical protection began to be actively used in 1916, when they entered service with the Entente army. It is worth noting that the first gas mask was a filter type.
As of the twenty-first century, many models of gas masks have been developed.

USE OF A GAS MASK

A generally accepted order of their dressing was invented. So, equipping with a gas mask begins with closing the eyes and holding the breath. The next steps are to bring the device into working condition and put on the mask. The procedure ends with exhalation and checking the fit of the helmet-mask to the person's head. After that, the location of the spectacle node is checked, which should be at eye level.

SKIN PROTECTION

Structurally, skin protection products are usually made in the form of overalls, semi-overalls, jackets with hoods and trousers. When worn, they provide significant areas of overlap at the articulation points. various elements. The set of protective equipment may include: protective (rubber) boots, protective stockings and protective (rubber) gloves.

AFTER THE DEFEAT

Agent of blistering action

The group of agents with blistering action includes mustard gas and lewisite. Mustard gas - dichlorodiethyl sulfide; the pure product is an oily liquid. The toxicity of mustard gas is high, the vapor concentration of 0.07 mg / l with a 30-minute exposure can cause the death of the poisoned person. Skin lesions can occur not only under the action of OM drops, but also its vapors. Mustard gas is especially sensitive to skin with a thin layer of the epidermis, as well as subjected to friction by the collar, belt, in the area of ​​​​the shoulder blades, hips (Fig.). The mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory tract are sensitive. Lewisite - chlorovinyldichloroarsine; oily liquid of dark brown color with a smell of geranium. The toxicity of lewisite is several times greater than mustard gas.
Clinical defeat by mustard gas. Mustard gas can enter the body through the respiratory system, skin, wound, gastrointestinal tract, eyes. It is a cellular poison. It affects the tissues of the eyes, causing conjunctivitis, keratitis, or keratoconjunctivitis. With a toxic effect on the skin surface, mustard dermatitis occurs: from erythematous forms in mild cases to bullous and necrotic dermatitis in severe degrees of damage (Fig. 1-4).

