Tabun or
GA is an extremely toxic chemical substance. It is a clear, colorless, and tasteless liquid with a faint fruity odor. It is classified as a
nerve agentNerve agents, also referred to as nerve gases though these chemicals are liquid at room temperature, are a class of phosphorus-containing organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanism by which nerves transfer messages to organs...
because it fatally interferes with normal functioning of the mammalian nervous system. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
according to UN Resolution 687, and its production is strictly controlled and stockpiling outlawed by the
Chemical Weapons ConventionThe Chemical Weapons Convention is an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons...
of 1993. Tabun is the first of the so-called
G-series nerve agents along with
GBSarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a nerve agent. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations in UN Resolution 687...
(sarin),
GDSoman, also known by its NATO designation GD , is an extremely toxic chemical substance. It is a nerve agent, interfering with normal functioning of the mammalian nervous system by inhibiting the cholinesterase enzyme. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the...
(soman) and
GFCyclosarin or GF is an extremely toxic substance used as a chemical weapon. It is a member of the G-series family of nerve agents, a group of chemical weapons discovered and synthesized by a German team led by Dr. Gerhard Schrader. The major nerve gases are the G agents, sarin , soman, tabun, and...
(cyclosarin).
Although pure tabun is clear, less-pure tabun may be brown. It is a
volatileVolatility in the context of chemistry, physics and thermodynamics is a measure of the tendency of a substance to vaporize. It has also been defined as a measure of how readily a substance vaporizes...
chemical, although less so than either sarin or soman; because of this, tabun can be used to contaminate water.
Tabun can be destroyed with bleaching powder, though the poisonous gas
cyanogen chlorideCyanogen chloride is an extremely toxic chemical compound with the formula CNCl. This linear, triatomic pseudohalogen is an easily condensed colorless gas...
is produced.
Effects of overexposure
The symptoms of exposure include: nervousness/restlessness,
miosisMiosis is constriction of the pupil of the eye. This is a normal response to an increase in light but can also be associated with certain pathological conditions, microwave radiation exposure, and certain drugs, especially opiates....
(contraction of the pupil),
rhinorrheaRhinorrhea, commonly referred to as runny nose, consists of an unusually significant amount of nasal fluid. It is a symptom of the common cold and of allergies . The term is a combination of the Greek words "rhinos" meaning "of the nose" and "-rrhea" meaning 'discharge or flow'...
(runny nose), excessive salivation,
dyspneaDyspnea or dyspnoea , from Latin dyspnoea, from Greek dyspnoia from dyspnoos, shortness of breath) or shortness of breath is a debilitating symptom that is the experience of unpleasant or uncomfortable respiratory sensations...
(difficulty in breathing due to
bronchoconstrictionBronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Bronchoconstriction can also be due to an accumulation of thick mucus.-Causes:...
/secretions),
sweatingPerspiration is the production of a fluid, consisting primarily of water as well as various dissolved solids , that is excreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals...
,
bradycardiaBradycardia , as applied to adult medicine, is defined as a resting heart rate of under 60 beats per minute, though it is seldom symptomatic until the rate drops below 50 beat/min....
(slow heartbeat),
loss of consciousnessFaint may refer to:* Syncope , a medical term for fainting* Faint , a song by Linkin park* Feint, a maneuver designed to distract or mislead* Feint , a song by Epica* The Faint, a dance-punk/rock band....
,
convulsionA convulsion is a medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an uncontrolled shaking of the body. Because a convulsion is often a symptom of an epileptical seizure, the term convulsion is sometimes used as a synonym for seizure...
s,
flaccid paralysisFlaccid paralysis a clinical manifestation characterized by weakness or paralysis and reduced muscle tone without other obvious cause .-Polio:...
, loss of bladder and bowel control,
apneaApnea, apnoea, or apnœa is a term for suspension of external breathing. During apnea there is no movement of the muscles of respiration and the volume of the lungs initially remains unchanged...
(breathing stopped) and lung blisters. The exact symptoms of overexposure are similar to those created by all
nerve agentNerve agents, also referred to as nerve gases though these chemicals are liquid at room temperature, are a class of phosphorus-containing organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanism by which nerves transfer messages to organs...
s. Tabun is toxic even in minute doses. The number and severity of symptoms which appear vary according to the amount of the agent absorbed and rate of entry of it into the body. Very small skin dosages sometimes cause local sweating and tremors accompanied with characteristically constricted pupils with few other effects. Tabun is about half as toxic as sarin by inhalation, but in very low concentrations it is more irritating to the eyes than sarin. Also, tabun breaks down slowly, which after repeated exposure can lead to
build up in the bodyBioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other organic chemicals in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost...
.
The effects of tabun appear slowly when tabun is absorbed through the skin rather than inhaled. A victim may absorb a lethal dose quickly, although death may be delayed for one to two hours. It should be noted that a person's clothing can release the toxic chemical for up to 30 minutes after exposure. Inhaled lethal dosages kill in one to ten minutes, and liquid absorbed through the
eyeEyes are organs that detect light, and send electrical impulses along the optic nerve to the visual and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system...
s kills almost as fast. However, people who experience mild to moderate exposure to tabun can recover completely, if treated almost as soon as exposure occurred. The
LCt50In toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 , LC50 or LCt50 of a toxic substance or radiation is the dose required to kill half the members of a tested population...
for tabun is about 400 mg-min/m
3
Treatment for suspected tabun poisoning is often three injections of a nerve agent antidote, such as
atropineAtropine is a tropane alkaloid extracted from deadly nightshade , jimsonweed , mandrake and other plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a secondary metabolite of these plants and serves as a drug with a wide variety of effects. It is a competitive antagonist for the muscarinic acetylcholine...
. Pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM Cl) also works as an antidote; however, it must be administered within minutes to a few hours following exposure to be effective.
History
- For an in-depth discussion, see main article on nerve agent history
Tabun was the first nerve agent to be discovered by accident in January 1936 by the
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
researcher
Gerhard SchraderDr. Gerhard Schrader was a German chemist specializing in the discovery of new insecticides, hoping to make progress in the fight against hunger in the world. However, Dr...
. Schrader was experimenting with a class of compounds called
organophosphateAn organophosphate is the general name for esters of phosphoric acid. Phosphates are probably the most pervasive organophosphorus compounds. Many of the most important biochemicals are organophosphates, including DNA and RNA as well as many cofactors that are essential for life...
s, which kill insects by interrupting their nervous systems, in order to create a more effective
insecticideAn insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
for
IG FarbenI.G. Farbenindustrie AG was a German chemical industry conglomerate. Its name is taken from Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG . The company was formed in 1925 from a number of major companies that had been working together closely since World War I...
, a German chemical and pharmaceutical industry conglomerate, at Elberfield. Instead of a new insecticide, he discovered tabun, a chemical enormously toxic to humans as well as insects.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as part of the Grün 3 program, a plant for the manufacture of tabun was established at Dyhernfurth (now
Brzeg DolnyBrzeg Dolny is a town in Wołów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship in south-western Poland. It is located north-west of Wrocław on the Oder River, and is the site of a large chemical complex, PCC Rokita SA...
,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), in 1939. Run by Anorgana, GmbH, the plant finally began production of the substance in 1942. The reason that the plant took so long to get started was the extreme precautions used by the plant. Intermediate products of tabun were corrosive, and had to be contained in quartz or silver-lined vessels. Tabun itself was also highly toxic, and final reactions were conducted behind double glass walls. Large scale manufacturing of the agent resulted in problems with tabun's degradation over time, and only around 12,500 tons of material were manufactured before the plant was seized by the Soviet Army. The plant initially produced shells and aerial bombs using a 95:5 mix of tabun and
chlorobenzeneChlorobenzene is an aromatic organic compound with the chemical formula C
6H
5Cl. This colorless, flammable liquid is a common solvent and a widely used intermediate in the manufacture of other chemicals.-Uses:...
, designated "Variant A", and in the latter half of the war switched to "Variant B," a 80:20 mix of tabun and chlorobenzene designed for easier dispersion. The Soviets dismantled the plant and shipped it to
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
The United States once had a tabun production program, which ended many decades ago. Like the other Allied governments, the Soviets soon abandoned GA for GB and GD. Large quantities of the German-manufactured agent were dumped into the sea to neutralize the substance.
Since GA is much easier to produce than the other G-series weapons and the process is comparatively widely understood, countries that develop a nerve agent capability but lack advanced industrial facilities often start by producing GA.
In his 1970s-1980s tracts to the medias, U.S. conspiracy theorist
Francis E. DecFrancis E. Dec was a US lawyer from Hempstead Village, New York, disbarred for fraud in 1959, and later known for the bizarre socio-political tracts of conspiracy theories he mass-mailed to the media, often denouncing a "Worldwide Mad Deadly Communist Gangster Computer God" mind-controlling mankind...
often claimed the use of tabun (misspelled "tabin") as a covert assassination tool in the U.S.
During the Iran–Iraq War, Iraq employed large quantities of chemical weapons against Iranian ground forces. Although the most commonly used agents were mustard gas and
sarinSarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a nerve agent. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations in UN Resolution 687...
, tabun and
cyclosarinCyclosarin or GF is an extremely toxic substance used as a chemical weapon. It is a member of the G-series family of nerve agents, a group of chemical weapons discovered and synthesized by a German team led by Dr. Gerhard Schrader. The major nerve gases are the G agents, sarin , soman, tabun, and...
were also used.
See also
- Cyclosarin
Cyclosarin or GF is an extremely toxic substance used as a chemical weapon. It is a member of the G-series family of nerve agents, a group of chemical weapons discovered and synthesized by a German team led by Dr. Gerhard Schrader. The major nerve gases are the G agents, sarin , soman, tabun, and...
- Deseret Chemical Depot
The Deseret Chemical Depot is a U.S. Army chemical weapon storage area located in Utah, 60 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. It is related to the Tooele Chemical Agent Disposal Facility.-History:...
- location of remaining US stockpile
- Nerve agent
Nerve agents, also referred to as nerve gases though these chemicals are liquid at room temperature, are a class of phosphorus-containing organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanism by which nerves transfer messages to organs...
- Sarin
Sarin, also known by its NATO designation of GB, is an extremely toxic substance whose sole application is as a nerve agent. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations in UN Resolution 687...
- Soman
Soman, also known by its NATO designation GD , is an extremely toxic chemical substance. It is a nerve agent, interfering with normal functioning of the mammalian nervous system by inhibiting the cholinesterase enzyme. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the...
Additional reading