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Uh, we actually saw footage on FoxNews of the Chemical Weapons site where the 55-gallon drums were labeled 'Insecticide' where they had been concealed in a trench, covered by camouflage netting, guarded by a detachment of Iraqi Republican Guards, all of which was IN A MILITARY BASE! Must be damned important and critical insecticide... and why were there BM-21 rockets with chemical delivery warheads nearby?

WMDs, Nerve Agents, and Organophosphates (about those Iraqi "pesticides"...)
Gulflink.com / Kentucky Regional Poison Center

Posted on 04/07/2003 11:54 AM PDT by Sabertooth

Nerve agent (excerpt)

Nerve agents are organophosphate compounds. Nerve agents are normally divided into G-agents (fluorine- or cyanide-containing organophosphates) and V-agents (sulfur-containing organophosphates). The principal nerve agents are tabun (GA), sarin (GB), soman (GD), cyclosarin (GF), and VX
Nerve agents are all viscous liquids, not gases per se. However, the vapor pressures of the G-series nerve agents are sufficiently high for the vapors to be rapidly lethal. GB is so volatile that small droplets released from a shell exploding in the air may never reach the ground. This total volatilization means that GB is largely a vapor hazard. G-agents are potent inhibitors of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which is required for the function of many nerves and muscles. People poisoned by G-agents may display the following symptoms: difficulty breathing, drooling, excessive sweating, nausea, vomiting, cramps, twitching, jerking, staggering, headache, confusion, drowsiness, coma, and convulsions. The number and severity of the symptoms depend on the quantity and route of entry of the nerve agent into the body.
When a nerve agent is inhaled, a prominent symptom is the pinpointing of the pupils (miosis) and a dimness of vision. Nerve agents are cumulative poisons. Repeated exposure to low concentrations, if not too far apart, will produce symptoms.
Gulflink

Organophosphate Pesticides - Introduction (excerpt)

The organophosphates have replaced DDT as the leading pesticides because of their rapid breakdown into environmentally safe products. However, they have far more immediate toxicity than DDT and other related products.
There are more than 40 organophosphate pesticides on the market today and all can have acute and sub-acute toxicity. They are used in agriculture, homes, gardens, and in veterinary practice. They are all inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and cause similar symptoms. In 1999, more than 13,000 cases of organophosphate poisoning were reported to US poison centers, with more than 3000 cases seen in the emergency department (ED) and 83 fatalities.
Carbamate insecticides have a similar action of inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. However it is a temporary bond, usually lasting less than 12 hours. Additionally, the carbamates have less penetration across the blood-brain barrier than the organophosphates.
Kentucky Regional Poison Center

TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror; Click to Add Topic
KEYWORDS: NERVEAGENTS; ORGANOPHOSPHATES; Click to Add Keyword

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