Classification of chemical warfare agents table. Toxic substances of psychochemical action

Chemical agents (CA) are toxic chemical compounds designed to destroy enemy personnel.

Agents can affect the body through the respiratory system, skin and digestive tract. The combat properties (combat effectiveness) of agents are determined by their toxicity (due to the ability to inhibit enzymes or interact with receptors), physical and chemical properties(volatility, solubility, resistance to hydrolysis, etc.), the ability to penetrate the biobarriers of warm-blooded animals and overcome defenses.

Chemical warfare agents are the main damaging element chemical weapons. Based on the nature of their physiological effects on the human body, there are six main types of toxic substances:

1. Toxic nerve agents affecting the central nervous system. The purpose of using nerve agents is the rapid and massive incapacitation of personnel with possible a large number deaths. Toxic substances in this group include sarin, soman, tabun and V-gases.

2. Toxic substances vesicant action. They cause damage mainly through the skin, and when used in the form of aerosols and vapors, also through the respiratory system. The main toxic substances are mustard gas and lewisite.

3. Generally poisonous substances. Once in the body, they disrupt the transfer of oxygen from the blood to the tissues. These are one of the fastest acting agents. These include hydrocyanic acid and cyanogen chloride.

4. Asphyxiating agents mainly affect the lungs. The main agents are phosgene and diphosgene.

5. Agents of psychochemical action can incapacitate for some time manpower enemy. These toxic substances, affecting the central nervous system, disrupt the normal mental activity of a person or cause such mental disabilities as temporary blindness, deafness, a sense of fear, and limited motor functions. Poisoning with these substances in doses that cause mental disorders does not lead to death. OM from this group are inuclidyl-3-benzylate (BZ) and lysergic acid diethylamide.

6. Toxic substances irritating effect, or irritants (from the English irritant - an irritating substance). Irritating substances are fast-acting. At the same time, their effect is usually short-lived, since after leaving the contaminated area, signs of poisoning disappear within 1 to 10 minutes. A lethal effect for irritants is possible only when doses entering the body are tens to hundreds of times higher than the minimum and optimally effective doses. Irritating agents include tear substances that cause excessive lacrimation and sneezing, irritating the respiratory tract (they can also affect the nervous system and cause skin lesions). Tear agents are CS, CN, or chloroacetophenone and PS, or chloropicrin. Sneeze agents - DM (adamsite), DA (diphenylchloroarsine) and DC (diphenylcyanarsine). There are agents that combine tear and sneeze effects. Irritating agents are in service with the police in many countries and are therefore classified as police or special non-lethal means (special means).

Civil defense concept

Civil defense is a system of measures to prepare for defense and to protect the population, material and cultural values in the territory Russian Federation from dangers arising during the conduct of military operations or as a result of these actions, as well as in the event of emergency situations natural and man-made. Organization and conduct of civil defense are one of the essential functions states, components defense construction, ensuring state security.

Main tasks solved by civil defense:

Protection of the population from the consequences of accidents, natural disasters and modern means damage (fires, explosions, emissions of potent toxic substances, epidemics, etc.);

Coordination of the activities of management bodies to forecast, prevent and eliminate the consequences of environmental and natural disasters, accidents and catastrophes;

Creation and maintenance of control, warning, communication systems, organization of observation and control of the radiation, chemical and biological situation;

Increasing the sustainability of economic facilities and industries and their functioning in emergency conditions;

Carrying out rescue and other urgent work;

Search for accident victims spaceships, airplanes, helicopters and other aircraft;

Special training of leading personnel and forces, general training of the population in methods of protection and actions in emergency situations in peacetime and wartime;

Accumulation of a fund of protective structures to shelter the population;

Providing the population with personal protective equipment and organizing the production of simple protective equipment by the population themselves;

Evacuation of the population from major cities and adjacent settlements that may fall into the zone of possible severe destruction or catastrophic flooding;

Organization of warning the population about the threat of enemy attack from the air, about radioactive, chemical and bacteriological contamination, and natural disasters;

Training the population to protect themselves from weapons of mass destruction, as well as to conduct rescue and emergency recovery operations.

