British expert reiterated the Russian trace in the attempt of poisoning Skripal.
The nerve agent that a little over a year ago tried to poison the former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the British city of Salisbury, refers to the chemicals of the family «And 234» («Beginner»), invented by the Soviet Union. About it in interview to our website reported a London-based expert in chemical weapons with a 27-year veteran Dan Kaszeta, who had experience in this field in the US army, in a military office at the White house and the Secret service of the United States.
The expert makes two main conclusions from the incident. First, he emphasizes that chemical terrorism is the same reality as any other types of terrorism.
«In fact, chemical weapons are largely useless in open armed conflict, as it is one of the few types of weapons, the risk of which can be easily remedied with proper training and equipment. However, it is successfully used against defenceless layers of the population – children, the Kurdish farmers and residents of the British County of Wiltshire. The lesson we can draw is that chemical terrorism cannot be ignored as too difficult or exotic. It should be taken into account in risk prediction,» said the Dan Kaszeta.
The second conclusion is that from similar substances it is possible to defend. To understand how to do, it is important to imagine the mechanism of action of a «Newbie».
«Nerve agents are a family of chemicals, which include organophosphates and carbamates, which were originally developed as pesticides. These substances affect the composition of the human nervous system, causing chemical imbalance by an overabundance of acetylcholine, which, in turn, entails serious disruption to the muscles and glands. Since we directly use the muscles for breathing (diaphragm) and circulation of blood (heart), loss of control can be fatal. While nerve agents are not technically toxins. Toxins are poisons produced from animal, vegetable or microbial sources, such as snake venom. Sarin, VX new, being the products solely of artificial origin, toxins are not,» explains Kaleta.
According to experts, the venom of «Beginner» was developed only in the Soviet Union as an improved formula developed early nerve agents. Evidence of production or accumulation «Newbie» outside of the USSR and Russia are not met. «Beginner» is really very powerful poison. However, according to Dan Casey, his powerful influence does not contradict the fact that Skrypali, having experienced it for yourself, nevertheless survived.
«Nerve agents are fast-really fast only when inhaled. The mechanism of action in the case Skrobala, apparently, was to skin absorption of the agent entered the body through skin contact. In this case, the effect is slower. Signs and symptoms progress from a localized point of impact to spread throughout the body within a few hours, which gives you the opportunity to ask for help. Experiments during the Cold war, carried out with the nerve agent soman on goats showed that death came 48 hours after exposure to clean-shaven skin,» says Dan Kaszeta.
The second possible reason for the decline in malicious effect of the poison expert calls protective covers on the hands, for example, gloves that Kaleta calls a very efficient method of protection from infection.
«If the person opening the door handle, for example, wore gloves, a lethal dose could be reduced to lower. In addition, we must also consider the human factor. For example, victims could be seen on the hands of an unknown substance and to try to wash it off. As shown by numerous studies, soap and water really good enough to disinfect the nerve agents. All organophosphorus nerve agents decompose in the presence of water using a mechanism called hydrolysis. Therefore, the rain touched the door handle, could also contribute to the decrease in dangerous dose. Remember that Salisbury is no different arid climate», lists a British expert.
However, the most important factor in preventing death Skrobala, Dan Kaszeta calls medical intervention.
«Indeed, from the «Newbie» there is no specific antidote in the sense of a direct destructive antitoxin or antivenin. However, we are able to minimize the harm that it causes. All nerve agents work on the same biochemical principles, provoking a «cholinergic crisis.» Treatment in the case of this crisis in the same way, regardless of the dose and caused his agent. The most important drug is atropine. It acts directly against the excess of acetylcholine in the nervous system. This medicine does not apply to exotic or rare. It is usually stored in ambulances and hospitals for a variety of purposes, including overdose and heart disease, so there is nothing strange in the fact that atropine was available in Salisbury.
There is also a category of drugs called oxime. Their usefulness varies depending on the nerve agent and the time that had elapsed between the moment of impact, and medication. Their effectiveness in the case of «Newbie» has not been fully established. In cases of poisoning by nerve agents, including «Beginner», can also be useful anticonvulsant drugs such as diazepam. Supportive therapy in terms of maintaining the open airway, assist breathing (if necessary, use ventilation) and cardiac support is critical for survival, and is among the basic skills of doctors in any serious hospital,» explains Dan Kaszeta.
Thus, the expert stressed – exposure to nerve agent is not a death sentence.
«Another important lesson to be learned: if one person gets sick or falls unconscious – it is quite a common phenomenon. However, if at least two people in the same place, around the same time (even within a few hours) show the same symptoms it is a clear alarm,» concludes Dan Kaszeta.
