LESSON 13 - WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION Flashcards by Kyra Catedral

Device that is designed to be used in fighting an enemy of a war to cause bodily harm to another

WEAPON

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Defend oneself from attackers

WEAPON

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Used to describe different kinds of weapons

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

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two important characteristics of weapons of mass destruction

The ability to produce large-scale destruction

They do not choose who they want to attack which affects usually the civilians

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is a part of a country’s activity

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is a part of a country’s activity

Weapon making

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An art and craft
A symbol of strength and power of a country
Used as a defense
Undergoes evolution

WEAPON MAKING

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4 TYPES OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Biological
Chemical
Nuclear
Radiological

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Weapons that uses harmful biological agent (pathogenic microorganism/neurotoxin/virus/bacteria) to cause death or disease on a large scale

Biological

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Weapons containing any of several chemical compounds like chlorine gas, mustard gas, of which some are toxic
agents that are intended to kill, injure, or incapacitate an enemy.

Chemical

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Weapon combining radiological materials with a conventional explosive device.

Nuclear

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Considered as the greatest weapons of mass destruction ever created FISSION, or REACTION.

Nuclear

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Devices that spread dangerous radioactive materials that is wrapped around a conventional explosive to spread toxic radiation

Radiological

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Three types of weapons of mass destruction (Laura Reed)

Nuclear weapons
Chemical warfare agents
Biological warfare agents

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BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Smallpox
Anthrax
Ebola Virus
Plague
Tularemia
Botulinum Toxin
Rice Blast
Rinderpest

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Smallpox
Caused by

variola virus

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Spreads through direct contact with an infected person’s skin or bodily fluids, air in closed, confined areas, and contaminated snail mail

Smallpox

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Classified as Category A Biological Weapon by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to its high mortality rate and easily transmitted through the air

Smallpox

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Signs/symptoms of smallpox

High fevers
Body aches
Rash

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Antidote of smallpox

Isolate the patient until all scabs have fallen off (304 weeks after rash onset) to prevent transmission of the virus

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One of the deadliest and most feared agent of biological weapon

Anthrax

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Anthrax is caused by bacteria called

bacillus anthracis

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Anthrax: Effects after _____ days of inhalation and death may occur if not treated.

seven

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Signs/symptoms of anthrax:

Fever
Malaise
Fatigue
Coughing
Internal bleeding
Blood poisoning
Meningitis

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Antidote of anthrax:

Large doses of intravenous and oral antibiotics (such as fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin), doxycycline, erythromycin, vancomycin, or penicillin)

A killer that causes hemorrhagic fevers marked by severe bleeding

Ebola Virus

Ebola virus hit the news in the late

1970s

Ebola virus: Spread through _____ and ______q, killing hundreds

Zaire and Sudan

Ebola Virus: Got its name from the ______ (near one of the villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the disease was first discovered)

Ebola River

Infects others through direct contact with blood or other bodily secretions

Ebola Virus

Signs/symptoms of Ebola:

Between 2-21 days Headache Muscle ache Sore throat Weakness Diarrhea Vomiting Some: internal and external bleeding 60 and 90 percent dies after 7 to 16 days while some patient recover better than others

Antidote for Ebola:

No cure for ebola Only proper medical management such as avoiding people who are exposed to it and maintain balance of fluids and electrolytes and oxygen Blood transfusion and treatment for other infections

Plague also called

Black Death

Killed half of the population of Europe in the 14th century

Plague

Plague caused by a bacterium __________, which was transmitted to humans by infected rats

Yersinia Pestis

2 main types of plague:

Bubonic and Pneumonic

Spreads by bites from infected fleas Can be transmitted from person to person through contact with infected bodily fluids

Bubonic

Named for the swollen glands, or buboes, around the groin, armpit, and next accompanied by fever, chills, headache, and exhaustion.

Bubonic

Less common and spreads through the air by coughs, sneezes, and face-to-face contact.