If mustard gas enters through the respiratory system, rhinitis, laryngitis, bronchitis and pneumonia are observed. When the OB is affected through the gastrointestinal tract, mustard gastritis and gastroenterocolitis are observed. The inflammatory process caused by the action of mustard gas has a number of features compared to ordinary inflammation: 1) in the initial period, the action of OM on the skin does not cause pain; 2) vascular and other reactions to mustard gas do not occur immediately, sometimes after 12-24 hours from the moment of exposure to the agent (“latent action period”); 3) mustard lesions proceed sluggishly, therefore, even with extensive skin lesions, there is no primary and secondary shock; 4) various infectious complications are very frequent. Along with the "local" action of mustard gas, phenomena of general intoxication are also observed. Their nature and degree are determined by the severity of the lesion. The most pronounced phenomena of general intoxication are observed when exposed to large doses of agents. At the same time, the psyche of the victims is disturbed: they are depressed and easily fall into a state of stupor. Due to the violation of tissue trophism, the healing of mustard ulcers proceeds sluggishly, and the regeneration period stretches for many months. In victims, there are phenomena of violation of protein and other types of metabolism. The processes of protein synthesis are especially affected. Patients quickly lose weight and "mustard cachexia" may develop. Body temperature is elevated to 38-39 °. Persistent leukopenia and anemia are noted. The function of the cardiovascular system is impaired (bradycardia, hypotension). Constant nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, alternating with constipation, tenesmus.
The mechanism of the toxic action of mustard gas has not been fully established. It is assumed that as a result of the action of mustard gas, the exchange of nucleotides and nucleosides is disturbed.
Prevention of lesions with mustard gas and first aid. If the agent gets into the eyes, they should be washed abundantly with a 2% aqueous solution of soda or boric acid. The mouth, nasal passages and nasopharynx should be rinsed with a 2% aqueous solution of soda or a 0.25% solution of chloramine. If mustard gas enters the stomach with food and water, induce vomiting, give 25 g of activated charcoal in a glass of water, rinse the stomach with a 0.05% aqueous solution of potassium permanganate. This procedure is repeated several times in a row.
Treatment. Specific means of treatment (antidotes) have not been created. Treatment is symptomatic. It includes first aid measures, and is also aimed at preventing infectious complications, inflammatory changes (antibiotics and other drugs). Treatment involves the use of drugs and measures that increase the body's defenses (antihistamines, biostimulants, multivitamins, etc.). The combination of such activities allows you to deal with the phenomena of general intoxication and can have a beneficial effect on the course of the local process.
Clinical defeat by lewisite. With the defeat of lewisite, pain occurs in the places where the OM enters; the period of latent action is shorter; healing of the affected areas occurs in more short time than with mustard gas.
The mechanism of the toxic action of lewisite is to block enzymes containing sulfhydryl groups - SH (glutathione, etc.), which disrupts oxidative processes in tissues.
Prevention of lesions by lewisite and treatment of those affected. The most effective are specific antidotes for arsenic-containing agents such as dimercaptopropanol - BAL and unithiol. Unitiol is available in powder form and in ampoules containing 5 ml of a 5% solution. For the treatment of affected patients, it is recommended to administer a 5% solution of the drug intramuscularly or subcutaneously, 5 ml per injection, repeating injections if necessary. If lewisite gets into the eyes, a 30% unitiol ointment is applied over the eyelid. If it enters the stomach, they induce vomiting, wash the stomach abundantly, and then give 5-20 ml of a 5% solution of unitiol to drink. For inhalation lesions, inhalations with a 5% aqueous solution of unithiol are recommended. Along with this, it is necessary to inhale the anti-smoke mixture from the individual anti-chemical package. Treatment of those affected by lewisite involves the use of a combination of an antidote and symptomatic agents. In this case, Unithiol is administered intramuscularly and subcutaneously according to the scheme: on the first day - a 5% solution of 5 ml 3-4 times a day, and then 1-2 of the same injections for 5-7 days. Side effects of specific therapy include nausea, vomiting, dizziness and tachycardia, but they quickly pass.

Nerve agents

Nerve agents (organophosphorus agents - FOVs) are the main group of modern agents. OPAs include sarin, soman, and V-gases. They are dangerous to an unprotected person when used in liquid, aerosol and vapor states. In a chemically pure form, FOVs do not have a pronounced odor and color; they do not irritate the skin and mucous membranes. They dissolve well in organic solvents, and some of them also in water.
POVs are dangerous not only when exposed through the respiratory system, but also if they come into contact with intact skin (Table 1).

