Nerve Agents

• Sarin was orginally developed in Germany in 1938, as an insecticide. The German Ministry of Defense required that it be tested for potential military usage.

• Sarin is a nerve agent. A nerve agent is a compound that is designed to kill people by binding up a compound known as acetylcholinesterase (the body's off switch), this compound is essential for removing acetylcholine, the body's voluntary muscles and gland "on switch". With reduced or no acetylocholinesterase, the glands and voluntary muscles continue to be stimulated by the acetylcholine; eventually the muscles tire and can no longer sustain breathing functions.

• Sarin is lethal. It can enter the body by inhalation, ingestion, through the eyes, and to a lesser extent through the skin.

• Sarin is generally non-persistent, it evaporates at approximately the same rate as water.

• Symptoms may appear in varying order based on route of exposure, but commonly noted symptoms include:

• Runny nose
• Watery eyes
• Drooling and excessive sweating
• Tightness of the chest
• Difficulty in breathing
• Dimness of vision ( pupils may become pinpointed)
• Nausea
• Vomiting, cramps, and loss of bladder/bowel control
• Twitching, jerking and staggering
• Headache, confusion, drowsiness, coma and convulsions

Remove contaminated clothing and wash skin with large amounts of soap and water or 5% liquid household bleach. Rinse well with water.

If you believe you have gotten Sarin in your eyes, immediately flush your eyes with water for 10-15 minutes.

If you believe that you have eaten or drank something with Sarin on it or in it, do not induce vomiting

SOMAN

• Soman was originally developed in Germany in 1944, as an insecticide.

• Soman is a nerve agent. A nerve agent is a compound that is designed to kill people by binding up a compound known as acetylcholinesterase (the body's off switch), this compound is essential for removing acetylcholine, the body's voluntary muscles and gland "on switch". With reduced or no acetylocholinesterase, the glands and voluntary muscles continue to be stimulated by the acetylcholine; eventually the muscles tire and can no longer sustain breathing functions.

• Soman is the most poisonous of the "G" agents. Antidotes are not effective a few minutes after the exposure. The agent binds irreversibly to acetylchlolinesterase.

• Soman is lethal. It can enter the body by inhalation, ingestion, through the eyes, and to a lesser extent through the skin.

• Soman is persistent, when dispersed heavily, it can persist for one to two days under average weather conditions. It is thought to evaporate four times more slowly than water.

• Symptoms may appear in varying order based on route of exposure, but commonly noted symptoms include:

• Runny nose
• Watery eyes
• Drooling and excessive sweating
• Tightness of the chest
• Difficulty in breathing
• Dimness of vision ( pupils may become pinpointed)
• Nausea
• Vomiting, cramps, and loss of bladder/bowel control
• Twitching, jerking and staggering
• Headache, confusion, drowsiness, coma and convulsions

Remove contaminated clothing and wash skin with large amounts of soap and water or 5% liquid household bleach. Rinse well with water.

If you believe you have gotten Soman in your eyes, immediately flush your eyes with water for 10-15 minutes.

If you believe that you have eaten or drank something with Soman on it or in it, do not induce vomiting

TABUN

• Tabun was originally developed in Germany in 1936, as an insecticide.

• Tabun is a nerve agent. A nerve agent is a compound that is designed to kill people by binding up a compound known as acetylcholinesterase (the body's off switch), this compound is essential for removing acetylcholine, the body's voluntary muscles and gland "on switch". With reduced or no acetylocholinesterase, the glands and voluntary muscles continue to be stimulated by the acetylcholine; eventually the muscles tire and can no longer sustain breathing functions.

• Tabun is lethal. It can enter the body by inhalation, ingestion, through the eyes, and to a lesser extent through the skin.

• Tabun is persistent, based on amount dispersed and weather. Heavily splashed liquid persists one to two days under average weather conditions. It evaporates about 20 times more slowly than water. It persists about one day at 20 C and about six days at 5 C. Tabun persists twice as long in sea water.

• Symptoms may appear in varying order based on route of exposure, but commonly noted symptoms include:

• Runny nose
• Watery eyes
• Drooling and excessive sweating
• Tightness of the chest
• Difficulty in breathing
• Dimness of vision ( pupils may become pinpointed)
• Nausea
• Vomiting, cramps, and loss of bladder/bowel control
• Twitching, jerking and staggering
• Headache, confusion, drowsiness, coma and convulsions

Remove contaminated clothing and wash skin with large amounts of soap and water or 5% liquid household bleach. Rinse well with water.

If you believe you have gotten Tabun in your eyes, immediately flush your eyes with water for 10-15 minutes.

If you believe that you have eaten or drank something with Tabun on it or in it, do not induce vomiting

CDC fact sheet on nerve agents (including Tabun, Sarin, Soman)

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control