Table Of ContentHandbook of Chemical and Biological
Warfare Agents, Volume 1
Handbook of Chemical and
Biological Warfare Agents,
Volume 1
Military Chemical and Toxic Industrial Agents
Third Edition
D. Hank Ellison
Third edition published 2022
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© 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
First edition published by CRC Press 1999
Second edition published by CRC Press 2007
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ISBN: 978-1-032-13723-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-14892-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-23057-1 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003230571
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Contents
Preface...............................................................................................................................................ix
Acknowledgements...........................................................................................................................xi
Explanatory Notes...........................................................................................................................xv
Author............................................................................................................................................xxv
Nerve Agents
Chapter 1 Organophosphorus Nerve Agents...............................................................................3
General Information....................................................................................................3
Toxicology...................................................................................................................5
Characteristics..............................................................................................................6
Additional Hazards......................................................................................................9
Protection...................................................................................................................11
Medical......................................................................................................................17
Fatality Management.................................................................................................19
Bibliography............................................................................................................148
Chapter 2 Carbamate Nerve Agents........................................................................................153
General Information................................................................................................153
Toxicology...............................................................................................................153
Characteristics..........................................................................................................154
Additional Hazards..................................................................................................155
Protection.................................................................................................................156
Medical....................................................................................................................158
Fatality Management...............................................................................................159
Bibliography............................................................................................................199
Vesicant/Urticant Agents
Chapter 3 Sulfur and Nitrogen Vesicants................................................................................203
General Information................................................................................................203
Toxicology...............................................................................................................203
Characteristics..........................................................................................................205
Additional Hazards..................................................................................................207
Protection.................................................................................................................208
Medical....................................................................................................................212
Fatality Management...............................................................................................214
Bibliography............................................................................................................257
v
vi Contents
Chapter 4 Arsenic Vesicants....................................................................................................261
General Information................................................................................................261
Toxicology...............................................................................................................261
Characteristics..........................................................................................................262
Additional Hazards..................................................................................................263
Protection.................................................................................................................264
Medical....................................................................................................................267
Fatality Management...............................................................................................269
Bibliography............................................................................................................276
Chapter 5 Urticants...................................................................................................................279
General Information................................................................................................279
Toxicology...............................................................................................................279
Characteristics..........................................................................................................280
Additional Hazards..................................................................................................281
Protection.................................................................................................................282
Medical....................................................................................................................284
Fatality Management...............................................................................................286
Bibliography............................................................................................................288
Toxic Agents
Chapter 6 Bicyclophosphate Convulsants................................................................................293
General Information................................................................................................293
Toxicology...............................................................................................................293
Characteristics..........................................................................................................294
Additional Hazards..................................................................................................294
Protection.................................................................................................................295
Medical....................................................................................................................297
Fatality Management...............................................................................................298
Bibliography............................................................................................................301
Chapter 7 COX-Inhibiting Blood Agents................................................................................303
General Information................................................................................................303
Toxicology...............................................................................................................303
Characteristics..........................................................................................................304
Additional Hazards..................................................................................................305
Protection.................................................................................................................307
Medical....................................................................................................................309
Fatality Management...............................................................................................311
Bibliography............................................................................................................319
Chapter 8 Arsine Blood Agents...............................................................................................323
General Information................................................................................................323
Toxicology...............................................................................................................323
Contents vii
Characteristics..........................................................................................................323
