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23. Ellison: 1434_c000 2007/7/4 20:25 page xxiii #23 Preface
The rst edition of this handbook was written primarily as an aid to
rst responders and meant to help bridge the gap between what was
known about responding to industrial hazardous materials and
responding to military chemical and biological agents. At the time
it was written, it was one of only a few readily available
resources that addressed the topic. This is no longer the case.
There are numerous books that have been written on virtually every
aspect of a potential response; some are specialized and directed
toward a specic audience while others are written for the average
citizen. However, the world of military agents goes well beyond the
dirty thirty that are usually discussed and there are still only a
limited number of references that provide rapid access to technical
data on a wider range of agents. On the basis of this assessment of
the current literature and on comments received on the rst edition
of this book, this volume has been written to focus on these
details. With this new information, additional classes of agents
have been added. Where it provided clarity, multiple classes have
been consolidated into a single class. The information in existing
classes has been updated and expanded. There is a signicant
increase in the number of agents described, as well as in the
number of components, precursors, and decomposition products. There
is more information on health effects and on the chemical,
physical, and biological properties of these materials. As in the
rst edition, all materials listed in this handbook have been used
on the bat- tleeld, stockpiled as weapons, received signicant
interest by research programs, used or threatened to be used by
terrorists, or have been assessed by qualied law enforcement and
response organizations as agents of signicant concern. To assure
accuracy, all data have been cross-checked over the widest variety
of military, scientic, and medical sources available. Finally, in
presenting this broad spectrum, I do not offer an evaluation of the
efcacy or viability of the agent classes or any of the individual
agents. I have included agents classied by the military as obsolete
along with those that are still considered a major threat. It is
important to remember that while an agent may have been a failure
on the battleeld, it could still be a very successful weapon in the
hands of a terrorist.
25. Ellison: 1434_c000 2007/7/4 20:25 page xxv #25
Acknowledgments I would like to once again thank Pam Ellison, DVM,
for her assistance on the biological sections of this book. She was
a wealth of information on both the technical and practical aspects
of response to biological agents. She spent a great deal of time
challenging my ideas, providing guidance, and correcting my drafts.
Without her, the quality and content of this handbook would have
suffered greatly. There are numerous others out there who have
provided comments, insights, and sug- gestions, both on the rst
edition and on the manuscript for this one. I appreciate them all.
I have tried to address each of them, and incorporated changes that
I believe have improved this edition. Any failures or omissions are
mine and not due to a lack of vigilance or effort on the part of
others. Finally, I would like to thank my wife and children for
their patience as I worked on this project. They have endured not
only my mental absences during family events, but also my attempts
to sneak off and get back on the computer. This second edition took
far longer than I had anticipated and they have suffered the brunt
of it.
27. Ellison: 1434_c000 2007/7/4 20:25 page xxvii #27 Author D.
Hank Ellison served in the United States Army as a chemical ofcer
and has worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as both
a remedial project manager and federal on-scene coordinator under
the Superfund Program. He currently is president of Cerberus &
Associates, Inc., a consulting rm that specializes in response to
technological disasters. As a private consultant, Ellison has
responded to hazardous material incidents involving highly
poisonous materials, chemical res, water reactive substances, and
shock-sensitive materials throughout the state of Michigan. He has
provided chemical and biological coun- terterrorism training to
members of EMS units, hazmat teams, police SWAT teams, and bomb
squads. During the anthrax events of 2001, he helped state and
local governments as well as Fortune 500 companies to develop and
implement response plans for biolo- gical threats. He currently
advises clients on issues of hazardous materials, and related
safety and security concerns. In addition, he is a member of the
Department of Health and Human Services DMORT-WMD emergency
response team, which has the primary mission for recovery and
decontamination of fatalities contaminated with radiological,
biological, or chemical materials. Ellison earned a master of
science in chemistry from the University of California, Irvine. His
graduate research involved methods to synthesize poisons extracted
from Colombian poison dart frogs. He has a bachelor of science in
chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a member
of the American Chemical Society and Federation of American
Scientists. In addition to his works on weapons of mass
destruction, he is the author of a chapter on the hazardous
properties of materials in the sixth edition of the Handbook on
Hazardous Materials Management, a textbook published in 2002 by the
Institute of Hazardous Materials Management.
29. Ellison: 1434_c000 2007/7/4 20:25 page xxix #29 Explanatory
Notes In this handbook, information about the agents is divided
into classes based on the com- mon military groupings of chemical
(i.e., nerve, vesicant, blood, pulmonary, incapacitating, and riot
control), biological (i.e., bacterial, viral, rickettsial, and
fungal), and toxin agents. In instances where the divisions are too
broad to allow appropriate identication of the chemical or
physiological properties of the individual agents, additional
classes (e.g., organ- ophosphorus nerve agents and carbamate nerve
agents) are provided. There are also classes for nontraditional
agents that do not t neatly into one of the common military
groupings (e.g., convulsants), and for industrial materials that
could be used as improvised agents. Classes are identied by a
number that corresponds to the rst 20 chapters in this handbook
(i.e., C01C20). Classes contain general information about that
specic group of agents. Although this book covers most of the major
classes of chemical, biological, and toxin agents, it does not deal
with antiplant chemicals, antimaterial agents, bioregulators or
modulators, or incendiary and smoke agents. At the end of each
class is detailed technical information about individual agents,
com- ponents, or decomposition products within that class. Each of
these individual materials is assigned a handbook number to allow
for rapid identication and cross-referencing throughout the book.