The degree of toxicity of FOV

Clinical defeat of OV nerve-paralytic action. FOV affect the body in any way of entry - through the respiratory system, skin, gastrointestinal tract, wound (burn) surface. In all cases, the same clinical picture of the lesion occurs, although some symptoms and the time of their manifestation may be somewhat different. So, with inhalation of FOV, the initial symptoms appear very early - after tens of seconds - minutes. In this case, a violation of the accommodation of the eyes is observed, as well as constriction of the pupils (miosis) and shortness of breath. When wounds are infected, the toxic effect can manifest itself after 5-30 minutes, the initial signs of damage are accompanied by fibrillar contractions of muscle fibers (myofibrillation). When OM enters through the skin, myofibrillations are also noted, but they sometimes appear after a few hours. With the oral route of damage, vomiting and diarrhea are often observed, then the phenomena of general intoxication develop, which are characteristic of any route of penetration of FOV. There are three degrees of injury - mild, moderate and severe.
With a mild degree, the patient complains of a feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath. Vision gradually worsens: accommodation (adaptation) of the eyes is disturbed, the reaction of the pupil to light slows down, the pupil narrows and does not respond to light - bilateral complete miosis occurs. The victim, even in clear weather, sees everything, as if in a thick fog, and at dusk and at night he becomes practically blind and needs outside help. Along with this, some of the affected complain of severe headaches, pain in the heart or dyspepsia, general weakness. Possible mental disorders. The symptoms of the lesion subside after 2-5 days, and the poisoning ends with a complete recovery.
With a moderate lesion, all the symptoms described above are initially observed, but after a few minutes, shortness of breath reaches a significant degree due to the onset of bronchospasm, resembling asthma attacks in bronchial asthma. The condition of the victim is rapidly deteriorating - vision is impaired, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea appear, accompanied by pain in the abdomen, sweating, salivation, bronchorrhea are observed. There is bradycardia and a drop in blood pressure. Consciousness is preserved, but at times it can be clouded. The patient refuses to eat, is agitated, extremely restless. The leading sign of the lesion is bronchospasm (suffocation attacks). With timely treatment, the affected people recover in 1-2 weeks. Sometimes for a long time there is a state of asthenia.
In the case of a severe defeat of FOV, the phenomena of general intoxication rapidly increase, the patient loses consciousness, there are attacks of general clonic tonic convulsions, pronounced bronchospasm, bronchorrhea, and salivation. If timely medical care is not provided to such an affected person, death may occur. The leading symptom of a severe degree of damage are attacks of general convulsions. If a seriously injured person is given timely and effective medical care, recovery occurs within 1-2 months.
The mechanism of the toxic action of FOVs is based on their ability to inhibit the cholinesterase enzyme. As a result, the exchange of acetylcholine is disturbed in the body of the poisoned person and it accumulates in large quantities. In addition, FOVs can directly affect nerve cells and synapses of the CNS
For the treatment of affected FOV, the use of specific antidotes (see Antidotes, OS) and means of pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy is expected (Table 2).

An approximate scheme for the treatment of affected FOV (according to S. N. Golikov and V. I. Rosengardt, 1964)

Atropine (anticholinergic) and 2 PAM (cholinesterase reactivator), as well as others, are included in the regimen as antidotes. specific means treatment.
The first medical aid in the centers of chemical contamination is provided in the order of self- and mutual assistance, as well as by orderlies and sanitary instructors of the troops or personnel of sanitary posts and dignity. squad MSGO. First aid includes measures to prevent lesions, and is also aimed at stopping the development of the main symptoms of intoxication if it occurs. At the signal “chemical attack”, you must quickly and correctly put on a gas mask and skin protection. With the appearance of initial signs of damage to the FOV, it is necessary to inject intramuscularly with the help of a syringe tube of the FOV antidote. The antidote is injected into the muscles of the anterior surface of the thigh directly through the uniform (clothes). If skin contamination with organophosphorus agents is suspected, partial sanitation is carried out using an individual anti-chemical package (see). With the threat of respiratory arrest - artificial respiration (see). Then the victim should be evacuated as soon as possible to the PHC, OPM or the nearest medical institution, where he can be provided with medical assistance.

used materials medical-enc.ru, protivogas.ru and dic.academic.ru

The basis of the damaging effect of chemical weapons is toxic substances (S), which have a physiological effect on the human body.

Unlike other military means, chemical weapons effectively destroy the enemy's manpower over a large area without destroying materiel. This is a weapon of mass destruction.

Together with the air, toxic substances penetrate into any premises, shelters, military equipment. The damaging effect persists for some time, objects and terrain become infected.

Types of poisonous substances

Poisonous substances under the shell of chemical munitions are in solid and liquid form.

At the moment of their application, when the shell is destroyed, they come into a combat state:

• vaporous (gaseous);
• aerosol (drizzle, smoke, fog);
• drip-liquid.

Poisonous substances are the main damaging factor of chemical weapons.

Characteristics of chemical weapons

Such weapons are shared:

• According to the type of physiological effects of OM on the human body.
• For tactical purposes.
• By the speed of the coming impact.
• According to the resistance of the applied OV.
• By means and methods of application.