The main measures taken to protect the population and economic facilities of the country:

Timely notification of the population about the threat of an enemy attack, the use of weapons of mass destruction, dangerous technological accidents, natural disasters, information about the procedure for action in an emergency;

Sheltering the population in protective structures;

Use of personal protective equipment;

Evacuation, dispersal, and resettlement of the population to safe areas;

Protection of food, structures on water supply and water intake systems, farm animals, fodder, etc. from contamination by radioactive and highly toxic substances and biological agents;

Training the population in ways to protect themselves in emergency situations.

The basic principles of protecting the population include:

Protection of the population throughout the country;

Differentiated protection of the population, taking into account economic, natural and other characteristics, characteristics of the territory and the degree of real danger of an emergency;

Advance planning and implementation of protective measures;

Necessary sufficiency and maximum possible use of forces and means in determining the volume and content of measures to protect the population.

The civil defense system consists of:

Organs state power and management at all levels, whose competence includes functions related to the safety and protection of the population, emergency prevention and response (Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Internal Affairs, departments and departments for emergency situations of cities and districts, etc.);

Toxic substances are poisonous chemical compounds that serve to defeat enemy forces during war. They have a number of physical and chemical properties, due to which in a combat situation they can be in a liquid, aerosol or vapor state and are the basis of chemical mass destruction). Agents penetrate into various open rooms, shelters or structures and affect living organisms that are located there, maintaining their effect for certain period time after their use.

Chemical warfare agents enter the human body in several ways: through the skin, respiratory or digestive organs, and mucous membranes. In this case, the degree and nature of the damage depend on the routes of entry into the body, the rate of distribution throughout it and removal from it, as well as on the modes of action of toxic substances and individual characteristics human body.

To date, there is no specific classification of these substances. Of greatest importance are:

1. Physiological classification (according to the effect on the body). These include unstable toxic substances, persistent and toxic-smoky agents.

a) unstable OM - capable of contaminating the atmosphere, they form a vapor cloud that spreads throughout and dissipates quite quickly.

b) persistent agents - liquid substances, creating a cloud that is contaminated with aerosol. Some of the chemicals settle in the form of dew on the surrounding area.

c) smoky agents - used in the form of various smokes and consist of

2. Tactical classification (based on behavior on the ground). This includes lethal toxic substances that incapacitate for a certain period of time and irritate agents.

a) lethal action - serve to eliminate living organisms.

b) incapacitating - serve to create mental disorder in people.

c) irritants - serve to exhaust people.

Also, by the nature of the impact on human body highlight:

1. Nerve agents (sarin, VX, soman) - contain phosphorus and are therefore highly toxic. They have the ability to accumulate and affect the human nervous system whenever they enter the body. These are colorless, odorless liquids that dissolve well in natural solvents, but least of all in water.

2. Poisonous agents (phosphine, arsine, hydrocyanic acid) - disrupt tissue respiration, stopping it oxidative processes. These substances enter the body through the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract.

3. Asphyxiants (chloropicrin, diphosgene and phosgene) - affect lung tissue and upper respiratory tract through causing suffocation and death.

4. Irritating toxic substances (CS, dibenzoxazepine, chloroacetophenone) - contributes to irritation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory system and eyes. Used in aerosol form, causing burns, respiratory paralysis, and death.

5. Blistering agents (lewisite, mustard gas) - enter the body through the skin and mucous membrane, causing poisoning and the formation of ulcers at points of contact with the skin.

6. Psychogenic substances (OB, BZ) - cause psychosis and physical disorders by interrupting neuromuscular transmission impulses.

7. Toxins (botulinum, staphylococcal enteroxin) - cause paralysis of the central nervous system, vomiting, poisoning of the body.