The rst three characters identify the agent class (e.g., C01). The
let- ter following the hyphen (e.g. C01-A) indicates that the
material is primarily an agent (A), component or precursor of that
class of agents (C), or is a signicant decomposition product or
impurity of that class of agents (D). The three digits that follow
the letter indicate the specic agent in the order that it appears
in the class (e.g., C01-A001). Chapter 21 contains four indices to
allow easy access to specic agents in this handbook. These indices
are the Alphabetical Index of names, the Chemical Abstract Service
(CAS) numbers index, the International Classication of Diseases
(ICD-10) numbers index, and the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons (OPCW) agent numbers index. These indices contain
synonyms and identifying numbers for the agents in this handbook
that are cross-referenced to the individual agents via the handbook
number. Information in classes for chemical agents and toxins is in
the following general format: General information Toxicology
(effects, pathways and routes of exposure, general exposure
hazards, latency period) Characteristics (physical appearance/odor,
stability, persistency, environmental fate) Additional hazards
(exposure, livestock/pets, re, reactivity, hazardous decompos-
ition products) Protection (evacuation recommendations, personal
protective requirements, decon- tamination) Medical [Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), case denition, differ- ential
diagnosis, signs and symptoms, mass-casualty triage
recommendations, casualty management, fatality management]
30. Ellison: 1434_c000 2007/7/4 20:25 page xxx #30 xxx
Explanatory Notes Information in classes for biological (i.e.,
pathogen) agents is in the following general format: General
information Response (personal protective requirements,
decontamination, fatality manage- ment) Information on the
individual chemical agents is in the following general format:
Handbook number Name and reference numbers (CAS, RTECS, UN, ERG)
Formula Description of the agent Additional information including
mixtures with other agents, industrial uses, threat, or treaty
listing Exposure hazards Properties AEGLs status and exposure
values Information on the individual toxins is in the following
general format: Handbook number Name and reference numbers (CAS,
RTECS) Formula and molecular weight (if known) Description of the
toxin and source Routes of exposure and signs and symptoms
Additional information including medicinal uses, threat, or treaty
listing Exposure hazards Information on the individual pathogens is
in the following general format: Handbook number Name, disease, and
ICD-10 Description of the disease including natural transmission,
natural reservoir, and a biosafety level if established Additional
information including threat or treaty listing The disease as it
appears in people including the CDC case denition, communicab-
ility, normal routes of exposure, infectious dose, secondary
hazards, incubation period, signs and symptoms, suggested
alternatives for differential diagnosis, and the untreated
mortality rate The disease as it appears in animals including
agricultural target species, com- municability, normal routes of
exposure, secondary hazards, incubation period, signs and symptoms,
suggested alternatives for differential diagnosis, and the
untreated mortality rate The disease as it appears in plants
including agricultural target species, normal routes of exposure,
secondary hazards, and signs
31. Ellison: 1434_c000 2007/7/4 20:25 page xxxi #31 Explanatory
Notes xxxi Abbreviations used in identifying individual agent are
listed below. CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service registry number. It
is unique for each chemical without inherent meaning that and is
assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service, a division of the
American Chemical Society. It allows for efcient searching of
computerized databases. ICD-10: Tenth revision of the International
Statistical Classication of Diseases and Related Health Problems.
It is the international standard diagnostic classication for all
general epidemiological and many health management purposes. RTECS:
Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances number is a unique
and unchanging number used to cross-reference the RTECS database,
which is a com- pendium of data extracted from the open scientic
literature. Six types of toxicity dataareincludedineachle:
(1)primaryirritation, (2)mutageniceffects, (3)repro- ductive
effects, (4) tumorigenic effects, (5) acute toxicity, and (6) other
multiple dose toxicity. UN: United Nations identication number used
in transportation of hazardous materials. ERG: 2004 Emergency
Response Guidebook number. As in the Guidebook, the letter P
following the guide number indicates that the material has a
signicant risk of violent polymerization if not properly
stabilized. Unless otherwise indicated, exposure hazards are for a
standard man (i.e., a male weigh- ing 70 kg/154 lbs) with a
respiratory tidal volume of 15 L/min (i.e., involved in light
activity). If a different breathing rate is used, then it is
indicated in parentheses. If tem- perature is a factor, then the
critical values are indicated. The military typically classies
moderate temperatures as 6585F. Temperatures above 85F are classied
as hot. For any given parameters, a dash (i.e., ) means that the
value is unavailable because it has not been determined or has not
been published. Conversion Factor: Ratio of parts per million to
milligrams per cubic meter at 77F. LCt50: Is an expression of the
dose of vapor or aerosolized agent necessary to kill half of the
exposed population. These values are expressed as milligram-minute
per cubic meter (mg-min/m3). The lethal concentration (LC50) is
determined by dividing the LCt50 by the duration of exposure in
minutes. Values are for inhalation (Inh) and percutaneous (Per)
exposures. These doseresponse values are not universally valid over
all exposure periods. For inhalation of agent, time parameters are
generally 28 min. For percutaneous absorption of agent, time
parameters are generally 30 min to 6 h. Typically, a lethal
concentration in parts per million (ppm) for a set exposure time is
included in parentheses following the mg-min/m3 value. LC50:
Concentrationofvapororaerosolizedagentnecessarytokillhalfoftheexposed
population. Used when a specic set of exposure conditions (i.e.,
concentration and duration of exposure) are known but a generalized
doseresponse (LCt50) is not available. LD50: Amount of liquid or
solid material required to kill half of the exposed population.
