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Chemical Weapons and Nerve Agents

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April 12, 2018

What is the issue?

  • Nerve gas is allegedly used in ongoing Syria attack.
  • It is imperative at this juncture to look into the status of chemical weapons, particularly nerve agents or nerve gases.

What are chemical weapons?                                        

  • It is a toxic chemical in a delivery system such as bomb or artillery.
  • Anything specifically designed for use in direct connection with the release of a chemical agent to cause death or harm is a chemical weapon.
  • Each component of a chemical weapon is a chemical weapon, whether assembled or not, stored together or separately.
  • E.g. choking agents - chlorine, phosgene, diphosgene and chloropicrin. Fluid builds up in lungs, choking victim.
  • Blister agents - sulphur mustard, nitrogen mustard, phosgene oxime, Lewisite. Burns skin, mucous membranes and eyes; causes large blisters on exposed skin; blisters windpipe and lungs.
  • Blood agents - Cyanide destroys ability of blood tissues to utilise oxygen, causing them to ‘starve’ and strangling the heart.
  • Examples include hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen chloride, Arsine, VX.

What is CWC?

  • The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is a consortium of 192 countries as signatories.
  • It seeks to limit the availability of chemicals that can be used as tools of mass destruction.
  • However, it allows member states to retain rights to use some of these chemicals for peaceful purposes such as riot control.
  • Teargas shells, for example, are frequently used for riot control.

How is chemical weapons possession status?

  • Of the 192 CWC signatories, Albania, India, Iraq, Libya, Russia, Syria, and the US declared possession of chemical weapons.
  • Of these, Albania, India, Libya, Russia and Syria declared completion of destruction of chemical weapons.
  • Notably, by January 2016 the destruction of all chemical weapons declared by Syria has been completed.
  • Despite these, there have been continuous instances of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

What are nerve gases?

  • Nerve gases are among the most lethal form of chemical weapons.
  • They notably have no use other than in chemical warfare.
  • The CWC lists chemicals under various degrees of manufacturing restriction.
  • Under this, the nerve gases are among the most restricted.

How do nerve gases work?

  • Nerve gas weakens the mechanism within the body responsible for the conduction of nerve impulses.
  • Acetylcholineesterase is a compound that catalyses the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
  • Nerve gas prevents acetylcholinesterase from performing its normal function of breaking down acetylcholine.
  • It leads to the muscles going into a state of uncontrolled contraction, a sign of paralysis or a seizure-like state.
  • Death usually happens because paralysis extends to the cardiac and respiratory muscles.
  • Other symptoms could include dilation of pupils, sweating and gastrointestinal pain etc.
  • Nerve agents can also be absorbed through the skin.

What is Novichok?

  • As restrictions on weapons are based on chemical formulae, newer molecules can bypass restrictions.
  • Countries thus started to develop newer weapons to bypass the restrictions.
  • This naturally led to the emergence of nerve agents and that is how Novichok evolved.
  • Novichok is said to be 5-8 times more lethal than VX nerve agent.
  • Also, its effects are rapid, usually within 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

 

Source: Indian Express

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