Thus, to date, almost all types of toxic substances have been studied. All of them are capable of affecting the human body, causing its poisoning. For timely protection, it is important to quickly detect the agent, establish its type and concentration. Only then can you achieve high results when providing medical care victims during hostilities.

One of the means of mass destruction is chemical weapons. The toxic substances used in this case are intended to harm human health. They enter the body through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, skin, and with food or water.

These drugs can cause enormous harm even in small doses. Therefore, penetration into the body through a small wound can already lead to serious consequences. Toxic substances are received simple methods, which are known to any chemist, and expensive raw materials are not required at all.

The Germans were the first to use chemical weapons in 1914-1918, at which time the First World War was under way. World War. The chlorine they used caused significant harm to the enemy army.

Chemical warfare agents are capable of incapacitating an army for a long time, therefore, analyzing Germany’s use of these drugs, most states began to prepare for the use of chemical agents in upcoming military events.

This training necessarily included providing people with personal protective equipment, as well as various exercises that explain how to behave in the event of a chemical attack.

Currently, the danger comes not so much from the use of chemical weapons, but from accidents occurring at various chemical plants. During such extreme situations poisoning may occur.

To know how to protect yourself from them, you need to navigate their varieties and understand the specific effects on the human body.

Classification of toxic substances

Many types of chemical substances can be distinguished, depending on the criterion that is taken as the basis for the classification.

If we consider the goal that the enemy sets for himself when using explosives, then they can be divided into the following categories:

• Lethal.
• Incapacitating for some time.
• Annoying.

If we focus on the speed of exposure, then toxic substances are:

• Fast-acting. A few minutes are enough for death or serious injury to occur.
• Slow acting. They have a hidden period of action.

All chemical substances have different periods during which they can pose a danger to humans. Depending on this they are:

• Persistent. Dangerous after use for some time.
• Unstable. After a few minutes the danger decreases.

Classification of toxic substances according to their physiological effects on the body may look like this:

• Generally poisonous.
• Blistering substances.
• Nerve agents.
• Agent with asphyxiating effect.
• Psychochemical substances.
• Annoying.
• Toxins.

Damaging effects of toxic substances

Chemicals can be in different states, and therefore their routes of entry into the body are different. Some enter through the respiratory tract, and there are some that seep through the skin.

Chemical warfare agents have different damaging effects, which depend on the following factors:

1. Concentrations.
2. Density of infection.
3. Persistence.
4. Toxicity.

Poisonous substances can spread air masses long distances from the place of their use, thereby endangering people who do not have protective equipment.

Detection of agents can be done not only with the help of special equipment. Despite the fact that the characteristics of toxic substances are different, and they all have their own properties and characteristics, there are some general signs, which indicate their presence:

• Clouds or fog appear at the site of the ammunition explosion.
• A foreign odor appears that is not typical for this area.
• Respiratory irritation.
• A sharp decrease in vision or even loss of vision.
• Plants wither or change color.

At the first sign of a danger of poisoning, it is necessary to urgently use protective equipment, especially if these are nerve agents.

Blistering substances

Penetration of these substances occurs through the surface of the skin. In a vapor state or in the form of an aerosol, they can enter the body through the respiratory system.

The most common drugs that can be classified in this group are mustard gas and lewisite. Mustard gas is a dark-colored oily liquid with a characteristic odor reminiscent of garlic or mustard.

It is quite durable; it can survive on the ground for up to two weeks, and winter time and about a month. Can affect the skin and organs of vision. In a state of steam, it penetrates the respiratory system. The danger of these substances lies in the fact that their effects begin to appear some time after infection.

After exposure, ulcers may appear on the skin, which do not heal for a very long time. If you deeply inhale chemical agents of this group, inflammation of the lung tissue begins to develop.

Nerve agents

This is the most dangerous group of drugs that has a lethal effect. Toxic nerve agents have an irreparable effect on the human nervous system.

Using substances of this category, you can a short time Destroy a large number of people, since many simply do not have time to use protective equipment.

Nerve agents include:

• Sarin.
• Soman.
• Vi-x.
• Herd.