Values are for ingestion (Ing), percutaneous (Per) exposures, and
subcutaneous injection (Sub). These values are expressed as total
grams per individual.
32. Ellison: 1434_c000 2007/7/4 20:25 page xxxii #32 xxxii
Explanatory Notes Miosis: Concentration in parts per million (ppm)
required to induce signicant constriction of the pupil of the eye
following a 2-min exposure to the agent. ICt50: Is an expression of
the dose of vapor or aerosolized agent necessary to incapacitate
half of the exposed population. These values are expressed as
milligram-minute per cubic meter (mg-min/m3). The incapacitating
concentra- tion (IC50) is determined by dividing the ICt50 by the
duration of exposure in minutes. Values are for inhalation (Inh)
and percutaneous (Per) exposures; and in the case of vesicants,
damage to the skin (Skin) and eyes (Eyes). These dose response
values are not universally valid over all exposure periods. For
inhalation of agent, time parameters are generally 28 min. For
percutaneous absorption of agent, as well as damage to the skin and
eyes, time parameters are generally 2 min to 6 h. Typically, an
incapacitating concentration in parts per million (ppm) for a set
exposure time is included in parentheses following the mg-min/m3
value. Irritation values for eyes, skin, and respiratory system.
These values are expressed as a concentration (ppm for gases, mg/m3
for aerosols) for a 2-min exposure. Intolerable concentrations
cited in the literature are also noted. Vomiting: Inhaled
concentration of vapor or aerosolized agent necessary to induce
signicant nausea and vomiting in half of the exposed population.
These values are expressed as a concentration (ppm for gases, mg/m3
for aerosols) for a 2-min exposure. MEG: Military exposure
guidelines for deployed personnel. Levels reported in this handbook
are for 1-h exposures and consider three health endpoints. Minimal
(Min): Continuous exposure to concentrations above these levels
could produce mild, transient, reversible effects but should not
impair military operational per- formance. Signicant (Sig):
Continuous exposure to concentrations above these levels could
produce irreversible, permanent, or serious health effects, and
could degrade military operational performance and even
incapacitate some individu- als. Severe (Sev): Continuous exposure
to concentrations above these levels could produce life-threatening
or lethal effects in some individuals. WPL AEL: Worker Population
Airborne Exposure Limits developed for the military by the CDC.
They are based on a time-weighted average exposure over an 8-h
period and 40-h work week. OSHA PEL: Federal Permissible Exposure
Limits based on a time-weighted average exposure over an 8-h period
and 40-h work week. A [Skin] notation indicates that percutaneous
absorption of the material is a potential hazard and may contribute
to the overall exposure. ACGIH TLV: American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists recom- mended Threshold Limit
Values based on a time-weighted average exposure over an 8-h period
and 40-h work week. A [Skin] notation indicates that percutaneous
absorption of the material is a potential hazard and may contribute
to the overall exposure. AIHA WEEL: American Industrial Hygiene
Association recommended Workplace Environmental Exposure Levels
based on a time-weighted average exposure over an 8-h period and
40-h work week. STEL: Short-Term Exposure Limits based on a
time-weighted average exposure of 15 min (unless otherwise noted).
A [Skin] notation indicates that percutaneous absorption of the
material is a potential hazard and may contribute to the overall
exposure.
33. Ellison: 1434_c000 2007/7/4 20:25 page xxxiii #33
Explanatory Notes xxxiii Ceiling: Exposure limit that species the
concentration of vapor, dust, or aerosol that should not be
exceeded at any time during the workday. In some instances, a time
limit for exposure to the ceiling value is established and is
indicated in par- entheses. A [Skin] notation indicates that
percutaneous absorption of the material is a potential hazard and
may contribute to the overall exposure. IDLH: Immediately Dangerous
to Life or Health levels indicate that exposure to the listed
concentrations of airborne contaminants is likely to cause death,
immediate or delayed permanent adverse health effects, or prevent
escape from the contam- inated environment in a short period of
time, t