Pneumonic

Symptoms of bubonic Occur within ______ days and last between _______ days; ____ percent die within the first 24 hours if not treated

2 or 3 days, 1 and 6 days, 70 percent

High fever, cough, bloody mucus, difficulty breathing

Symptoms of pneumonic

Antidote for pneumonic

Antibiotics (for bubonic plague) Patients are advised to be hospitalized in isolation

Tularemia also called

rabbit fever

Tularemia caused by the bacterium

Francisella Tularensis

One of the most infectious bacteria on Earth Humans can become infected through bites of tick and deer flies, skin contact with infected animals, drinking contaminated water, and inhalation of contaminated aerosols or agricultural dusts

Tularemia

Signs/symptoms of Tularemia

Fever Chills Headache Diarrhea Muscle aches Joint pain Dry cough Progressive weakness

Antidote for Tularemia

Not transferred between human hosts but can be spread very rapidly between animal hosts and humans or when used in aerosol form Easily treated with antibiotics or prevented with a vaccine

Botulinum Toxin is caused by a bacteria _________________ that contains deadly botulinum toxin

Clostridium Botulinum

Colorless and odorless in air Spores are found in fruits, vegetables, and seafood Considered harmless but when they begin to grow, they produce deadly toxin

Botulinum Toxin

Humans are exposed to the toxin through the consumption of contaminated foods

Botulinum Toxin

Signs/symptoms of Botulinum Toxin

Blurred vision Vomiting Difficulty swallowing

Antidote fir Botulinum Toxin

Antitoxin drugs (to prevent the disorder from worsening, but recovery still takes many weeks)

Rice Blast: A kind of crop disease Caused by the fungus ________________ (also known as Magnaporthe grisea)

Pyricularia Oryzae

Makes leaves of plants that were exposed to the fungus develop grayish lesions with buildup of thousands of fungal spores

Rice Blast

Does not kill instantly, but low food production could lead to severe hunger in poorer countries, as well as losses in income.

Rice Blast

Antidote for rice blast

Develop fungus-resistant plant varieties Do not use excessive fertilizer Irrigate the soil regularly Plant early Use silicon fertilizers (calcium silicate) as alternative fertilizer they can be applied to soils that can help reduce blast Apply appropriate fungicide to infected plants

A German name A pest caused by a virus similar to Measles

Rinderpest

Affects mostly cattle and other ruminant animals animals such as goats, bison, and giraffes

Rinderpest

Highly contagious disease, characterized with fever, loss of appetite, dysentery, and inflammation of the mucus membranes

Rinderpest

Condition get serious for 6 to 10 days after exposure until the animal suffers dehydration

Rinderpest

Antidote for Rinderpest

There is no known treatment Animals exposed to it are required to be isolated and slaughtered Vaccination can be administered if directed by the authorities Proper disposal of dead animals and contaminated material Maintain cleanliness and proper sanitation of cattle farms Using disinfectants like Sodium Hypochlorite (a 3% household bleach can kill RPV virus)

Caused by the NIPAH Virus in 1999 Resulted to an outbreak in Nipah region of Malaysia (infected 265; killing 105)

NIPAH Virus

Virus naturally occurs in fruit bats May be spread through close physical contact or contaminated body fluids

NIPAH Virus

NIPAH Virus : Lasts _______ days

6 to 10 days

Classified as Category C Biological Weapon

NIPAH Virus

Signs/symptoms of NIPAH Virus

Fever Muscle pain Encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) Severe cases: drowsiness, disorientation, convulsions, ultimately

Antidote for NIPAH Virus

Limited to supportive care

Composed of toxic chemical contained in a bomb that can cause death, injury, temporary incapacitation or sensory irritation through chemical action

CHEMICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Chemical weapons of mass destruction are controlled and affected by:

Freshness Purity Weather conditions Wind direction Means of dissemination Other factors

CHEMICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION are called:

Nerve agents Blister agents Choking agents All of them can irritate the eyes, lungs or skin

Effects of chemical weapons of mass destruction:

Immediate failure of the respiratory r nervous system Skin irritation Headaches Heart palpitations Respiratory difficulty Vomiting Convulsions

Forms of chemical weapons of mass destruction:

Liquids Vapors Gases Aerosols

Just like conventional bombs

Chemical WMD

Meant to cause extreme damage through an explosion that releases a large amount of energy in a short period of time

Chemical WMD

Explosion is created by changing the atoms themselves, either by splitting them or fusing them together to create new atoms that release tremendous heat

Chemical WMD

Some countries all over the world possess about _________ nuclear weapons

30,000

Since ______, no nuclear weapon has been used in a conflict although possession of them is a symbol of strength and prestige and can be used during diplomatic bargaining

1945

MOST COMMON CHEMICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Sarin Soman VX Zyklon B Mustard Agents

Sarin also called

Colorless, odorless nerve gas Considered an organophosphate chemical, a potent pesticide Tasteless, odorless, colorless liquid that has no odor in its pure form which was developed in Germany by Gerhard Schrader in 1938