Most people are only familiar with the first substance. Its name most often appears in lists of OBs. It is a clear, colorless liquid with a faint pleasant aroma.

If this substance is used in the form of a fog or in a vapor state, then it is relatively unstable, but in a droplet-liquid form the danger persists for several days, and in winter even weeks.

Soman is very similar to sarin, but is more dangerous to humans, as it is several times stronger. Without the use of protective equipment, survival is out of the question.

The nerve agents vi-ix and tabun are low-volatile liquids that have high temperature boiling, so they are more persistent compared to sarin.

Asphyxiants

From the name itself it becomes clear that these substances affect the organs of the respiratory system. Well-known drugs from this group are: phosgene and diphosgene.

Phosgene is a highly volatile, colorless liquid with a slight odor of rotten apples or hay. It is able to affect the body in a vapor state.

The drug is a slow-acting substance and begins its effect after a few hours. The severity of the lesion will depend on its concentration, as well as on the condition of the human body and the time spent in the contaminated area.

Generally toxic drugs

Chemically toxic substances from this group enter the body with water and food, as well as through the respiratory system. These include:

• Hydrocyanic acid.
• Chlorcyan.
• Carbon monoxide.
• Phosphorous hydrogen.
• Arsenic hydrogen.

If affected, the following symptoms can be diagnosed: vomiting, dizziness, a person may lose consciousness, possible convulsions, paralysis.

Hydrocyanic acid smells like almonds; it is even found in small amounts in the seeds of some fruits, for example apricots, which is why it is not recommended to use fruits with seeds for compote.

Although this fear may be in vain, because hydrocyanic acid exerts its effect only in a vapor state. When affected by it, it is observed characteristic features: dizziness, metallic taste in the mouth, weakness and nausea.

Irritants

Irritating toxic substances can only affect humans for a short time. They are not lethal, but can cause temporary loss or decreased performance. They mainly affect nerve endings located in the skin and mucous membranes.

Their effect manifests itself almost instantly after application. Substances in this group can be divided into the following types:

• Tear-producing ones.
• Sneezing.
• Causing pain.

When exposed to substances of the first group, severe pain appears in the eyes, and copious release of tear fluid begins. If the skin of your hands is tender and sensitive, then burning and itching may appear on it.

Sneezing toxic substances of irritating effect affect the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which causes an attack of uncontrollable sneezing, coughing, and pain appears in the chest. Since there is an effect on the nervous system, headache, nausea, vomiting, and muscle weakness can be noted. In severe cases, convulsions, paralysis and loss of consciousness are possible.

Substances that have a painful effect provoke pain, as from a burn or blow.

Psychochemicals

This group of drugs affects the nervous system and causes changes in mental activity person. Blindness or deafness, fear, and hallucinations may occur. Locomotor functions are impaired, but such lesions do not lead to death.

The most famous representative of this category is the drug BZ. When exposed to it, the following signs begin to appear:

1. Dry mouth.
2. The pupils become too wide.
3. The pulse quickens.
4. There is weakness in the muscles.
5. Concentration and memory decreases.
6. The person stops responding to external stimuli.
7. Hallucinations appear.
8. Complete detachment from the outside world.

The use of psychochemical drugs in war time leads to the enemy losing the ability to make correct and timely decisions.

First aid for exposure to toxic substances

Protection from chemicals may also be necessary in Peaceful time. In case of emergencies at chemically hazardous sites, it is necessary to have personal protective equipment and transport on hand so that people can be transported from the contaminated place.

Since agents act rapidly, in such accidents many suffer serious injuries and require immediate hospitalization. What measures can be considered first aid:

1. Use of antidotes.
2. Thorough treatment of all exposed areas of the body in case drops of chemical agents get on them.
3. Put on a gas mask or at least a cotton-gauze bandage.
4. Remove the person from the affected area. This must be done first.
5. If necessary, carry out resuscitation measures.
6. Evacuation from the infected area.

