Its impact is nearly everlasting.
By
Dr. Nitish Priyadarshi
Earlier it was controversial report of use of the Depleted
Uranium where thousands and thousands of people, including many children, died
after the war in Bosnia
from the use of depleted uranium projectiles. Completely healthy people who
have lived or are still living in locations were targeted missiles out of the
blue they got cancer or leukemia and after a longer or shorter disease died. Depleted
uranium has been used in at least the last four wars Gulf War 1, Bosnia and Kosovo in the Balkans, Afghanistan and
Gulf War 2. The last two of the four wars, took place in 2001 (Afghanistan ) and 2003 (Iraq ).
Now the latest news is about use of other weapon of mass
destruction on the humans. According to UN report there is “clear and
convincing evidence” that chemical weapons were used in the August 21 attack in
Syria .
The conclusion is that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict
between the parties in the Syrian
Arab Republic
The environmental, chemical and medical samples collected provide
clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface rockets containing the
nerve agent Sarin were used in the Ghouta area of Damascus .
The report said surface-to-air rockets containing the nerve gas
sarin were used in Ein Tarma, Moadamiyan and Zamalka in the Ghouta area of Damascus . It does not say
which parties in the conflict used the weapons.
Rockets and fragments were found to contain sarin. Several
surface-to-surface rockets capable of delivering significant chemical payloads
were identified and recorded at the investigated sites.
Close to the impact sites, in the area where people were affected, inspectors collected 30 soil and environmental samples — far more than any previous U.N. investigation — and in a majority of the samples, "the environment was found to be contaminated by sarin," its by-products, and "other relevant chemicals, such as stabilizers."
Blood, urine and hair samples from 34 patients who had signs of poisoning by a chemical compound provided "definitive evidence of exposure to Sarin by almost all of the survivors assessed."
Sarin, is an organophosphorus compound with the formula . It is a colorless, odorless liquid, used as a chemical weapon owing to its extreme potency as a nerve agent. It has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction in UN Resolution 687
Sarin can be lethal even at very low concentrations, with death following within one minute after direct ingestion due to suffocation from lung muscle paralysis, unless some antidotes, typically atropine or Biperiden and pralidoxime, are quickly administered to a person. People who absorb a non-lethal dose, but do not receive immediate medical treatment, may suffer permanent neurological damage. Like other nerve agents, sarin attacks the nervous system by stopping nerve endings in muscles from switching off. Death will usually occur as a result of asphyxia due to the inability to control the muscles involved in breathing function.
There are so many issues facing the world today that it is
sometimes hard to understand why they occur and what they affect. Today
it is apparent that many people take the environment of the earth for granted.
Pollution, energy, and natural resources are all seen as an
environmental element that can threaten our future and destroy the environment.
But there is another threat to the environment that is certainly
overlooked by today's society and was overlooked by many in the past.
This element is the act of war. There are many different aspects of war
that can affect the environment and the people of our world, but there is one
specific facet of war that could be considered most detrimental… chemical
warfare. "Chemical warfare is warfare (and associated military
operations) using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure
or incapacitate the enemy" (Chemical Warfare). Chemical weapons can be
widely dispersed in gas, liquid and solid forms and may easily afflict others
than the intended targets. Nerve gas and tear gas are two modern examples.
But not only does it leave its mark on society and the people of the world,
chemical warfare can destroy the unique qualities of nature as well. The
practice of chemical warfare dates back to 1000 B.C and is still used today.
Its impact is nearly everlasting, but still so many people are
uneducated on its effects. These weapons kill everyone in any environment where
they're deployed. Historically, chemical weapons are inhumane and a horrific
way to die—and that's why the most of the world has outlawed them. Chemical warfare is a critical issue of
today's society and needs to be dealt with because of its severe impact on our
environment and the people of the world.
Earlier one case of such disaster was reported from Vietnam
War where approximately 19 million
gallons of Agent Orange were used by the US
military in southern Vietnam
between 1962 and 1971. An aggressive herbicide which defoliates trees, it was
used on a large scale in Vietnam’s jungles to enable US troops to spot
Communist troops more easily. It eradicated around 15% of South Vietnam ’s
vegetation, and gave rise to serious health problems for the soldiers,
civilians and local wildlife that were exposed to it. Agent Orange contains
dioxin, a highly toxic substance that is still detected in the bodies of
Vietnamese people today. It contaminated the soil and rivers and, through the
food chain, passed into fish - a staple of the Vietnamese diet.
Depleted uranium (DU) is easily ingested by humans because
it turns into radioactive dust on impact. As a result, hundreds of thousands of
civilians and soldiers have been exposed to a highly toxic, radioactive
substance and have suffered the numerous effects of this. In fact, the World
Health Organisation suggests that young children in particular are at great
risk because “typical hand-to-mouth activity of inquisitive play could lead to
high DU ingestion from contaminated soil.” At least 600,000 pounds of DU and
uranium dust were left in the Middle East
after the Gulf War. With a half-life of 4.5 billion years, the health effects
of DU will be a long-term problem.
CW can have very different effects on health. They are grouped in four
categories:
1. Blister
Agents (cause severe skin, eye and mucosal pain and irritation as well as
burns)
2. 2.
Nerve Agents (disrupt the mechanism by which nerves transfer messages to organs
and may lead to death by asphyxiation as control is lost over respiratory
muscles)
3. Choking
Agents (cause a build-up of fluids in the lungs which then leads to
suffocation)
4. Blood
Agents (affect the body by being absorbed into the blood and cause death in a matter of minutes through respiratory
failure)
The Issue of Depleted Uranium (DU) and Chemical weapons are extraordinarily important. It represents a clear threat to the health of all humanity, and all life forms on planet Earth. Scientists, medical professionals, war veterans, active duty personnel, international lawyers and the global human community must call for awareness of this crisis and simply to stop the use of weapons of mass destruction, in order to preserve life on the planet.
Reference:
http://www.ipb.org/web/index.php?mostra=content&menu=Weapons%20and%20their%20impacts%20on%20communities&submenu=Chemical%20Weapons
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130828-chemical-weapons-syria-attack-military-action-science-world/
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