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During the final days of World War II, the Allies seized and destroyed many of Germany's weapons, including top-secret nerve agents German chemists had attempted to hide from the outside world. During this process, many of the chemical formulas for the agents were discovered by the United States, Britain and Russia. Once the chemical formula for VX, a member of the V-series, was made known to the Soviet Union, Russian chemists immediately began testing upon the nerve agent. Thus, the Novichok (Russian for "newcomer") Agents, or foliant agents, were developed in the late 1950's. The Soviet Union continued to secretly experiment on Novichok Agents well into the 80's and 90's, despite Russia's promise to NATO to declare all supplies of nerve agents. This activity persisted until an anonymous scientist revealed Russia's experiments with Novichok Agents to the media. Novichok Agents are by far the most toxic nerve chemicals, exceeding the strength of both the G series and the V series. <ref>[http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Nerve+Agents Nerve Agents] ''toxipedia''. Web. Accessed May 27, 2013. Foley, Shaun. </ref>
During the final days of World War II, the Allies seized and destroyed many of Germany's weapons, including top-secret nerve agents German chemists had attempted to hide from the outside world. During this process, many of the chemical formulas for the agents were discovered by the United States, Britain and Russia. Once the chemical formula for VX, a member of the V-series, was made known to the Soviet Union, Russian chemists immediately began testing upon the nerve agent. Thus, the Novichok (Russian for "newcomer") Agents, or foliant agents, were developed in the late 1950's. The Soviet Union continued to secretly experiment on Novichok Agents well into the 80's and 90's, despite Russia's promise to NATO to declare all supplies of nerve agents. This activity persisted until an anonymous scientist revealed Russia's experiments with Novichok Agents to the media. Novichok Agents are by far the most toxic nerve chemicals, exceeding the strength of both the G series and the V series. <ref>[http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Nerve+Agents Nerve Agents] ''toxipedia''. Web. Accessed May 27, 2013. Foley, Shaun. </ref>
== Regulation ==
On January 13, 1993, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, otherwise known as the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)was signed. This arms control agreement served to outlaw the use, manufacturing, and stockpiling of chemical weapons, including nerve agents. This treaty served as an addition to the Geneva Protocol, created in 1925 for similar purposes. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, located in Hague, Netherlands, is charged with the management of the treaty. This management includes making certain that out of the 175 countries that have signed so far, none stockpile chemical weapons or manufacture any new chemical weapons. Additionally, each country must destroy much of their current stockpiles. These conditions coincide with the CWC's stated goal: ". . .for the sake of all mankind, to exclude completely the possibility of the use of chemical weapons, through the implementation of the provisions of this Convention." Signed in 1993, the treaty actually took action in 1997, in the month of April. <ref>http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Chemical+Weapons+Convention Chemical Weapons Convention. Web. updated Apr 29, 2011. Gilbert, Steven</ref>


== Effects ==
== Effects ==
[[File:Nerve agent.jpg|right|thumb|190px|Nerve agents are highly toxic to humans, and can induce paralysis in many cases, as seen in this picture.]]
[[File:Nerve agent.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Nerve agents are highly toxic to humans, and can induce paralysis in many cases, as seen in this picture.]]
Nerve agents serve as organophosphorous cholinesterase inhibitors in humans. This complicated term means that nerve agents are organic compounds that contain phosphorous, display neurotoxic characteristics and block enzymes located in the heart, brain, and blood from performing hydrolysis. <ref>cholinesterase.dictionary.reference.com. Web. Accessed May 20, 2013.Unknown Author</ref><ref>organophosphorous.dictionary.reference.com. Web. Accessed May 20, 2013.Unknown Author</ref>
Nerve agents serve as organophosphorous cholinesterase inhibitors in humans. This complicated term means that nerve agents are organic compounds that contain phosphorous, display neurotoxic characteristics and block enzymes located in the heart, brain, and blood from performing hydrolysis. <ref>cholinesterase.dictionary.reference.com. Web. Accessed May 20, 2013.Unknown Author</ref><ref>organophosphorous.dictionary.reference.com. Web. Accessed May 20, 2013.Unknown Author</ref>
Once a nerve agent blocks a tissue enzyme, the enzyme looses the ability to hydrolyze acetylcholine, an ester that allows muscles to move by "transmitting nerve impulses across synapses."<ref>acetylcholine.dictionary.reference.com. Web. Accessed May 20, 2013.Unknown Author</ref> This process causes the victim of the nerve agent partial to total paralysis, depending on the dose and method of exposure. Sarin, otherwise known as GB, is the nerve agent with the most known effects. If a human is exposed to a small dose of GB vapor, immediate effects will take place within the airways, eyes, and nose. Contact with lethal amounts of GB in both vapor and liquid form produce much more debilitating effects, such as loss of consciousness, convulsions, lack of breathing, loss of control over muscles, and death.
Once a nerve agent blocks a tissue enzyme, the enzyme looses the ability to hydrolyze acetylcholine, an ester that allows muscles to move by "transmitting nerve impulses across synapses."<ref>acetylcholine.dictionary.reference.com. Web. Accessed May 20, 2013.Unknown Author</ref> This process causes the victim of the nerve agent partial to total paralysis, depending on the dose and method of exposure. Sarin, otherwise known as GB, is the nerve agent with the most known effects. If a human is exposed to a small dose of GB vapor, immediate effects will take place within the airways, eyes, and nose. Contact with lethal amounts of GB in both vapor and liquid form produce much more debilitating effects, such as loss of consciousness, convulsions, lack of breathing, loss of control over muscles, and death.


