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- sarin, synthetic organophosphate compound that is highly toxic to the nervous system. Exposure to sarin—which is colourless, odourless, and tasteless—can cause death within minutes. Use as a weapon Sarin was developed in Germany in 1938 by the chemical and pharmaceutical company IG Farben, initially for use as a pesticide.
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"Shri Ashok Sarin was the visionary founder and Chairman of Anant Raj Limited, with over five decades of unparalleled expertise in the real estate and construction sectors.
Sarin is widely considered a weapon of mass destruction. Production and stockpiling of sarin was outlawed as of April 1997 by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993, and it is classified as a Schedule 1 substance.
- Overview
- Use as a weapon
- Effects and antidotes
sarin, synthetic organophosphate compound that is highly toxic to the nervous system. Exposure to sarin—which is colourless, odourless, and tasteless—can cause death within minutes.
Sarin was developed in Germany in 1938 by the chemical and pharmaceutical company IG Farben, initially for use as a pesticide. It was developed and put into munitions during World War II but was never deployed. Sarin, which was one of the most toxic nerve agents in existence at the time, had the potential to be released in the air and in water supplies and to be added to food as a means of killing opponents.
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Sarin was used in chemical warfare by Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. In 1993 the Chemical Weapons Convention banned sarin, labeling it a Schedule 1 substance, meaning that it has little or no use other than as a weapon of war. Most countries that had stockpiles of sarin began to destroy them. Nonetheless, some countries retain significant amounts of the chemical, fueling the ongoing threat of chemical warfare. In Syria, for example, sarin was used in 2013, in attacks in Al-Ghūṭah, and again in 2017, in Khān Shaykhūn.
Sarin disrupts nervous system function by blocking the activity of acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine at neuromuscular junctions, which lie between nerves and muscles. Acetylcholine normally facilitates the transmission of impulses across the junction, and its activity normally is stopped by acetylcholinesterase. However, sarin’s inhibition of acetylcholinesterase causes a buildup of acetylcholine at neuromuscular junctions, resulting in continuous stimulation of muscle fibres. This process affects all muscles but is most noticeable in the respiratory system, where, following exposure to sarin, the airways constrict and the lungs fill with fluid, causing shortness of breath. Heart rate slows, and blood pressure decreases. Seizures may occur, and the victim may secrete fluid from the nose and mouth. Loss of consciousness precedes death.
Antidotes for sarin poisoning include atropine and pralidoxime. However, in severe cases antidotes alone may not prevent death; ventilatory treatment, with supplemental oxygen and suctioning to remove fluids from the airways, is essential. Exposure to nonlethal doses, despite treatment, can cause permanent damage to neurological function.
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Apr 7, 2017 · A deadly attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995 made sarin one of the best-known nerve agents in the world. Members of the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo used sarin in their attacks.
Sarin (GB, O-isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) is a potent organophosphorus (OP) nerve agent that inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE) irreversibly.
- Mohamed B. Abou-Donia, Briana Siracuse, Natasha Gupta, Ashly Sobel Sokol
- 10.1080/10408444.2016.1220916
- 2016
- 2016/11
Dec 2, 2019 · Here's a look at how it works and how exposure to Sarin is treated. Key Takeaways: Sarin. Sarin is an organophosphate nerve gas—a type of chemical weapon. The gas dissolves in water, so Sarin can be delivered in food or liquids as well as air. Sarin works like a pesticide.
Apr 6, 2017 · Sarin is a nerve agent, one of a class of chemical weapons that affect the brain’s ability to communicate with the body’s organs through the nervous system. It is a colorless, tasteless,...
