Chemical and biological weapons

Abstract

A feature of the contemporary media debate is often confusion between these categories and unrealistic expectations of destructive effect, not unlike that seen in the popular debate on nuclear weapons. Chemical and biological weapons vary widely in effects and ease or difficulty in manufacture and deployment. From a philosophical perspective these weapons have been with us for millennia – the time honoured practice of catapulting animal carcasses into fortifications or throwing them down wells effected both chemical and biological weapons delivery. However, the industrial age brought massed production and use of these weapons, along with the development of far more potent agents compared to those occurring in nature. With the exception of small arms and man-portable weapons, most conventional weapons are built to destroy an opponent's military technology, with anti-personnel effects amounting to collateral damage. The opposite is true of chemical and biological weapons, which exist primarily for the purpose of incapacitating, injuring or killing human beings, leaving technology largely intact. It is for this reason that various conventions, written and unwritten, have not seen such weapons used in combat by developed nations since the Great War. cHemical agents A wide range of chemical agents have been devised or used since the beginning of the 20th Century, varying widely in effects and measure of effectiveness. Typically the effectiveness of any chemical weapon is measured by its persistence, lethality or effect and the manner by which the agent enters victims' bodies. Persistence is the duration of the agent's effect before the agent has dispersed or decomposed to a non-lethal or ineffective concentration. Broadly, agents are divided into 'non-persistent', with effect duration of minutes or tens of minutes, and 'persistent' where effects may last for longer periods.' Lethality/effect is a measure of how many deaths, injuries or what level of incapacitation can be inflicted on however many personnel given some quantity of the agent. This measure can be problematic since effect often depends on the manner in which the agent entered the body of the victim, as well as delivery system performance and local ventilation. Entry method refers to the means of absorption. Chemical agents can be inhaled but can also enter the body via skin or mucous membranes or digestive tract. Typically, inhalation produces the most rapid effect as the agent gains direct access to the bloodstream of the victim. By the same token, agents that enter via the skin may …