Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security, 4 Volume Set

BIODEFENSE PRIORITIES IN LIFE-SCIENCE RESEARCH: CHEMICAL THREAT AGENTS

DAVID A. JETT

National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland

GENNADY E. PLATOFF JR.

National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland

1 BACKGROUND

The attacks of September and October of 2001 have resulted in heightened awareness of the vulnerability of the United States civilian population to terrorist groups or individuals armed with unconventional weapons. While most of the attention has been given to biological agents, the civilian threat spectrum encompasses radioactive, explosive, and chemical weapons as well. Chemicals are particularly attractive to terrorists because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain, and have the potential to cause mass casualties when used in a variety of scenarios. Unlike biological and radiological threats, there have actually been several recent chemical attacks that have resulted in mass casualties. For example, sulfur mustard and nerve agents were used against Iraqi Kurdish villages in the late 1980s, and more recently, nerve agents were used by the Japanese cult organization Aum Shinrikyo in two separate attacks against civilians in Japan [1, 2]. Not only does this stress the importance of increasing efforts to prepare for future chemical attacks in the United States, but it also provides the opportunity to analyze these events to learn about potential ...