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THIS WEEK
Technology versus nerve agents
Could a suite of new tools help contain future Novichok or sarin attacks?
Giving a “casualty” a wash
in a decontamination tent–
physical similarities with nerve
agents on the skin and clothes
of casualties.
“Anything that would improve
the ability to have detection
happen at the site would change
the way we prepare and add to
our resilience significantly,”
says Amesh Adalja of the Johns
Hopkins Center for Health
Security in Maryland, who
isn’t involved in the project.
Instant analysis
The responders also tested
ANDREW WEEKES PHOTOGRAPHY an electronic tagging system for
tracking each casualty’s status,
location and treatment. This
would be very useful, says Ralf
Trapp, a chemical and biological
weapons consultant in France,
who also isn’t involved in the
Sam Wong in Tatoi, Greece technologies have been tested in first described in the 19th century, project. “It would free medical-
a simulated CBRN event. Tools but only now are detectors response personnel in the field
SEVERAL people have collapsed ranged from miniature chemical small and sensitive enough to be from admin tasks, so they can
at an airport terminal, showing analysers to social media trackers. held in a hand or embedded into focus on dealing with victims.”
signs of nerve agent poisoning. The scenario was a simulation detectors that work like smoke As the simulation continued,
Responders in hazmat suits arrive of a sarin attack, the nerve agent alarms. In the simulation, the team analysed the breath of
and must urgently determine that killed 12 people in a terrorist responders used handheld the two most severely affected
what chemical people have been attack in Tokyo, Japan, in 1995. versions to detect a harmless casualties using a tabletop
exposed to and prevent further The “casualties” – played by chemical that shares some machine. In 40 seconds, the device
casualties. 50 Greek air force cadets – held
Thankfully, this wasn’t a cards describing their symptoms,
real attack, but a test of a suite including loss of sight, inability
of new tools for responding to to walk and convulsions, while
chemical, biological, radioactive a specialist Greek military unit
and nuclear events (CBRN) near used the tools to try to contain
Athens in Greece last week. the hypothetical attack.
Following the Novichok attack in One such device was an
Salisbury, UK, this year, experts ion-mobility spectrometer.
gathered at the Hellenic Air Force This ionises chemicals and
Academy in Tatoi to test the assesses how quickly they move
latest advances in diagnostic in an electric field, enabling the
and tracking technology. identification of the substances.
The field trial is part of Ion-mobility spectrometers were
the European Commission’s
TOXI-Triage project, and it was Electronic wrist tags make it easier
the first time so many unproven to keep track of each patient
4 | NewScientist | 27 October 2018