Human exposure classification:

• OV nerve agent action. Deadly, fast-acting, persistent. They act on the central nervous system. The purpose of their use is the rapid mass incapacitation of personnel with the maximum number of deaths. Substances: sarin, soman, tabun, V-gases.
• OV skin blister action. Deadly, slow acting, persistent. They affect the body through the skin or respiratory organs. Substances: mustard gas, lewisite.
• OV of general toxic action. Deadly, fast acting, unstable. They disrupt the function of the blood to deliver oxygen to the tissues of the body. Substances: hydrocyanic acid and cyanogen chloride.
• OV suffocating action. Deadly, slow acting, unstable. The lungs are affected. Substances: phosgene and diphosgene.
• OV psychochemical action. Non-lethal. They temporarily affect the central nervous system, affect mental activity, cause temporary blindness, deafness, a sense of fear, restriction of movement. Substances: inuclidyl-3-benzilate (BZ) and lysergic acid diethylamide.
• OV irritating action (irritants). Non-lethal. They act quickly, but for a short time. Outside the infected zone, their effect stops after a few minutes. These are tear and sneezing substances that irritate the upper respiratory tract and can affect the skin. Substances: CS, CR, DM(adamsite), CN(chloroacetophenone).

Damage factors of chemical weapons

Toxins are chemical protein substances of animal, plant or microbial origin with high toxicity. Typical representatives: butulic toxin, ricin, staphylococcal entsrotoxin.

The damaging factor is determined by toxodose and concentration. The zone of chemical contamination can be divided into the focus of exposure (people are massively affected there) and the zone of distribution of the infected cloud.

First use of chemical weapons

Chemist Fritz Haber was a consultant to the German War Office and is called the father of chemical weapons for his work in the development and use of chlorine and other poisonous gases. The government set the task before him - to create chemical weapons with irritating and toxic substances. It's a paradox, but Haber believed that with the help of a gas war, he would save many lives by ending the trench war.

The history of application begins on April 22, 1915, when the German military first launched a chlorine gas attack. A greenish cloud arose in front of the trenches of the French soldiers, which they watched with curiosity.

When the cloud came close, a sharp smell was felt, the soldiers stinged in the eyes and nose. The mist burned the chest, blinded, choked. Smoke moved deep into the French positions, sowing panic and death, and was followed by German soldiers with bandages on his face, but they had no one to fight with.

By evening, chemists from other countries found out what kind of gas it was. It turned out that any country can produce it. Salvation from it turned out to be simple: you need to cover your mouth and nose with a bandage soaked in a solution of soda, and plain water on the bandage weakens the effect of chlorine.

After 2 days, the Germans repeated the attack, but the Allied soldiers soaked clothes and rags in puddles and applied them to their faces. Thanks to this, they survived and remained in position. When the Germans entered the battlefield, machine guns “spoke” to them.

Chemical weapons of the First World War

On May 31, 1915, the first gas attack on the Russians took place. Russian troops mistook the greenish cloud for camouflage and brought even more soldiers to the front line. Soon the trenches filled with corpses. Even the grass died from the gas.

In June 1915, they began to use a new poisonous substance - bromine. It was used in projectiles.

In December 1915 - phosgene. It smells like hay and has a lingering effect. Cheapness made it easy to use. At first they were produced in special cylinders, and by 1916 they began to make shells.

Bandages did not save from blistering gases. It penetrated through clothes and shoes, causing burns on the body. The area was poisoned for more than a week. Such was the king of gases - mustard gas.

Not only the Germans, their opponents also began to produce gas-filled shells. In one of the trenches of the First World War, Adolf Hitler was also poisoned by the British.

For the first time, Russia also used this weapon on the battlefields of the First World War.

Chemical weapons of mass destruction

Experiments with chemical weapons took place under the guise of developing poisons for insects. Used in the gas chambers of concentration camps "Cyclone B" - hydrocyanic acid - an insecticidal agent.

"Agent Orange" - a substance for deleafing vegetation. Used in Vietnam, soil poisoning caused severe diseases and mutations in the local population.

In 2013, in Syria, in the suburbs of Damascus, a chemical attack residential area - the lives of hundreds of civilians have been claimed, including many children. A nerve agent was used, most likely Sarin.

One of modern options A chemical weapon is a binary weapon. It comes to combat readiness as a result of a chemical reaction after the combination of two harmless components.

