Basic Facts Regarding Protection from Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare/Terrorism Agents The September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington and subsequent national threat warnings have many concerned that a terrorism incident involving nuclear, biological or chemical agents may be in our future. There are a wide variety of agents that could be used in a nuclear, chemical, or biological terrorist event. However, there are some simple steps that you can take to be prepared for such an event to protect you and your family. Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Terrorism/Warfare Agents There are many possible chemical warfare agents that could produce irreversible harm for the exposed persons, but few agents will survive the method of dispersal (shells, grenades, missiles, spray equipment, etc.). Also, attempts to transport chemical warfare agents would likely draw attention from the authorities, particularly since many of these agents are illegal to produce in the U.S. A more likely scenario would involve toxic industrial chemicals, which are in widespread use in the U.S., and are less likely to draw attention. The information below covers the warfare agents, not toxic industrial chemicals. Nuclear Agents: In a nuclear terrorist event, the hazards are thermal radiation, blast or shock effect, and nuclear radiation. The most protective measure is to be as far away from the blast or burst as possible. For nuclear radiation, both distance and shielding help for the initial radiation, consisting of penetrating gamma and beta radiation. Residual nuclear radiation is commonly referred to as fallout and consists of particles dangerous to inhale or get on the skin. (gamma, alpha, and beta particles). Biological Agents: There are many different types of possible agents that could cause disease---small pox, anthrax, plague, tularemia, and viral hemorrhagic fever, believed to be among the most likely terrorist agents. All biological terrorist agents cause illness or infection when inhaled and some go through mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, etc.). Also, injection via contaminated needles will cause exposure. For more information on likely biological agents, visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol8no2/01-0164.htm or http://www.sis.nlm.nih.gov/Tox/biologicalwarfare.htm. Toxins: Some living organisms (bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants) produce very toxic by-products. Most of these toxins are difficult to produce in large amounts and are sensitive to heat and light, thereby rendering them ineffective as weapons. However, inappropriate use of gene technology together with biotechnology could enhance toxin production and modify the organism’s genes to produce toxin less sensitive to breakdown by heat or light. The most poisonous substance known is botulism toxin, produced by Clostridium botulism. A marine algae produces Saxitoxin which is also a very lethal toxin. Chemical Agents: Chemical agents are often referred to as “gases.” This term is not appropriate since chemical warfare agents are rarely “gases.” Historically, most chemical warfare agents have been liquids or solids. The reason for the use of liquids or solids is the ease of dispersing these agents over long distances. All cause harm when inhaled and many are absorbed through the skin or cause chemical burns on the skin. The table below includes recognized chemical warfare agents. Blister agents cause severe blisters on the skin and damage lungs and eyes. The low volatility of these agents makes them persist in the environment for a long time after release. Nerve agents are lethal substances that attack the enzymes responsible for transmitting signals in your nervous system. Choking agents damage the respiratory tract, causing excessive fluid build-up in lungs. Blood agents interfere with oxygen getting into the blood. Riot control agents are included since they can be used to temporarily disable, but very large concentrations have to be used in enclosed spaces to produce irreversible harm or death. For more information on chemical warfare agents, visit http://www.stimson.org/cbw or http://www.who.int/emc/deliberate_epi.html or http://www.bt.cdc.gov or http://www.sis.nlm.nih.gov/Tox/ChemWar.html.
Personal Protective Equipment for Potential Exposure to Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Terrorism/Warfare Agents Since the nature of the agent and the resulting exposure level are likely to be unknown, it is important to protect all potential routes of entry—lungs, skin, mucous membranes. That means respiratory protection and full body covering that is resistant to penetration or degradation by these agents.
More readily available air purifying respirators (negative pressure cartridge
types and positive pressure cartridge versions with blowers) offer some
level of protection to the lungs, but above some concentration level,
these types of respirators are not protective enough. Furthermore, for
negative pressure respirators, the facepiece must be tightly sealed
to the face; otherwise the toxic agent will escape around the sealing
surface into the breathing area and bypass the cartridge/filters entirely.
That means that you need to be fit-tested to verify that the mask fits
your face. Negative pressure air purifying In addition to respiratory protection, one needs full body covering--a CBRN resistant full body suit (with booties) and gloves so that all portions of the skin and mucous membranes are shielded from contact with the agent. This suit will protect against skin absorption and chemical burns and may provide limited shielding from radioactive debris.
