What is a nerve gas? First aid in gas poisoning

In the process of evolution, man had to prove his right to exist all the time. His enemies were difficult living conditions, large predators and, worst of all, other intelligent beings. To resist the cold and heat, a person learned to build houses and sew clothes, and to overcome predators and intelligent enemies - improved the ability to kill. The first attempt to use organic poisonous substances can be considered arrows with poisoned tips. But this was not enough for mankind; It reflected on how to hit the maximum number of enemies, and invented nerve gas.

What it is?

Nervous-paralytic gases are a group of chemical warfare agents, which contain organophosphorus compounds (organophosphates, OPC and FOV). The substance is extremely toxic. Potentially it was planned to use it as a weapon of mass destruction. However, the experience of using chemical agents during the First World War as weapons caused a storm of protests in the society. Although the development of that time was less dangerous than modern nerve gas. The Germans used chlorine for the first time as a poisonous agent. During the Second World War, work was being done on the production of sarin gas. The dangerous development was postponed, but it was not abandoned completely.

Few facts from history

The first officially recorded chemical attack took place in 1915 (April). But history knew the attempts of mass poisonings by gas before. This was mentioned in the ancient chronicles of China and the records of the Middle Ages.

Organophosphorus compounds were obtained in 1846 by the French chemist Louis-Jacques Tenar. In 1934, already German chemist Gerhard Shradar, trying to develop an effective insecticide, used organophosphorous substances to block the nervous system of insects. In 1936, in the process of experiments, he received a nerve gas - a herd. In 1937 the scientist happened to be under the influence of a drop of his substance and found that it was toxic to humans. After that, I was forced to report on the opening of the Ministry of Defense.

In 1938, Schrader with a group of assistants synthesized the nerve gas sarin. His indices exceeded the action of the herd 10 times. In 1944 the German R. Kuhn synthesized an even more toxic gas - the soman. A little later, the most dangerous compound, cyclosarine, was developed.

To apply chemical developments, fascist Germany either did not dare, or did not have time. But experiments on prisoners of concentration camps were conducted and described.

Gas sarin. Specific effects on the human body

The nervous system is arranged so that its cells are separated from each other by a microscopically small distance. But even this smallness is enough to interrupt the nerve impulses transmitted by mediators, crossing the distance and spreading nervous excitation to neighboring cells and fibers. The most important in this process is acetylcholine. It overcomes the distance and causes a contraction of muscle cells, after which it is destroyed by apetil cholinesterase.

The action of nerve gas is based on the violation of the process of cleavage of acetylcholine. The muscle cells continue to contract, the nerve cells remain agitated, nausea, convulsions and paralysis, causing death.

Nervous-paralytic gas has no color and odor. Strangely enough, but in a natural state of aggregation it is a liquid. Zarin, as well as zoman, and herd, heavier than water, it is readily soluble by lipids and organic solvents, boils at a temperature of 150 ° C (next-generation gases at 300 ° C). All this group of toxic agents is extremely toxic, resistant, difficult to detect and difficult to recognize in the exact type.

Balloon with nerve gas

Gas cartridges are an affordable means of self-defense. However, nerve gas in cans is not sold, because it is too dangerous. Even in very small doses, it can cause damage on a large area. Gas cartridges are filled with irritating pepper or tear irritants. These substances do not kill, but cause burning, lacrimation, cough and vision problems. All these manifestations are temporary.

Despite the fact that nerve gases are a direct threat to humanity, they continue to be studied, synthesized and illegally applied. So, in 1988, Saddam Hussein attacked the city of Khalabadja, dropping air bombs with sarin and herd. More than 15,000 civilians were killed.

In 1995, a terrorist attack was carried out in Tokyo using sarin. The gas was not in aerosol form, it was poured in subway cars. Then 13 people died, but there were about 10 thousand cases of severe poisoning.

Giving help

Nervous-paralytic gases are classified as chemical weapons of mass destruction. The injured person in this case needs urgent medical assistance. What do you need to know to help a person affected by poisonous substances contained in a gas mixture of nerve agents?

First aid procedure:

• In order to avoid further damage to the breathing system, the victim must wear a gas mask.
• The introduction of an antidote, which facilitates the condition of the victim. This manipulation should be done as quickly as possible. For injection, use a syringe tube filled with a special medicine. The drug is administered intramuscularly. The syringe should be fixed on the victim's clothing so that other people who provide help know that this person has already been administered an antidote.
• In the anti-chemical package there is a specific liquid. It should be used as a sanitary treatment of the exposed parts of the skin.
• Urgently, the victim must be evacuated from the affected area. At the same time, the patient should be monitored and, if aggravated, reintroduced the antidote to prevent seizures.
• When spraying gas, clothing also becomes contaminated. Once a person is taken out of the affected area, you need to replace it immediately. The vapors of the substance left on the clothing can affect the skin and respiratory system.
• Artificial respiration may be required for the injured person if such gases as carbon monoxide or sarin were used against it.