CBRN, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Flashcards
What state can chemical agents be in?
Liquid
Gas
Solid
What are the two ways to define the period of time a chemical hazard will remain active?
Persistent
Non-persistent
What are the 2 classifications of chemical agents?
Toxic and non-toxic
What are the 4 Toxic chemical agents?
Nerve agents - G & V
Choking agents - CG & CL
Blood agents - AC & CK
Blister agents - CX, H & L
What are the 2 non-toxic chemical agents?
Incapacitating agents - LSD & BZ
Riot control agents - CS, CN & DM
What are some common nerve agents?
GA - Tabun
GB - Sarin
GD - Soman
V series - Most common VX
Where does the NATO designation GA, GB etc come from?
They were first developed in Germany (G) and the timeline of their development A, B, C etc. The most common/easy to produce variants are generally listed listed.
Where does the NATO designation VX come from?
The original V series nerve agent was developed in Britain as a pesticide under the name Amiton in 1954. This was quickly withdrawn as it was too toxic. The British Armed Forces continued its development and named it Venomous Agent. This research was traded with the US for nuclear research which began large scale production of the VX agent.
How do nerve agents enter and act upon the body?
They are inhaled, ingested or absorbed into to body. They disrupt the signals from your nervous system to your muscles causing respiratory failure, depression of the nervous system and airway obstruction from bronchial and salivary secretions.
What are some characteristics of nerve agents?
Rapid acting, death within minutes Percutaneous, penetrate skin/clothing Cumulative Persistent as liquid Disseminated as liquid or vapour Colourless/odourless, hard to detect with senses
What are common initial nerve agent symptoms?
Unexplained runny nose and increased saliva Chest tightness Pinpointing of pupils (MIOSIS) Dimness of vision, difficult to focus Frontal headache
What is used for nerve agent treatment?
NAPS - Nerve agent pre-treatment set
Combo pen - 3 pens with 3 agents mixed per pen (Atropine, Obidoxime, Diazepam)
If the combo pen is administered without a nerve agent in the body you will suffer Atropine poisoning. What are the symptoms? These will be the opposite of the nerve agent symptoms.
Rapid pulse rate (over 100 bpm)
Very dry mouth and throat
Hot dry skin
Enlarged pupils
You are issued 3 ComboPens if there is a risk of nerve agent attack. What is the allowable dose?
1 pen every 10mins as signs and symptoms exist to a maximum of 3 auto-injectors.
What is the defensive action against a nerve agent?
Conduct masking drill
Inject auto-injector
Conduct personal decontamination
How do choking agents work?
Chemicals that attack lung tissue causing fluid build up thus dry land drowning. The agents become corrosive when contacting the skin and eyes causing burn and blurred vision.
What are some common choking agents?
Phosgene CG
Chlorine CL
Diphosgene DP
What are some choking agent symptoms?
- Short Term Irritation to the eyes Shortness of breath, coughing, choking Nausea and vomiting - Long Term Rapid shallow breathing Cyanosis (blue lips and skin) Painful cough Frothy yellow sputum Death up to 3-48 hours after exposure
How do blood agents work?
Usually disseminated as a vapour blood agents affect the circulatory/reparatory systems preventing the transfer of oxygen between cells.
What are some common blood agents?
Hydrogen cyanide AC
Cyanogen Chloride CK
What are some characteristics of blood agents?
Rapid acting
Non-cumulative
Break down mask filters faster than other agents
What are symptoms of blood agents?
Giddiness/dizziness Breathing rate - AC (increase) CK (decrease) Headache Increase pulse/pounding heart Skin/lips colour AC (red) CK (blue) Convulsions/unconsciousness/coma/death
How do blister agents work?
They burn and blister the skin, eyes, throat. Most cause little or no pain when first contacted. Signs may be delayed several hours.
What are some common blister agents?
Mustard H, HD, HN Arsenicals L (Lewisite) Urticants CX (Phosgene oxime - causes welts instead of blisters)
What are symptoms of blister agents?
Violent irritation of eyes Skin irritation (immediate or delayed) Respiratory tract injuries Diarrhoea, restlessness, weakness, temperatures and low blood pressure Up to 3 months healing High dose can cause death
What are 2 common riot control agents?
Tear gas CS and CN
Vomiting agents DM (adamsite)
How does an Incapacitating agent affect an individual?
Produce physiological or mental effects and impair the persons abilities to carry out their duties.
What are some of the immediate symptoms of incapacitating agents?
Rapid heart rate Dry mouth, lips and throat Increased pupil size and blurred vision Headache and vomiting Dizziness Confusion and stupour Staggering and slurred speach Failure to respond to orders
What is the sequence of a nuclear explosion?
Detonation Fireball Radiation (initial/thermal) Pressure wave Fallout
What are the delayed effects of radiation?
Shortening if life span
Increased cancer
Cataracts
Genetic damage
What is issued CBRN individual protective equipment suitable for?
Chemical, biological, nuclear and low-level radiation. There are different equipment items for specific tasks and materials.
What is worn and carried for MOPP level 0?
Normal clothing worn, respirator carried and IPE immediately available.
What is worn and carried for MOPP level 1 ?
CBRN suit worn
Respirator, gloves and boots carried
What is worn and carried for MOPP level 2 ?
CBRN suit and boots worn
Respirator and gloves carried
What is worn and carried for MOPP level 3 ?
CBRN suit, boots and gloves worn
Respirator carried
What is worn and carried for MOPP level 4 ?
CBRN suit, boots, gloves and respirator all worn.
What does MOPP stand for?
Mission orientated protective posture
What is the shelf life of an S10 respirator?
10 years LWP-G 3-9-10 2018
What is the operational life of an AMF 12 canister after gross liquid contamination with a blood agent?
20 minutes
What colour change indicators are on the M8 liquid detector paper?
Yellow G series
Red H series
Green V series
What colour change indicators are on the M9 liquid detector paper?
G, V and H series agents are all displayed as red
What is the initial cordon size for chemical hazard?
450m radius, 2km downwind at an angle of 355mils either side of the axis.
What are the peacetime disposal methods for chemical agents?
Neutralisation
Incineration
Emergency recovery
Decontamination is conducted at what 4 levels?
Immediate - individual or IA drill
Operational - Will allow the operation to be completed
Thorough - Allow lowering IPE state
Final - Allow return to normal use and operation
What are the 5 methods of decontamination?
Weathering - Allow heat and rain to clear (generally non-persistent)
Flushing/Removal - Using water/steam to remove
Burning - Works on contaminated items (not radiological)
Covering - Cover with dirt or plastic sheet for temporary protection
Neutralising - Decontaminant chemical solutions for CB agents.
Is caustic soda a decontaminant for Blood agent AC (hydrogen cyanide)?
Yes
What are the 4 steps of decontamination at a personal decontamination station?
Decontaminate
Wait
Rinse
Check
