Handbook of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents

Extensively revised and updated, this second edition of the bestselling Handbook of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents goes well beyond the "dirty thirty" commonly discussed agents and provides rapid access to a wide range of agents that can be used as weapons. This edition incorporates additional classes of agents, expands existing classes, and increases the number of agents described. Expanding the scope of the original, this edition is rich with scientific data and provides more information on the chemical, physical, and biological properties of these agents and their health effects. Highly organized and cross-referenced to provide instant access to the most authoritative data, this handbook is divided into classes based on the common military groupings of chemical, biological, and toxin agents. Additional classes are provided where the divisions are too broad for appropriate identification, along with classes for non-traditional agents and improvised industrial materials. At the end of each class section is detailed technical information about individual agents, components, precursors, and decomposition products within that class. Employing four indices along with the handbook's own identification number, each entry follows a standard format for that class including toxicology, characteristics, hazards, protection, and medical response. Other information is provided where applicable such as chemical formula, routes of exposure, medicinal uses, threat or treaty listing, and descriptions of the disease as it appears in humans, animals, and plants. All values are based on a "standard" man model to allow for consistency of data and evaluations. Still the gold-standard reference in the field, Handbook of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents, Second Edition raises the bar in terms of both quality and quantity and assures accuracy across the widest variety of military, scientific, and medical sources available.