Victims of chemical weapons of mass destruction are all those who fell into the strike zone. Back in 1905, an international agreement was signed on the non-use of chemical weapons. To date, 196 countries around the world have signed up to the ban.

In addition to chemical to weapons of mass destruction and biological.

Types of protection

• Collective. Shelter can provide long stay people without personal protective equipment, if equipped with filter-ventilation kits and well sealed.
• Individual. Gas mask, protective clothing and a personal chemical bag (PPI) with antidote and liquid to treat clothing and skin lesions.

Prohibition on use

Humanity was shocked by the terrible consequences and huge losses of people after the use of weapons of mass destruction. Therefore, in 1928, the Geneva Protocol came into force on the prohibition of the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other similar gases and bacteriological agents. This protocol prohibits the use of not only chemical, but also biological weapons. In 1992, another document came into force, the Chemical Weapons Convention. This document complements the Protocol, it speaks not only of a ban on the manufacture and use, but also on the destruction of all chemical weapons. The implementation of this document is controlled by a specially created committee at the UN. But not all states signed this document, for example, it was not recognized by Egypt, Angola, North Korea, South Sudan. It also entered into legal force in Israel and Myanmar.

Under chemical weapons understand poisonous substances, their means of delivery and use.

To poisonous substances (OV) include chemicals of the highest toxicity that can be used to infect people, animals, plants, as well as to infect the territory and objects located on them.

Delivery of poisonous substances can be carried out and with the help of rockets, aerosol generators, aviation chemical bombs, shells, mines, grenades, as well as bulk aviation devices. A variety of ammunition are binary ammunition. They consist of two non-toxic chemical elements, but when they are mechanically combined, a highly toxic compound is formed.

Chemical weapons used first world war(1914), during the Korean War (1952), in the Vietnam War. The Geneva Convention of 1925 prohibits the use of chemical weapons named in the Convention, but it is not forbidden to have them, and therefore many countries have had and still have such weapons. In January 1993, the International Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons, as well as the Elimination of Existing Chemical Weapons, was signed.

For example, the structure of losses from the use of organophosphorus agents can be as follows: irretrievable - 50-55%, sanitary - 45-50%, of which heavy losses - 25%, light - 25%. The use of chemical weapons by terrorists poses a particular danger to the population.

The combat state of the OV is steam, aerosol, drops.

Ways of penetration of agents into the body:

1) through the respiratory system;

2) through the skin;

3) through the gastrointestinal tract.

OS classification

According to the nature of the physiological action of agents on the body, they are divided into nerve-paralytic, blistering, general poisonous, suffocating, psychochemical and irritating.

Nerve agents(sarin-1939 Germany;, soman-1944-Germany, VX);

Sarin (GB) (methylphosphonic acid isopropyl fluoroanhydride) is a colorless transparent liquid with a slight fruity odor, LC 50 = 0.075 mg min/L, LD 50 = 24 mg/kg.

Soman (GD) fluoroanhydride of pinacoline ester of methylphosphonic acid is a colorless liquid with a slight smell of camphor, LC 50 = 0.03 mg.min / l, LD 50 = 1.4 mg / kg.

Vi-ex (VX) O-ethyl S-2-(N, N-diisopropylamino) methyl phosphonic acid ethyl ester - colorless liquid, odorless, LC 50 = 0.01 mg.min / l, LD 50 = 0.1 mg /kg.

Nerve agents affect the central nervous system. Under the influence of small concentrations of this group of organic matter, the affected patients experience miosis of the eyes (the phenomenon of constriction of the pupils, leading to weakening of vision until it is temporarily lost, especially at dusk), shortness of breath, tightness in the chest (retrosternal effect); when exposed to high concentrations - salivation, dizziness, vomiting, loss of consciousness, severe convulsions, paralysis and death.

Agent of blistering action(technical mustard gas, distilled mustard gas, mustard gas recipes, nitrogen mustard)

Mustard gas (HD) is an oily, colorless liquid with a mustard or garlic odor.

