Product Index

Did you know . . .
Lewisite and phosgene oxime are unique among the blister agents because their effects occur almost immediately. The effects of most blister agents, such as mustard, generally occur many hours (from two to 24) after exposure.

Did you know . . .
Germany accidentally discovered nerve agents in the 1930's when scientists were researching new and improved insecticides. The technology was subsequently provided to the military with tabun being the first agent developed followed by sarin.

Did you know . . .
Not all biological agents are contagious--or, capable of being transmitted from one person to another. For example: Variola major, the causative agent of small pox, is extremely communicable while Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is negligible in its ability to be transmitted between individuals.

Did you know . . .
Did you know.... The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) now has a testing protocol to approve self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs) for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents. A CBRN agent approved SCBA will provide first responders with the respiratory protection needed to respond to terrorist activities involving chemicals, pathogens and or radioactive materials.

Did you know . . .
Terrorists don't need to develop advanced chemical and biological agents to achieve their goals. As an example, several of the chemical agents originally used in World War I were widely available in general industry; examples include chlorine and phosgene. Today, these chemicals are still used in the preparation of numerous products.

Did you know . . .
The terms "vesicant" and "blister" can be used interchangeably to categorize agents such as mustard and lewisite. The definition of vesicant is a blister-producing substance.

Did you know . . .
On several occasions during the mid-1990's, the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo attempted biological agent attacks in addition to their more infamous chemical attacks. Cult members reportedly released botulinum toxin and bacillus anthracis (anthrax) in Tokyo. No injuries resulted from these incidents.

Did you know . . .
Sarin is a colorless, odorless nerve agent that causes difficulty breathing, miosis, blurred vision, headache and nausea--leading to respiratory distress, convulsions and eventually death. The March 20, 1995 sarin attack by the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo was not the first such incident by the group. On June 27, 1994 Aum members dispersed sarin in a town called Matusomoto; seven people died and more than 200 were injured. A cult member reportedly confessed that the attack targeted several judges living in the area that were to return a decision on the group.

Did you know . . .
Chemical incidents are generally characterized by the rapid onset of medical symptoms (minutes to hours), while symptoms from a biological or radiological incident require days to weeks to appear. The time to effect of toxins is on the order of chemical compounds and, for this reason, toxins are sometimes considered more similar to chemical agents than biological agents.

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