First aid may vary depending on the toxic substance. For example, if there was a defeat irritants, then you need to do the following:

• Remove gas mask and uniform, if possible.
• Inject 1 ml of 2% promedol.
• Thoroughly rinse the mouth, eyes, hands and face with a 2% sodium bicarbonate solution.
• If there is pain in the eyes, then it is necessary to instill a 2% solution of novocaine or atropine. You can put eye ointment on your eyelids.
• If a person suffers from cardiovascular diseases, then it is necessary to give him heart medications.
• Treat the skin with a 5% solution of potassium permanganate and apply an anti-burn bandage.
• Take antibiotics for several days.

Now there is special equipment and instruments that make it possible to determine not only the presence of toxic substances, recognize them, but also accurately determine their quantity.

Protection against toxic substances

If an accident occurs at a chemical plant, then the first task that should be taken is to protect the population living near the site of the emergency, as well as the plant’s employees.

The most reliable means of protecting mass use are considered to be shelters, which must be provided at such enterprises. But toxic substances begin their effects immediately, so when chemical substances are released, time passes by seconds and minutes, and assistance must be provided urgently.

All employees of the enterprise must be equipped with special breathing apparatus or gas masks. Now they are actively working on creating a new generation gas mask that will be able to protect against all types of toxic substances.

In case of chemical accidents great importance The speed of removing people from the contaminated area plays a role, and this is only possible if all these measures are clearly planned in advance, equipment for urgent evacuation is provided and is on standby.

Population nearby settlements the danger of infection must be notified in a timely manner so that people accept all necessary measures protection. It is necessary to first conduct conversations in case of such situations so that the population has an idea of ​​​​how to protect themselves from toxic substances.

Poisonous substances - toxic chemical compounds that have certain physical and chemical properties that make it possible to use them in combat for the purpose of destroying manpower, contaminating terrain and military equipment.

Toxic substances form the basis of chemical weapons. Being in a combat state, they infect the human body, penetrating through the respiratory system, skin and wounds from fragments of chemical ammunition. In addition, a person can be injured as a result of consuming contaminated food and water, as well as when exposed to chemical agents on the mucous membranes of the eyes and nasopharynx.

Combat state OB – this state of a substance in which it is used on the battlefield in order to achieve maximum effect in defeating manpower. Types of combat agents: steam, aerosol, drops. The qualitative differences in these combat states are determined mainly by the particle sizes of the crushed chemical agent.

Steam formed by molecules or atoms of a substance.

Aerosols are heterogeneous (inhomogeneous) systems consisting of solid or liquid particles of matter suspended in the air. Particles of the substance measuring 10 -6 –10 -3 cm form finely dispersed, practically non-settling aerosols; Particles 10 -2 cm in size form coarse aerosols, and therefore, in the gravitational field, they settle relatively quickly on various surfaces.

Drops – larger particles measuring 0.5. 10 -1 cm and above, which, unlike coarse aerosols, settle (fall on the surface) quickly.

Agents in the state of vapor or fine aerosol contaminate the air and affect living forces through the respiratory system (inhalation damage). A quantitative characteristic of air contamination by vapors and fine aerosols is mass concentrationWITH – amount of OM per unit volume of contaminated air (g/m3).

Agents in the form of a coarse aerosol or droplets contaminate the terrain, military equipment, uniforms, protective equipment, water bodies and are capable of infecting unprotected personnel both at the moment of settling of a cloud of contaminated air, and after the sedimentation of particles of agent due to their evaporation from contaminated surfaces, as well as upon contact personnel with these surfaces and when consuming contaminated food and water. A quantitative characteristic of the degree of contamination of various surfaces is infection density Qm– the amount of OM located per unit area of ​​the contaminated surface (g/m2).

The quantitative characteristic of contamination of water sources is OM concentration, contained in a unit volume of water (g/m3).

Toxic substances form the basis of chemical weapons.

2 Study question Classification of toxic substances according to their effect on a living organism. Methods of protection against ov.

