Chemical and Biological Attack
In case of a chemical or biological weapon attack near you, authorities will instruct
you on the best course of action. This may be to evacuate the area immediately, to
seek shelter at a designated location, or to take immediate shelter where you are
and seal the premises. The best way to protect yourself is to take emergency preparedness
measures ahead of time and to get medical attention as soon as possible, if needed.
Chemical
Chemical warfare agents are poisonous vapors, aerosols, liquids or solids that have
toxic effects on people, animals or plants. They can be released by bombs, sprayed
from aircraft, boats, or vehicles, or used as a liquid to create a hazard to people
and the environment. Some chemical agents may be odorless and tasteless. They can
have an immediate effect (a few seconds to a few minutes) or a delayed effect (several
hours to several days). While potentially lethal, chemical agents are difficult to
deliver in lethal concentrations. Outdoors, the agents often dissipate rapidly. Chemical
agents are also difficult to produce.
There are six types of agents:
- Lung-damaging (pulmonary) agents such as phosgene,
- Cyanide,
- Vesicants or blister agents such as mustard,
- Nerve agents such as GA (tabun), GB (sarin), GD (soman), GF, and VX,
- Incapacitating agents such as BZ, and
- Riot-control agents (similar to MACE).
Biological
Biological agents are organisms or toxins that can kill or incapacitate people, livestock
and crops. The three basic groups of biological agents which would likely be used
as weapons are bacteria, viruses, and toxins:
- Bacteria are small free-living organisms that reproduce by simple division and are
easy to grow. The diseases they produce often respond to treatment with antibiotics.
- Viruses are organisms which require living cells in which to reproduce and are intimately
dependent upon the body they infect. Viruses produce diseases which generally do not
respond to antibiotics. However, antiviral drugs are sometimes effective.
- Toxins are poisonous substances found in, and extracted from, living plants, animals,
or microorganisms; some toxins can be produced or altered by chemical means. Some
toxins can be treated with specific antitoxins and selected drugs. Most biological
agents are difficult to grow and maintain. Many break down quickly when exposed to
sunlight and other environmental factors, while others such as anthrax spores are
very long lived. They can be dispersed by spraying them in the air, or infecting animals
which carry the disease to humans as well through food and water contamination.
- Aerosols. Biological agents are dispersed into the air, forming a fine mist that may
drift for miles. Inhaling the agent may cause disease in people or animals.
- Animals. Some diseases are spread by insects and animals, such as fleas, mice, flies,
and mosquitoes. Deliberately spreading diseases through livestock is also referred
to as agroterrorism.
- Food and water contamination. Some pathogenic organisms and toxins may persist in
food and water supplies. Most microbes can be killed, and toxins deactivated, by cooking
food and boiling water. Anthrax spores formulated as a white powder were mailed to
individuals in the government and media in the fall of 2001. Postal sorting machines
and the opening of letters dispersed the spores as aerosols. Several deaths resulted.
The effect was to disrupt mail service and to cause a widespread fear of handling
delivered mail among the public. Person-to-person spread of a few infectious agents
is also possible. Humans have been the source of infection for smallpox, plague, and
the Lassa viruses. Be aware of your surroundings. The very nature of terrorism suggests
that there may be little or no warning.
What to Do to Prepare for a Chemical or Biological Attack
Assemble a disaster supply kit and be sure to include:
- Battery-powered commercial radio with extra batteries.
- Non-perishable food and drinking water.
- Roll of duct tape and scissors.
- Plastic for doors, windows and vents for the room in which you will shelter in place—this
should be an internal room where you can block out air that may contain hazardous
chemical or biological agents. To save critical time during an emergency, sheeting
should be pre-measured and cut for each opening.
- First aid kit.
What to Do During a Chemical or Biological Attack
- Listen to your radio for instructions from authorities such as whether to remain inside
or to evacuate.
- If you are instructed to remain in your home, the building where you are, or other
shelter during a chemical or biological attack:
- Turn off all ventilation, including furnaces, air conditioners, vents and fans.
- Seek shelter in an internal room, preferably one without windows. Seal the room with
duct tape and plastic sheeting. Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide
sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide build-up for up to five hours.
- Remain in protected areas where toxic vapors are reduced or eliminated, and be sure
to take your battery-operated radio with you.
- If you are caught in an unprotected area, you should:
- Attempt to get up-wind of the contaminated area.
- Attempt to find shelter as quickly as possible.
- Listen to your radio for official instructions.
What to Do After a Chemical or Biological Attack
Chemical Attack
Immediate symptoms of exposure to chemical agents may include blurred vision, eye
irritation, difficulty breathing and nausea. A person affected by a chemical or biological
agent requires immediate attention by professional medical personnel.
- If medical help is not immediately available, decontaminate yourself and assist in
decontaminating others. Decontamination is needed within minutes of exposure to minimize
health consequences. (However, you should not leave the safety of a shelter to go
outdoors to help others until authorities announce it is safe to do so.) The best
protection against a chemical or biological attack would come from being prepared
and getting quick medical attention.
- Use extreme caution when helping others who have been exposed to chemical agents:
Remove all clothing and other items in contact with the body. Contaminated clothing
normally removed over the head should be cut off to avoid contact with the eyes, nose,
and mouth. Put into a plastic bag if possible. Decontaminate hands using soap and
water. Remove eyeglasses or contact lenses. Put glasses in a pan of household bleach
to decontaminate.
- Remove all items in contact with the body.
- Flush eyes with lots of water.
- Gently wash face and hair with soap and water; then thoroughly rinse with water.
- Decontaminate other body areas likely to have been contaminated. Blot (do not swab
or scrape) with a cloth soaked in soapy water and rinse with clear water.
- Change into uncontaminated clothes. Clothing stored in drawers or closets is likely
to be uncontaminated.
- If possible, proceed to a medical facility for screening.
Biological Attack
In many biological attacks, people will not know they have been exposed to an agent.
In such situations, the first evidence of an attack may be when you notice symptoms
of the disease caused by an agent exposure, and you should seek immediate medical
attention for treatment.
In some situations, like the anthrax letters sent in 2001, people may be alerted to
a potential exposure. If this is the case, pay close attention to all official warnings
and instructions on how to proceed. The delivery of medical services for a biological
event may be handled differently to respond to increased demand. Again, it will be
important for you to pay attention to official instructions via radio, television,
and emergency alert systems. If your skin or clothing comes in contact with a visible,
potentially infectious substance, you should remove and bag your clothes and personal
items and washyourself with warm soapy water immediately. Put on clean clothes and
seek medical assistance.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