Additional Hazards..................................................................................................324
Protection.................................................................................................................325
Medical....................................................................................................................327
Fatality Management...............................................................................................328
Bibliography............................................................................................................331
Chapter 9 Carbon Monoxide Blood Agents............................................................................333
General Information................................................................................................333
Toxicology...............................................................................................................333
Characteristics..........................................................................................................334
Additional Hazards..................................................................................................335
Protection.................................................................................................................336
Medical....................................................................................................................337
Fatality Management...............................................................................................339
Bibliography............................................................................................................341
Chapter 10 Pulmonary Agents...................................................................................................343
General Information................................................................................................343
Toxicology...............................................................................................................343
Characteristics..........................................................................................................344
Additional Hazards..................................................................................................345
Protection.................................................................................................................346
Medical....................................................................................................................348
Fatality Management...............................................................................................349
Bibliography............................................................................................................363
Chapter 11 Toxic Industrial Agents...........................................................................................365
General Information................................................................................................365
Toxicology...............................................................................................................365
Protection.................................................................................................................366
Medical....................................................................................................................368
Fatality Management...............................................................................................369
Bibliography............................................................................................................523
Indices...........................................................................................................................................525
Alphabetical Index of Chemical Names, Military Codes and Synonyms..................526
Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) Numbers..........................................................776
United Nations (UN) Numbers...............................................................................791
European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical
Substances (EC) Numbers.......................................................................................793
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Unique Ingredient Identifiers (UNII) ..................796
11th Revision of the International Statistical Classification of
Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) Codes.......................................800
Index..............................................................................................................................................803
viii Contents
Volume 2 contains the following classes of agents and other information:
Chapter 12 Mind-Altering Agents
Chapter 13 Irritating/Lachrymatory Agents
Chapter 14 Vomiting/Sternatory Agents
Chapter 15 Malodorants
Chapter 16 Toxins
Chapter 17 Bacterial Pathogens
Chapter 18 Viral Pathogens
Chapter 19 Fungal Pathogens
Chapter 20 Bioregulators
Chapter 21 Non-vector Entomological Agents
Glossary
Appendices
A Agent delivery
B Summary of military chemical munitions markings
C Biological risk groups and biosafety levels
D International and U.S. domestic lists of agents
Index
Preface to Volume 1
The first edition of this handbook was written in 1999. At that time, it was one of only a few
resources available to the general public that addressed chemical and biological warfare agents in
detail. This is no longer the case. There are numerous books and papers that have been written on
virtually all aspect of these agents. Some are written for the average citizen while others are
specialized and directed toward a specific audience. Some are broad sweeping overviews with
minimal technical data, while others focus on topics such as toxicology, medical treatment, and
threat scenarios.
This handbook was originally written as an aid to first responders and meant to help bridge the
gap between what was known about responding to industrial hazardous materials, and responding
to events involving military chemical and biological agents. It was formatted to resemble two
classic resources recognized by virtually every responder working at a hazardous material incident:
The NIOSH Pocket Guide and the transportation Emergency Response Guidebook. This structure
gives rapid access to key information need by responders early in a response without
overwhelming them with inessential details. The second edition underwent a consolidation of
information along with a change in format that made it more succinct. The number of agents
identified was also greatly expanded.
This new edition retains the formatting changes made in the second edition. However, there have
been some changes in the identification of agent classes. In this current edition, two of the classes
from the second edition, bacterial and rickettsial pathogens, have been consolidated into a single class
in order to provide clarity and reflect current scientific taxonomy. Two new classes of biological
agents, bioregulators and non-vector entomological agents, have been added. The information
presented in every class detailed in this edition has been updated and expanded. There is also a
significant increase in the number of agents described, as well as in the number of components,
precursors and decomposition products. Individual entries contain more information on health
effects, and on the chemical, physical and biological properties of individual agents.
This volume also includes changes that correct the structure of the Novichok agents that was
misidentified in the second edition as having an oxime moiety. The oxime series has been retained as
a separate subclass, as those agents were also investigated for their possible utility as warfare agents.
The body of information in this new edition of the handbook exceeds a size that can comfortably
be handled in a single volume. Volume one of this edition contains those classes of military
chemical agents that were developed for their lethal effects as well as toxic industrial agents of
concern. Volume two contains chemicals that were developed as incapacitating agents or for use in
riot control situations, as well as all classes of biological pathogens and mid-spectrum agents. No
value or utility of the agents is implied in this grouping nor in the sequence that the classes are
presented in either volume.
All materials listed in this handbook have been used on the battlefield, stockpiled as weapons,
received significant interest by research programs, used or threatened to be used by terrorists, or
have been assessed by qualified law enforcement and response organizations as agents of
significant concern. In presenting this broad spectrum, I do not offer an evaluation of the efficacy
or viability of the agent classes or any of the individual agents. I have included agents classified by
the military as obsolete along with those that are still considered a potential threat on the
battlefield. It is important to remember that while an agent may have been a failure on the
battlefield, it could still be a very successful weapon in the hands of a terrorist. In order to assure
accuracy, all data has been cross checked over the widest variety of military, scientific and medical
sources available.
Information in this handbook is a compilation gathered from numerous sources and arranged
into the current format. In general, the most conservative recommendations have been incorporated
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