In the US Army, the most widely used classification is based on the division of known chemical agents according to tactical purpose and physiological effect on the body.

By tactical purpose Agents are divided into groups according to the nature of their damaging effects: lethal, temporarily incapacitating manpower, irritating and educational.

By physiological effect on the body OBs are distinguished:

nerve agent: GA (tabun), GB (sarin), GD (soman), VX (Vi-X);

blister agents: N (technical mustard gas), HD (distilled mustard gas), VT and NO (mustard gas formulations), HN (nitrogen mustard gas);

general toxic action: AC (hydrocyanic acid), SC (cyanchloride);

asphyxiants: CG (phosgene);

psychochemical: BZ (Bi-Z);

irritants: CN (chloroacetophenone), DM (adamsite), CS (C-S), CR (C-R).

All toxic substances, being chemical compounds, have a chemical name, for example: AC - formic acid nitrile; HD – dichlorodiethyl sulfide; CN – phenylchloromethyl ketone. Some chemical agents also received conventional names of various origins, for example: mustard gas, sarin, soman, adamsite, phosgene. In addition, for practical use (for marking ammunition, containers for chemical agents) symbols– ciphers. IN American army OB ciphers, as a rule, consist of two letters (for example, the previously mentioned GB, VX, BZ, CS). Other NATO armies may use other ciphers.

Greatest development in Lately received substances VX, GB, HD, BZ, CS, CR, as well as toxins. Botulinum toxin and staphylococcal enterotoxin can be used as agents.

By speed of onset of destructive action distinguish:

fast-acting agents that do not have a period of latent action, which lead to fatal outcome or loss of combat capability as a result of temporary defeat (GB, GD, AC, CK, CS, CR);

slow-acting agents that have a period of latent action and lead to damage after some time (VX, HD, CG, BZ).

The speed of the damaging effect, for example for VX, depends on the type of combat state and the route of exposure to the body. If in the state of coarse aerosol and droplets the skin-resorptive effect of this agent is slow, then in the state of steam and fine aerosol its inhalation damaging effect is achieved quickly. The speed of action of the agent also depends on the dose that enters the body. At higher doses, the effect of O B appears much faster.

Depending on the duration of preservation of the lethal agent's destructive ability are divided into two groups:

persistent agents that retain their damaging effect for several hours and days (VX, GD, HD);

unstable agents, the damaging effect of which persists for several tens of minutes after their use.

Depending on the method and conditions of use, OB GB can behave as either a persistent or unstable agent. In summer conditions it behaves as an unstable agent, especially when contaminating non-absorbent surfaces; in winter conditions it behaves as a persistent agent.

IN capitalist countries producing chemicals, depending on the level of production they are divided into the following groups:

service OB (produced in large quantities and are in service; in the USA these include VX GB, HD, BZ, CS, CR);

backup OBs ( toxic substances, which are not currently produced, but if necessary can be produced by the chemical industry in sufficient quantities; in the USA, this group includes speakers CG, HN, CN, DM).

Chemical weapon- this is one of the types. Its damaging effect is based on the use of toxic chemical agents, which include toxic substances (CA) and toxins that have a damaging effect on the human body and animals, as well as phytotoxicants used for military purposes to destroy vegetation.

Toxic substances, their classification

Toxic substances- these are chemical compounds that have certain toxic and physicochemical properties that provide combat use damage to manpower (people), as well as contamination of air, clothing, equipment and terrain.

Toxic substances form the basis of chemical weapons. They are used to stuff shells, mines, missile warheads, aircraft bombs, aircraft jets, smoke bombs, grenades and other chemical munitions and devices. Toxic substances affect the body, penetrating through the respiratory system, skin and wounds. In addition, lesions can occur as a result of consuming contaminated food and water.

Modern toxic substances are classified according to their physiological effect on the body, toxicity (severity of damage), speed of action and persistence.