The information regarding standards and testing should be printed on the manufacturer’s packaging or in the instructions. Limitations of Personal Protective Equipment Aside from the need for experience and training to properly use the equipment, each type of equipment is only effective up to certain concentrations of the agent. If a nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological event were to happen, there might be no advance warning and no information, at least early on, as to the level that one might be exposed to. In addition, most of these agents have no warning properties so one could be putting on equipment at a time when his or her body is already contaminated with the agent. Keep in mind, if the equipment is not properly stored and maintained, it could be ineffective when used. Finally, are you going to carry the respirator and suit around with you everywhere? You may not be at home when the event happens. A great example of ineffective equipment is the old military style “gas” masks being purchased in retail outlets. Most of these masks have expired cartridges and degraded materials. If you are going to purchase a “gas mask” or respirator, make sure it is less than 5 years old and in original packaging. The cartridge (filtering canister) should have a manufacturing date or expiration date on the label. The bottom line, if you rely on personal protective equipment to protect you, you need to be assured that the equipment is in good operating order, you are properly trained and fitted for the equipment, and that the equipment will be effective for the anticipated level of exposure (very difficult to assure). Points to Consider before Purchasing Protective Equipment If you decide that you do want to have respiratory protection and other protective equipment on hand, please consider the following before you buy:
“Shelter-In-Place” for Terrorism Events Due to the complexities associated with selecting the right personal protection equipment and maintaining/using it properly, the government recommends that families institute an emergency plan for a possible event. First, learn about your community’s plans for emergency events, particularly the means of communication with the community on when to evacuate and other safety procedures. This information should be available through your emergency management agency. For the emergency contacts in your state, go to http://www.firstgov.gov/Topics/Homeland_Security.shtml or http://www.fema.gov/fema/statedr.shtm or http://www.ready.gov/useful_state.html. Discuss these plans with your family so there is agreement on the procedures to follow. Find out emergency plans for the schools that your children are enrolled in so that you will know where your children will be in an emergency. It is important that each member of the family know which instructions to follow in the event that the family is not together during the emergency. Should an event occur while you or other members of your family are at home, the shelter-in-place system should be activated. The purpose of shelter-in-place is to minimize the amount of chemical or other harmful agents that can get into your home. Shut off all incoming air—air conditioners, fans, and forced heating air. Lock doors and close windows, air vents, and fire place dampeners. Assemble your family in an above ground room in the center of your home. The room should have no fireplace and as few windows and outside walls as possible. Cover all openings, including windows, with plastic sheeting and seal around the plastic sheeting with duct tape. Dampen towels to put under all doorways. To be prepared, you should store in this room a roll of plastic sheeting, 2 rolls of duct tape, towels, scissors, at least three gallons of drinking water per person for a 3-day situation, at least 3 days of non-perishable food for your family, a first aid kit, a flashlight, battery operated radio (tuned into the local Emergency Alert Station), necessary medications, garbage bag and ties, and toilet supplies. If you have protective equipment, such as respirators or chemically protective suits and gloves, these items should also be stored in this room. The Department of Homeland Security does recommend having masks or dense weave cotton material that cover your nose and mouth to filter out germs and airborne “junk.” More information on shelter-in-place can be found at the Homeland Security website (http://www.ready.gov/index.html). Also, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website: http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/ and the American Red Cross website (http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/hsas.html) have very helpful information for citizens preparing for terrorist threats. Treatment and Decontamination The need for treatment and decontamination should be minimized as much as possible by contamination avoidance and early warning. The objective of “shelter-in-place” and personal protective equipment, including respiratory protection, is contamination avoidance. Good community planning for communication in terrorist events should provide early warning. For some agents, there is no effective treatment or antidote available. If someone inhales or ingests an agent or the material gets on his or her skin, the key is to get that person to medical professionals as soon as possible for proper treatment and decontamination. In the event that trained personnel are not immediately available, there are some recommended decontamination measures that a knowledgeable person may carry out. If someone does come in contact with a chemical warfare agent, the first step is to remove all clothing from the contaminated person in such a way as to not further spread contamination from the clothing onto the body. Obviously, the person removing the clothing must also protect his hands and skin. A mixture of chlorinated lime and magnesium oxide may be applied to affected area to decompose and absorb the agent on the skin. The affected person should shower shortly afterwards to remove the chlorinated lime, which tends to be irritating to the skin. Hot water and detergents with “perborates” are effective for blister and nerve agents. Talcum powder and flour will absorb the agent, but not necessarily deactivate the agent. For more information on decontamination, go to http://w3.whosea.org/phe/factsheet_13.htm. Other countries, such as Israel, have been living with the threat of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear terrorism events for some time. Given the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks and the intelligence that has been gathered since that time, U.S. citizens also need to plan for terrorist events which could include chemical and biological warfare agents. Preparedness and appropriate response is the key to making it through such an event, whether you choose “shelter-in-place,” personal protective equipment, or both. For an extensive list of links to more information on chemical, biological, and nuclear hazards and preventative measures, visit: http://www.homelandsecurity.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Web_Links&file=index.
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The
best protection is Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN)
resistant full body covering with a NIOSH CBRN approved self-contained
breathing apparatus (SCBA) worn inside the suit. The SCBA is basically
a cylinder of clean air connected to a facepiece. This type of protection
takes considerable knowledge, experience, and training to put on properly
and costs many thousands of dollars. 
respirators
also require some training and experience to use properly. 
It is
also very important to use equipment that has been tested to a recognized
standard. The US agency that certifies respirator equipment is the National
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH has a CBRN
standard for SCBA’s and just introduced certification regulations for
negative pressure air purifying respirators for protection against CBRN
agents. Go to 
butyl
rubber or other material that will be resistant to chemical agents.
Get fit-tested (method to assure mask fits your face). Call the manufacturer
for help.