NERVE AGENTS

The effects of nerve agents appear almost immediately and range from relatively minor effects to very severe effects that may lead to death. They disrupt the messages that are carried by nerves. The effects include visual disturbance, runny nose, chest tightness, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, and death. Treatment for these chemicals includes atropine, pralidoxime chloride, and diazepam.

Examples of nerve agents include:

Sarin is a colorless, odorless liquid that mixes in water. It can be swallowed, inhaled, or pass through the skin. Depending on the dose, effects begin to appear within a few minutes to one hour. 

Tabun is a colorless-to-brownish liquid. Under average weather conditions, tabun can remain for 1-2 days. Tabun is usually released as an aerosol or vapor. 

Soman is a colorless and tasteless liquid that mixes readily with water. Released soman evaporates rapidly, dissolves, and eventually breaks down in the environment.

VX is an amber-colored, oily liquid that will remain in the environment until it has been properly cleaned through decontamination methods. VX can enter the body through swallowing, breathing, or passing through skin or eyes.

Precautions for nerve agents

Similar precautions are necessary for all of these nerve agents. The protective measures include using appropriate personal protective equipment. Contaminated clothing needs to be removed, bagged and seal. The skin should be decontaminated by washing it twice with large amounts of soap and water. Measures also need to be taken to prevent secondary exposure when attending to others that have already been exposed. These agents can cause exposure when they evaporate from contaminated clothing. Health care workers and others exposed to a contaminated victim can be protected by removing, bagging, and sealing the victim's clothing, and washing the victim's skin twice with large amounts of soap and water.