"The term Chemical Weapon (CW) refers to: (a) Toxic chemicals and their precursors, except where intended for purposes not prohibited under the convention, as long as the types and quantities are consistent with such purposes; (b) Munitions and devices, specifically designed to cause death or harm through the toxic properties of those toxic chemicals specified in (a), which would be released as a result of the employment of such munitions and devices."
Chemical Agents are chemical substances that can cause harm to human beings, animals, and the environment.
Chemical Agents: Understanding the types and properties of chemical agents, including nerve agents, blister agents, choking agents, and blood agents.
Biological Agents: Understanding the various types of biological agents, such as bacteria, viruses, toxins, and fungi, and their mechanisms of infection and spreading.
Radiological Agents: Understanding the effects of different types of radiation, such as alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, and the health risks associated with exposure.
Nuclear Agents: Understanding the various types of nuclear weapons, such as fission and fusion bombs, and their effects on human health and the environment.
Personal Protective Equipment: Understanding how to identify and use personal protective equipment, such as gas masks, suits, gloves, and boots.
Decontamination Procedures: Understanding how to decontaminate personnel, equipment, and areas affected by chemical, biological, or radiological agents.
Detection and Sensing Technologies: Understanding the various technologies used for detecting and sensing chemical, biological, and radiological agents, including gas chromatography devices, mass spectrometers, and biosensors.
Risk Assessment and Management: Understanding how to assess the risks associated with chemical, biological, and radiological incidents, and how to develop and implement mitigation strategies.
Emergency Response Planning: Understanding the roles and responsibilities of emergency responders in chemical, biological, and radiological incidents, and how to develop and implement effective response plans.
International and Domestic Regulations: Understanding the legal frameworks and regulations governing the possession, use, and transportation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents, both domestically and internationally.
Nerve Agents: Toxic chemicals that cause damage to the nervous system and can lead to respiratory failure or death.
Blister Agents: Chemicals that cause skin blisters, irritation, and severe burns.
Blood Agents: Chemical substances that attack the hemoglobin in the blood, impairing the body's ability to carry oxygen.
Choking Agents: Chemicals that interfere with breathing, causing suffocation or respiratory distress.
Irritant Agents: Chemicals that cause severe irritation and inflammation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.
Psychotomimetic Agents: Chemical compounds that affect the central nervous system, altering perception, cognition, and mood.
Bacteria: Single-celled organisms that can cause infections and diseases.
Viruses: Tiny pathogens that infect cells and can cause multiple health problems.
Rickettsiae: Intracellular parasites that cause a range of illnesses, including typhus, spotted fever, and Rocky Mountain fever.
Fungi: A group of organisms that includes yeasts, molds, and mushrooms, which can cause allergies, infections, and diseases.
Toxins: Harmful substances produced by plants, animals, and microorganisms, including botulinum toxin, ricin, and saxitoxin.
Alpha Radiation: The emission of alpha particles, which are made up of two protons and two neutrons and are usually stopped by a piece of paper or our skin.
Beta Radiation: The emission of beta particles, which are electrons released from a nucleus and can penetrate deeper into the body but can be stopped by a piece of plywood or metal.
Gamma Radiation: High-energy electromagnetic radiation that can penetrate the body deeply, damaging cells and DNA.
Neutron Radiation: A type of radiation that occurs during a nuclear reaction or decay, which consists of high-speed, neutral particles that can interact with nuclei in the human body.
Fallout: Radioactive particles that settle on the ground after a nuclear explosion, posing a long-term health risk due to the radiation exposure.
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP): A burst of electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion, which can damage electronics and electrical grids.
Ionizing Radiation: High-energy radiation that can damage DNA and other biological molecules, leading to cellular death and long-term health effects.
Blast Wave: A shockwave caused by a nuclear explosion, which can cause physical and psychological injuries and destruction of buildings and infrastructure.
"A chemical weapon can be any chemical compound intended as a weapon 'or its precursor that can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation through its chemical action."
"Chemical weapons are classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMD)."
"Weapons of mass destruction are distinct from conventional weapons, which are primarily effective due to their explosive, kinetic, or incendiary potential."
"Nerve gas, tear gas, and pepper spray are three modern examples of chemical weapons."
"Lethal unitary chemical agents are extremely volatile and constitute a class of hazardous chemical weapons that have been stockpiled by many nations."
"The most dangerous of these are nerve agents (GA, GB, GD, and VX) and vesicant (blister) agents, which include formulations of sulfur mustard such as H, HT, and HD."
"Widely used during World War I, the effects of so-called mustard gas, phosgene gas, and others caused lung searing, blindness, death, and maiming."
"The Nazi regime used a commercial hydrogen cyanide blood agent trade-named Zyklon B to commit industrialized genocide against Jews and other targeted populations in large gas chambers."
"CS gas and pepper spray remain in common use for policing and riot control; CS and pepper spray are considered non-lethal weapons."
"Under the Chemical Weapons Convention (1993), there is a legally binding, worldwide ban on the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors."
"Continued storage of these chemical weapons is a hazard, as many of the weapons are now more than 50 years old, raising risks significantly."
"The United States is now undergoing measures to dispose of their chemical weapons in a safe manner."
"Chemical weapons formulated to inflict death or harm on humans."
"Chemical weapons can be widely dispersed in gas, liquid, and solid forms."
"Chemical weapons may easily afflict others than the intended targets."
"The effects of so-called mustard gas, phosgene gas, and others caused lung searing, blindness, death, and maiming."
"The Holocaust resulted in the largest death toll to chemical weapons in history."
"They are known by the military acronym NBC (for nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare)."
"Large stockpiles of chemical weapons continue to exist, usually justified as a precaution against possible use by an aggressor."