Mustard gas has a local blistering and general toxic effect. In a drop-liquid, aerosol and vapor state, mustard gas affects the skin and eyes; in the aerosol and vapor state - the respiratory tract and lungs, has cumulative properties.

Relative toxicity during inhalation LC 50 = 1.5 mg min / l with a latent action period from 4 hours to a day, LD 50 = 70 mg / kg.

OS of general toxic action(hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride)

Hydrocyanic acid (AC) HCN, hydrogen cyanide - a colorless volatile liquid with the smell of bitter almonds. LC 50 =2 mg. min/l

Cyanogen chloride (CK) CLCN, cyanic acid chloride is a colorless, heavy, volatile liquid. LC 50 = 11 mg.min / l.

Both substances are very volatile, so they infect when combat use only air. Penetrate into the body through the respiratory system. When exposed to high concentrations, a person falls, loses consciousness, convulsions appear. The convulsive period soon passes into the paralytic stage, ending in death.

OV suffocating action(phosgene, diphosgene)

Phosgene (CG), carbonic acid dichlorohydride, is a colorless liquid. LC 50 = 3.2 mg. min/l AT normal conditions it is a gas, 3.5 times heavier than air. Phosgene affects the lung tissue, as a result of which the lungs cannot absorb oxygen from the air and this leads to the death of the organism. Phosgene has a period of latent action (from 2 to 12 hours) and cumulative properties (i.e., damage from its non-lethal doses accumulates in the body, which can lead to severe poisoning, up to death).

OV psychochemical action(BZ, LSD)

Bized (BZ), quinuclidyl ether of benzyl acid is a colorless crystalline substance, tasteless and odorless, used in an aerosol state. LC 50 = 0.11 mg. min/l, LD 50 =10 mg. min/l

When it enters the body in a small amount, this OM disrupts the mental activity of a person, causes temporary blindness, deafness, hallucinations, a sense of fear and limitation of the motor functions of individual organs. Fatal lesions are uncommon for BZ; they can occur only in the elderly, children and people suffering from respiratory diseases.

RH irritating action(adamsite, C-S, C-Achloroacetaphenone, C-S "CS" and C-Ar "CR")

CS (CS), O-chlorobenzalmalononitrile is a solid, colorless substance with a specific, pepper-like taste.

The first signs of damage appear at ISnach = 0.002 mg/l. A concentration of 0.005 mg/l is intolerable for 1 minute. Relative toxicity with inhalation IC 50 = 0.02 mg min / l, with IC 50 values ​​= 2.7 mg.min / l, lung lesions are noted. In case of inhalation of CS aerosol from pyrotechnic mixtures, IC 50 value = 61 mg. min/l

Si-Ar (CR), dibenz (c, f) (1, 4) oxazepine - yellow powdery substance, toxicity LC 50 = 350 mg. min/l Causes profuse lacrimation, pain in the eyes; possible temporary loss of vision. Inhalation of the aerosol causes severe coughing, sneezing and runny nose. Causes irritation to wet skin.

According to their tactical purpose and the nature of the damaging effect, agents are divided into the following 4 groups:

Lethal agents (VX, sarin, soman, distilled mustard gas, mustard gas formulation, nitrogen mustard, hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, phosgene);

Temporarily incapacitating manpower OB (BZ);

Irritant agents (adamsite, CS, CR);

Educational OV. Depending on the duration of the retention of the damaging ability of lethal agents, they are divided into persistent and unstable.

Persistent agents include VX, soman, distilled mustard gas.

The unstable ones include rapidly evaporating agents, which, when used in combat in open areas, retain their damaging effect for several tens of minutes (hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, phosgene).

Depending on the speed of their action on the body and the appearance of signs of damage, agents are divided into fast-acting and slow-acting.

High-speed agents include agents that do not have a period of latent action and lead to damage in a few minutes: sarin, soman, hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, CS, CR.

Slow-acting agents have a latency period and lead to damage after some time (VX, distilled mustard gas, phosgene, BZ).