One of the first signs of exposure to nerve agents is miosis of the eye, which is the contracting of the pupil. A sharp or dull pain around the eyes or front of the head, dimness or blurriness in vision, nausea, inflammation of the conjunctiva, and occasionally vomiting take place shortly after exposure. A sure sign of the presence of nerve agents in the air is rhinorrhea, which many refer to as a "runny nose." The strength of the rhinorrhea is directly proportional to the dose of the nerve agent. <ref>Nerve Agents. Fas.org. Web. Accessed 20 May 2013. Unknown Author.</ref>
One of the first signs of exposure to nerve agents is miosis of the eye, which is the contracting of the pupil. A sharp or dull pain around the eyes or front of the head, dimness or blurriness in vision, nausea, inflammation of the conjunctiva, and occasionally vomiting take place shortly after exposure. A sure sign of the presence of nerve agents in the air is rhinorrhea, which many refer to as a "runny nose." The strength of the rhinorrhea is directly proportional to the dose of the nerve agent. <ref>Nerve Agents. Fas.org. Web. Accessed 20 May 2013. Unknown Author.</ref>
== Regulation ==
On January 13, 1993, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, otherwise known as the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)was signed. This arms control agreement served to outlaw the use, manufacturing, and stockpiling of chemical weapons, including nerve agents. This treaty served as an addition to the Geneva Protocol, created in 1925 for similar purposes. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, located in Hague, Netherlands, is charged with the management of the treaty. This management includes making certain that out of the 175 countries that have signed so far, none stockpile chemical weapons or manufacture any new chemical weapons. Additionally, each country must destroy much of their current stockpiles. These conditions coincide with the CWC's stated goal: ". . .for the sake of all mankind, to exclude completely the possibility of the use of chemical weapons, through the implementation of the provisions of this Convention." Signed in 1993, the treaty actually took action in 1997, in the month of April. <ref>http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Chemical+Weapons+Convention Chemical Weapons Convention. Web. updated Apr 29, 2011. Gilbert, Steven</ref>


== History ==
== History ==
[[File:Tabun-3D-balls.png|left|thumb|150px|A 3D structure of Tabun, the first nerve agent ever synthesized.]]
[[File:Tabun-3D-balls.png|left|thumb|200px|A 3D structure of Tabun, the first nerve agent ever synthesized.]]


In 1934, a relatively unknown German chemist by the name of Gerhard Schrader was tasked by Ig Farben, a German chemical industry, to improve upon preexisting insecticides. While the chemist and his team were developing more effective pesticides, they accidentally found that one of the more potent chemicals they had created had toxic effects on humans. Around two years later the deadly phosphorous insecticide was produced under the name of tabun. This was the first substance to be later recognized as a nerve agent.
In 1934, a relatively unknown German chemist by the name of Gerhard Schrader was tasked by Ig Farben, a German chemical industry, to improve upon preexisting insecticides. While the chemist and his team were developing more effective pesticides, they accidentally found that one of the more potent chemicals they had created had toxic effects on humans. Around two years later the deadly phosphorous insecticide was produced under the name of tabun. This was the first substance to be later recognized as a nerve agent.
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