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Chemical and Biological Weapons ​

Chemical and biological weapons are categories of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) that use toxic properties of chemical substances or infectious agents to cause harm or death. They are dangerous due to their invisibility, rapid spread, and potential for widespread suffering and long-term impacts on human life, agriculture, and the environment.

Chemical Weapons ​

Definition and Mechanism ​

Chemical weapons utilize toxic chemicals in gaseous, liquid, or solid forms to inflict harm or death. They are typically delivered via artillery shells, missiles, bombs, or aerosol sprays.

Types of Chemical Weapons ​

Nerve Agents: These are considered the most dangerous and lethal chemical weapons, affecting the nervous system to incapacitate muscles and organs.

  • Sarin (GB): Highly toxic, odorless, and colorless. It enters the body through skin contact or inhalation, causing breathing difficulties, muscle tremors, and can lead to death.
  • VX (Venomous Agent X): The most toxic nerve agent known, a thick oil-like liquid easily absorbed by the skin. It causes muscle contraction, respiratory failure, and permanent nerve damage.
  • Soman (GD): A fast-acting agent that can cause irregular heart rate, seizures, and respiratory failure.
  • Tabun (GA): Less lethal but slower-acting, it affects the respiratory and digestive systems.

Blister Agents (Vesicants): These compounds cause severe burns and blisters on the skin, eyes, and respiratory system.

  • Mustard Gas (Sulfur Mustard - HD/H): A carcinogenic agent with long-term effects, it causes skin blisters, blindness, and lung inflammation. Its slow effects can delay identification. It was extensively used in World War I.
  • Lewisite (L): Causes immediate skin blistering and severe eye irritation. Inhaled, it can lead to permanent lung damage.

Blood Agents: These agents enter the bloodstream and interfere with the body's oxygen-carrying capacity, resulting in fatal oxygen deprivation (hypoxia).

  • Hydrogen Cyanide (AC): Rapidly absorbed, it prevents oxygen supply in the blood and can cause death within minutes.
  • Cyanogen Chloride (CK): Impacts both the blood and respiratory system, leading to lung inflammation, suffocation, and a drop in blood pressure.

Choking Agents (Pulmonary Agents): Primarily affect the lungs, hindering breathing capacity and potentially leading to death.

  • Chlorine Gas (Cl₂): Causes inflammation in the respiratory system and fluid accumulation in the lungs (pulmonary edema). It was widely used in World War I.
  • Phosgene (CG): An odorless and dangerous gas that can cause fluid to fill the lungs, leading to suffocation.

Riot Control Agents: These non-lethal agents temporarily affect vision and the respiratory system, often used by security forces for crowd dispersal. Examples include CS Gas, CN Gas, and Pepper Spray (OC Spray).

Psychochemical Agents: Affect the brain, inducing confusion, hallucinations, anxiety, and madness. Examples include BZ and LSD.

Industrial Toxic Chemicals: Certain industrially used chemicals, like ammonia, can be misused in chemical attacks.

Historical Use of Chemical Weapons ​

  • World War I: Germany was the first to use chemical weapons, deploying chlorine gas in 1915 and mustard gas in 1917.
  • World War II: Germany used Zyklon-B gas for genocide.
  • Vietnam War: Herbicides like Agent Orange were used to destroy enemy cover.
  • 1980s: Iraq used chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war and against Kurds.
  • 1995 Tokyo Subway Attack: Sarin gas was used in a terrorist attack.
  • 2013 Ghouta Attack (Syria): The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed instances of sarin gas use.
  • 2018: The Novichok nerve agent was used in an attack in Britain.

International Control and India's Position (Chemical Weapons) ​

  • Geneva Protocol (1925): This protocol prohibited the use of chemical and biological weapons in warfare, but did not regulate their production or storage. India supported this protocol.
  • Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC, 1997): This is the most comprehensive treaty aimed at the complete elimination of chemical weapons.
    • It prohibits the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons.
    • As of 2019, over 97.51% of declared chemical agents had been destroyed.
    • India signed the CWC in 1993 and ratified it in 1996. By 2009, India had completely destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile, becoming the third country to do so.
  • Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): Established in 1997, the OPCW implements and monitors the CWC. Its headquarters are in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2013, OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts in defining chemical weapons as taboo under international law.
  • Australia Group (1985): An informal group of 42 countries and the EU that works on export controls to prevent the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons.

