The specter of nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) attack or accident has loomed over our society for generations. Of the family of chemical agents, is the class of vesicants – also known as Blister Agents. Though there are different types of blister agents, their mechanism of action against their victims are the same. A wide spectrum of protective equipment and detection devices are commercially available for first responders in contending with a blister agent incident. Weaponized blister agent was born in war; the threat of usage by terrorists or an accidental release, requires that first responders be knowledgeable and equipped to perform their mission if encountering a blister agent incident.
Vesicants, commonly known as blister agents, …show more content…
However, first responders need to be knowledgeable of the impact of a release of blister agent and implement this knowledge into their appropriate health and safety plan. Within this plan, there should be guidance on monitoring, detection, personal protective equipment (PPE), decontamination and medical surveillance and treatment of exposed persons. The US military has long been equipped with M-8 and M-9 Detection Paper, M-18A2 and M-256A1 Detector Kits, M-90 D1A Chemical Agent Detector, Viking Spectratrak GC/MS, as well as various types of OSHA approved protective clothing and gasmasks. The Viking Spectratrak, costing $100,000, provides lab quality analysis scanning and compares samples to a library of 62,000 chemical signatures, while the M-8 papers test for blister agents droplets and cost $1 for a book of 25 test sheets (OSHA n.d.). Since vesicants may be present in liquid (droplets) of vapor (aerosol) form, these two devices can provide detection of both exposure types. However, all first responders should be trained on recognizing blister agents signs and symptoms, immediate action and first aid to treat vesicant causalities. It is important to note, that “there is no specific antidote for mustard toxicity and the treatment is similar to that of burn injuries” (NCBI 2010, para.
Vesicants, commonly known as blister agents, …show more content…
However, first responders need to be knowledgeable of the impact of a release of blister agent and implement this knowledge into their appropriate health and safety plan. Within this plan, there should be guidance on monitoring, detection, personal protective equipment (PPE), decontamination and medical surveillance and treatment of exposed persons. The US military has long been equipped with M-8 and M-9 Detection Paper, M-18A2 and M-256A1 Detector Kits, M-90 D1A Chemical Agent Detector, Viking Spectratrak GC/MS, as well as various types of OSHA approved protective clothing and gasmasks. The Viking Spectratrak, costing $100,000, provides lab quality analysis scanning and compares samples to a library of 62,000 chemical signatures, while the M-8 papers test for blister agents droplets and cost $1 for a book of 25 test sheets (OSHA n.d.). Since vesicants may be present in liquid (droplets) of vapor (aerosol) form, these two devices can provide detection of both exposure types. However, all first responders should be trained on recognizing blister agents signs and symptoms, immediate action and first aid to treat vesicant causalities. It is important to note, that “there is no specific antidote for mustard toxicity and the treatment is similar to that of burn injuries” (NCBI 2010, para.