Chemical Weapons and Nerve Agents

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?

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