According to physiological action Toxic substances on the body are divided into six groups:

• nerve agents (they are also called organophosphorus): sarin, soman, vi-gases (VX);
• vesicant action: mustard gas, lewisite;
• generally toxic: hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride;
• asphyxiating effect: phosgene, diphosgene;
• psychochemical action: Bi-zet (BZ), LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide);
• irritants: CS (CS), adamsite, chloroacetophenone.

By toxicity(severity of injury) modern toxic substances are divided into lethal and temporarily incapacitating. Lethal toxic substances include all substances of the first four listed groups. Temporarily incapacitating substances include substances of the fifth and sixth groups of physiological classification.

By speed toxic substances are divided into fast-acting and slow-acting. Fast-acting agents include sarin, soman, hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, cyanide, and chloroacetophenone. These substances do not have a period of latent action and in a few minutes lead to death or loss of ability to work (combat capability). Delayed-action substances include vi-gases, mustard gas, lewisite, phosgene, bi-zet. These substances have a period of latent action and lead to damage after some time.

Depending on durability damaging properties After use, toxic substances are divided into persistent and unstable. Persistent toxic substances retain their damaging effect from several hours to several days from the moment of use: these are vi-gases, soman, mustard gas, bi-zet. Unstable toxic substances retain their damaging effect for several tens of minutes: these are hydrocyanic acid, cyanogen chloride, and phosgene.

Toxins as a damaging factor in chemical weapons

Toxins are chemical substances of protein nature of plant, animal or microbial origin that are highly toxic. Typical representatives of this group are butulic toxin - one of the strongest deadly poisons, which is a product of bacterial activity, staphylococcal entsrotoxin, ricin - a toxin of plant origin.

The damaging factor of chemical weapons is the toxic effect on the human and animal body, quantitative characteristics- concentration and toxodosis.

To defeat various types Toxic chemicals called phytotoxicants are intended for vegetation. IN for peaceful purposes they are used mainly in agriculture for weed control, defoliation of vegetation to speed up fruit ripening and facilitate harvesting (eg cotton). Depending on the nature of the effect on plants and the intended purpose, phytotoxicants are divided into herbicides, arboricides, alicides, defoliants and desiccants. Herbicides are intended for the destruction of herbaceous vegetation, arboricides - tree and shrub vegetation, algaecides - aquatic vegetation. Defoliants are used to remove leaves from vegetation, while desiccants attack vegetation by drying it out.

When using chemical weapons, just as in an accident with the release of OX B, zones of chemical contamination and foci of chemical damage will be formed (Fig. 1). The chemical contamination zone includes the area where the agent was used and the territory over which a cloud of contaminated air with damaging concentrations has spread. The source of chemical damage is the territory within which, as a result of the use of chemical weapons, mass casualties people, farm animals and plants.

The characteristics of infection zones and lesions depend on the type of toxic substance, means and methods of application, meteorological conditions. The main features of the source of chemical damage include:

• defeat of people and animals without destruction and damage to buildings, structures, equipment, etc.;
• contamination of economic facilities and residential areas on long time persistent agents;
• defeat of people on large areas for a long time after using the agent;
• defeat not only people in open areas, but also those in leaky shelters and shelters;
• strong moral impact.

Rice. 1. Zone of chemical contamination and foci of chemical damage when using chemical weapons: Av - means of application (aviation); VX - type of substance (vi-gas); 1-3 - lesions

Workers and employees of facilities who find themselves in industrial buildings and structures at the time of a chemical attack are, as a rule, affected by the vapor phase of the agent. Therefore, all work should be carried out in gas masks, and when using nerve agents or blister agents - in skin protection products.

After the First World War, despite large reserves of chemical weapons, they were not widely used for military purposes, much less against civilians. During the Vietnam War, Americans widely used phytotoxicants (to fight guerrillas) of three main formulations: “orange”, “white” and “blue”. In South Vietnam, about 43% of the total area and 44% of the forest area were affected. At the same time, all phytotoxicants turned out to be toxic to both humans and warm-blooded animals. Thus, colossal damage to the environment was caused.