Sarin

Antidote for sarin

Exposure to Atropine and Pralidoxime for nerve agent against toxicity

A combination of Sarin and Lewisite, an effective blistering agent

Soman

More expensive to produce than sarin Colorless liquid, becomes dark brown if aged Tasteless but has been variously described as having a sweet, musty, fruity, spicy, or nutty smell More deadly than sarin and tabun Considered a volatile substance effective mainly through inhalation

Soman

O-ethyl S-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate

VX is _______ in liquid form

brownish

Vapors are odorless A very toxic nerve gas, an extremely toxic chemical agent Used as a nerve gas which causes convulsions, loss of consciousness, paralysis, and failure of the respiratory system leading to death

VX is ___ times more deadly than sarin

100

- first synthesized VX; a chemist working for Imperial Chemical Industries in Britain

Ranaji Ghosh

Antidote for VX

Atropine and Pralidoxime Injected sedative/antiepileptic such as diazepam

Tabun Discovered by a German chemist, ___________, sometime in 1937

Gerhard Schrader

Colorless or brownish liquid, and odorless as a vapor Classified as an organophosphate and originally intended to be used as a pesticides Considered among the easiest of nerve gases to manufacture Can be mixed with water Can be used to poison water or food and it can be inhaled when released into the air

Tabun

Antidote for Tabun

Administration of injectable atropine and pralidoxime

Poison gas invented in Germany by Fritz Haver

Zyklon B

A type of hydrogen cyanide used by the Nazis to kill war victims inside gas chamber during World War II Colorless vapor at normal temperatures with a smell like bitter almonds

Zyklon B

- has high toxicity and in sufficient concentrations rapidly leads to death

Hydrogen Cyanides

Antidote for Zyklon B

Amyl nitrite Sodium nitrite Sodium thiosulfate

First used near the end of World War I Exposure to it cause severe eye and lung damage

Mustard Agents

Mustard Agents: Chemical compound is often called “____________” because their injuries usually resemble burns or blisters

blister agents

- commonly known as Mustard Gas, have the ability to form large blisters on exposed skin and in the lungs; sometimes smells like garlic, onions, or mustard and sometimes has no odor

Sulfur Mustard

- exposure can cause 2nd and 3rd degree chemical burns

Mustard Gas

Antidote for Mustard Gas

No antidote for mustard exposure The best thing to do is to avoid it by leaving the area immediately where the sulfur mustard is present Go to a higher ground, because sulfur mustard being heavier than air, will settle in low-lying areas

TYPES OF NUCLEAR REACTION THAT CAN BE USED TO MAKE NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Fission Weapons Fusion Weapons

Atoms are split

Fission Weapons

The core of a fission bomb is made of either _______, or highly enriched ______

Plutonium/Uranium

During fission, when the heavy nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei, extra neutrons are released. If these neutrons are absorbed by other nuclei, they can, in turn, also releasing neutrons and setting off what is known as a _____________

Chain Reaction

Often known as hydrogen bombs - deuterium and tritium

Fusion Weapons

Two isotopes of hydrogen are fused together to create heavier atoms

Fusion Weapons

Can only happen at extremely high temperatures and pressure There is no theoretical limit to the explosive force of a fusion weapon

Fusion Weapons

EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Blast Direct Nuclear Radiation Thermal Radiation Fallout

Refers to the very fast release of energy in an explosion producing a shock wave equivalent to several thousand pounds of pressure per square inch (psi), devastating force that can break most objects on earth

Blast

A form of energy with a combination of heat and light. The light produced by a nuclear explosion can be seen from hundreds of miles away, so intense that it can make sand explode, blind people many miles away, ignite flammable materials at large distances, and burn human skin.

Direct Nuclear Radiation

Release several forms of radiation such as gamma, alpha, and beta particles.

Thermal Radiation

- can easily penetrate or pass through solid objects and can be deadly.

Gamma rays and neutrons

- are generally less dangerous, having much shorter ranges - several meters and several centimeters, respectively

Beta and Alpha Particles

Consists of large numbers of particles, which are propelled upward in the blast and become irradiated, or contaminated with radiation during the explosion. The rising and descending debris forms the mushroom cloud that follow a nuclear explosion

Fallout

EFFECTS OF RADIATION ON HUMANS

Affect the cells Death Cancer Glow-in-the-dark Eye cataract Infertility Hair loss

RADIOLOGICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTIONS

“Dirty bombs”

Weapons of mass disruption not mass destruction

RADIOLOGICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTIONS

Made by combining radioactive material with conventional explosives

RADIOLOGICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTIONS