While it is not possible to predict or necessarily prevent terrorist incidents in which chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) are deployed, correctly chosen, fast, and reliable detection equipment will allow prepared rescue workers to respond quickly and minimize potential casualties. Detection Technologies
The threat of domestic terrorism today looms larger than ever. Bombings at the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City's Federal Building, as well as nerve gas attacks in Japan, have made it tragically obvious that American civilians must be ready for terrorist attacks. What do we need to know to help emergency and medical personnel prepare for these attacks? Chemical and Biological Terrorism identifies the R&D efforts needed to implement recommendations in key areas: pre-incident intelligence, detection and identification of chemical and biological agents, protective clothing and equipment, early recognition that a population has been covertly exposed to a pathogen, mass casualty decontamination and triage, use of vaccines and pharmaceuticals, and the psychological effects of terror. Specific objectives for computer software development are also identified. The book addresses the differences between a biological and chemical attack, the distinct challenges to the military and civilian medical communities, and other broader issues. This book will be of critical interest to anyone involved in civilian preparedness for terrorist attack: planners, administrators, responders, medical professionals, public health and emergency personnel, and technology designers and engineers.
Since Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Gulf War veterans have expressed concerns about health effects that could be associated with their deployment and service during the war. Although similar concerns were raised after other military operations, the Gulf War deployment focused national attention on the potential, but uncertain, relationship between the presence of chemical and biological (CB) agents and other harmful agents in theater and health symptoms reported by military personnel. Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces which is one of the four two-year studies, examines the detection and tracking of exposures of deployed personnel to multiple harmful agents.
Sensing of Deadly Toxic Chemical Warfare Agents, Nerve Agent Simulants, and their Toxicological Aspects provides a general overview of the development and performance of different novel molecular frameworks as potent vehicles for sensing Chemical Weapons (CWs). The chapters are contributed by leading researchers in the areas of materials science, medical science, chemical science, and nanotechnology from industries, academics, government and private research institutions across the globe. It covers cover topics such as inorganic nanocomposites, hyperbranched polymers, and graphene heterojunctions for effective sensing of CW agents. This book is a highly valuable reference source for graduates, post-graduates, and research scholars primarily in the fields of materials science, medicinal chemistry, organic chemistry, and nanoscience and nanotechnology. In addition, almost all analytical techniques will be discussed, making this a first-rate reference for professors, students, and scientists in many industries. - Provides an efficient, reliable, and highly versatile approach for the synthesis of different molecular systems suitable for diversity-oriented strategies, structure-activity studies and molecular tailoring for the sensing of chemical warfare agents - Goes into depth on new binary organogels, discrete carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and has endowed electrochemical chemosensors (ECCSs) with high selectivity and sensitivity towards the detection of chemical warfare agent - Highlights in detail the detection of CWs by composite optical waveguide sensors, and describes disposable biofilm biosensors for sensitive detection of biotoxicity in water with treatment of nerve agent poisoning
This book describes the latest molecular insights needed to understand the chemical and biological (CB) agents and their associated biotechnologies. Its primary focus is to present and discuss molecular technologies such as mass spectrometry, chemical and biological sensors, chromatographic and electrophoretic separation, and comparisons of spectroscopic, immunological and molecular analyses of chemicals used for the detection of chemical and biological agents and to prevent terrorism. This NATO-ASI book also contributes to the critical assessment of existing knowledge on new and important detection technologies. It helps to identify directions for future research and to promote closer working relationships between scientists from different professional fields.
Field Detection Technologies For Explosives Explosives are historically the weapons that have been most frequently used against civilians by terrorist organisations. In the past few years, the use of explosives by terrorist groups has cost the lives of more people than the combination of all other attacks, including the use of weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological and nuclear weapons). Early detection of these substances is one of the most effective ways to prevent attacks using explosives from occurring. Fast and reliable equipment to detect the presence of explosives and explosive devices is critical to fighting terrorism. Written in a style that makes complicated technologies easy to understand, this book covers the principles, instrumentation and applications of current technologies used to detect explosives in the field. Both trace detection technologies and bulk detection technologies are discussed. The section on trace detection technologies includes chapters on ion mobility spectrometry, piezoelectric sensors, chemiluminescence-based detectors, polymer-based technologies and mass spectrometry. It also discusses detection requirements, methodologies used for detector evaluation, and sampling technologies. The section on bulk detection contains chapters on x-ray, millimeter wave imaging, neutron and nuclear quadrupoie resonance technologies. This volume introduces the basic concepts of commonly used explosives detection technologies and is an essential resource for novice or more experienced personnel working in the explosives detection field as well as those with a general interest in this important subject. Features Discusses all aspects of commonly used field detection technologies. Reviews detection requirements and explosives sampling methods. Describes specific instruments used for field detection applications, such as at airports, harbours and border crossings. Includes a summary of common explosives and their important properties for easy reference. Provides an introduction to data fusion and receiver operating characteristic methods, both of which have recently received significant attention in the field of explosives detection. Book jacket.
There is an ongoing need to test and ensure effectiveness of personal protective equipment that soldiers use to protect themselves against chemical warfare agents. However, testing using human subjects presents major challenges and current human-size thermal mannequins have limited testing capabilities. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) along with their counterparts from other countries are seeking to develop more human like mannequins, which would include features like human motion, in order to carry out more advanced chemical testing. At the request of DOD Product Director, Test Equipment, Strategy and Support, the National Research Council formed an ad hoc committee to evaluate the feasibility of developing an advanced humanoid robot, or Protection Ensemble Test Mannequin (PETMAN) system that meets the DOD requirements. The book concludes that although most of the individual requirements can technically be met, fulfilling all of the requirements is currently not possible. Based on this conclusion the committee recommends that DOD considers three issues, prioritization of current system requirements, use qualified contractor for particular technical aspects, incorporate complementary testing approaches to the PETMAN system.
In keeping with a congressional mandate (Public Law 104-484) and the Chemical Weapons Convention, the United States is currently destroying its chemical weapons stockpile. The Army must ensure that the chemical demilitarization workforce is protected from the risks of exposure to hazardous chemicals during disposal operations and during and after facility closure. Good industrial practices developed in the chemical and nuclear energy industries and other operations that involve the processing of hazardous materials include workplace monitoring of hazardous species and a systematic occupational health program for monitoring workers' activities and health. In this report, the National Research Council Committee on Review and Evaluation of the Army Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program examines the methods and systems used at JACADS and TOCDF, the two operational facilities, to monitor the concentrations of airborne and condensed-phase chemical agents, agent breakdown products, and other substances of concern. The committee also reviews the occupational health programs at these sites, including their industrial hygiene and occupational medicine components. Finally, it evaluates the nature, quality, and utility of records of workplace chemical monitoring and occupational health programs.
This book provides unique perspectives on both state-of-the-art hyperspectral techniques for the early-warning monitoring of water supplies against chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) contamination effects as well as the emerging spectroscopic science and technology base that will be used to support an array of CBR defense and security applications in the future. The technical content in this book lends itself to the non-traditional requirements for point and stand-off detection that have evolved out of the US joint services programs over many years. In particular, the scientific and technological work presented seeks to enable hyperspectral-based sensing and monitoring that is real-time; in-line; low in cost and labor; and easy to support, maintain and use in military- and security-relevant scenarios.
The use of explosives in terror attacks, including improvised ones, presents an ongoing threat which requires the development of techniques for detecting a larger variety of explosives, faster detection, and with lower rates of false alarms. Counterterrorist detection techniques of explosives [...] covers the most successful techniques for explosives detection at present. This completely revised volume describes the most updated research findings, which will be used in the next generation of explosives detection technologies. New editors Drs. Avi Cagan and Jimmie Oxley have assembled in one volume a series of detection technologies of explosives, written by a group of scientists who are experts in each of these technologies. The book helps researchers to compare the advantages and disadvantages of all available methods in detecting explosives and, in effect, allow them to choose the correct instrumental screening technology according to the nature of the sample.