Challenges for Chemical Weapons Control ​

  • Development of new chemical agents that are difficult to control.
  • Risk of non-state actors and rebel groups illegally using these weapons.
  • Deterioration of old chemical weapon stockpiles poses risks.
  • Technological advancements, such as drones, could lead to new dissemination methods.

Biological Weapons ​

Definition and Mechanism ​

Biological weapons (germ warfare) use living organisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) or their toxins to cause illness or death in humans, animals, or plants. They can spread infectious diseases and are also classified as weapons of mass destruction. Key characteristics include their invisibility, infectivity, and dual-use nature.

Types of Biological Weapons ​

Bacterial Agents: Use various bacteria to cause severe diseases.

  • Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis): A well-known biological weapon, its spores can enter via air, food, or water. It is easy to disseminate as a powder or spray and can last for extended periods.

Viral Agents: Employ viruses to cause diseases.

  • Ebola Virus: Causes hemorrhagic fever, organ failure, and death, considered dangerous for bioterrorism.
  • Smallpox (Variola major): Although globally eradicated in 1980, it remains a potential biological weapon that spreads human-to-human.
  • Nipah virus and Hanta virus are also mentioned as agents.

Fungi: Can be used to destroy crops.

Biotoxins (Biological Toxic Substances): These are lethal substances produced by bacteria, fungi, or plants.

  • Botulinum Toxin (Clostridium botulinum): The most toxic natural substance known, it disables the nervous system, causing paralysis and respiratory failure. It can be spread via food or air.
  • Ricin (Ricinus communis): An extremely toxic substance extracted from castor seeds, it can cause internal organ failure and respiratory system impairment.

Genetically Modified Biological Agents: These are bio-engineered agents, such as "superbugs" (antibiotic-resistant bacteria) or modified viruses with increased mortality rates, designed to be more lethal.

Historical Use of Biological Weapons ​

  • 1346: Mongols catapulted plague-infected bodies into cities.
  • 1763: The British distributed smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans.
  • World War II: Japan reportedly used plague and anthrax and tested biological weapons on Chinese civilians and prisoners.
  • 2001 Anthrax Attack: Letters containing anthrax spores were sent to U.S. Senators and journalists, resulting in deaths and infections.
  • The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted global vulnerability to biological agents.

International Control and India's Position (Biological Weapons) ​

  • Geneva Protocol (1925): As with chemical weapons, it prohibited the use of bacteriological methods of warfare but not their production or stockpiling.
  • Biological Weapons Convention (BWC, 1972): This is the most comprehensive treaty specifically banning the development, production, stockpiling, acquisition, transfer, and use of biological and toxin weapons.
    • It was the first treaty to ban an entire category of WMDs.
    • The UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) further aims to prevent WMDs from reaching non-state actors.
    • India signed the BWC in 1973 and ratified it on July 15, 1974.
    • India maintains a policy of non-possession and non-use of biological weapons.
    • President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam stated in 2002 that "India will not make biological weapons. It is cruel to human beings".
    • India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is involved in biodefense capabilities, and India controls the transfer of biological agents and dual-use items through the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems Act, 2005.
  • Australia Group (1985): This informal group also addresses biological weapon proliferation through export controls.

Challenges for Biological Weapons Control ​

  • Technological Risks: Advances in biotechnology (e.g., CRISPR, synthetic biology, AI, robotics) could facilitate the development of new biological weapons. The dual-use nature of many biological technologies complicates monitoring.
  • Verification Difficulties: Biological agents can be produced in small quantities and destroyed quickly, making inspections challenging.
  • Financial Issues: Funding shortfalls can hinder the effective implementation of BWC programs and meetings.

Defense Against Chemical and Biological Weapons ​

Defense measures against chemical and biological weapons include:

  • Personal Protective Measures: Use of gas masks and Hazmat Suits, along with immunization and antibiotics for infection control. Emergency evacuation and quarantine procedures are also crucial.
  • Military and Scientific Defense: This involves CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) defense teams, the use of sensors and test kits for early detection, and monitoring and prevention efforts by health organizations. The DRDO in India is also developing Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) like high-energy lasers and microwave systems to counter threats such as drone swarms.
  • International Cooperation and Laws: Organizations like the OPCW, UN Biological Weapons Monitoring Committee, and WHO play a vital role in global monitoring and enforcement.