2. WEAPONS
A weapon is a device that is designed to be used in
fighting an enemy of war to cause bodily harm to another
or defend oneself from attackers.
3. WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION
■ (1) the ability to produce large scale destruction and
■ (2) they do not choose who they want to attack which
usually affects the civilians.
■ According to Laura Reed, there are three major types
of WMD . They are nuclear weapons, chemical warfare
agents and biological warfare agents. But in addition,
other analysts include radiological materials as well as
missile technology and delivery systems such as
aircraft and ballistic missiles.
4. 4 KINDS OF WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION
-01-
Biological Weapon
of Mass Destruction
-02-
Chemical Weapon
of Mass Destruction
-03-
Nuclear Weapon of
Mass Destruction
-04-
Radiological Weapons
of Mass Destruction
5. BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION
(Biowarfare)
The Hittites of Asia Minor recognized the power
of contagious diseases and sent plague victims
into enemy lands. Military men catapult diseased
corpses into forts of enemies and poison their
source of water.
7. 1. Smallpox - is caused by the variola virus. Signs of
smallpox include high fever, body aches, and a rash that
developed fluid -filled bumps and when healed it produces
scabs to permanent, pitted scars. The disease easily
spreads through direct contact with an infected person’s
skin or bodily fluids and also through the air in closed,
confined areas and contaminated snail mail.
Antidote for smallpox include proper medical management
for affected patients is advised by the following the
supportive care such as: the patient should be isolated until
all scabs have fallen off to prevent transmission of virus;
maintain fluid and electrolyte balanced to avoid dehydration;
give medications for fever and pain; give food rich in
nutritions; skin lesions should be properly treated; Monitor
complications; vaccination to prevent severe transmission
of smallpox and in case of death, corpse should be
cremated; health workers should wear protective clothing,
face mask and gloves and these should be properly
disposed or sterilized; and pregnant women should not
receive smallpox vaccination.
8. 2. Anthrax - Anthrax is one the deadliest and
most feared agents of biological weapons. It is
caused by a bacterium called Bacillus anthracis
that is found naturally in some animals in low
levels but when its spores are inhaled by
humans, it becomes deadly. The symptoms are
fever, malaise, fatigue, coughing, internal
bleeding, blood poisoning or even meningitis.
Antidotes for Anthrax infection include large
doses of intravenous and oral antibiotics, such
as fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin), doxycycline,
erythromycin, vancomycin, or penicillin.
9. 3. Ebola virus - Ebola virus is a killer virus that
causes hemorrhagic fevers marked by severe
bleeding. Once present in a host, the virus infects
others through direct contact with blood or other
bodily secretions. An infected individual can
expect to start experiencing symptoms in
between 2 and 21 days. Typical symptoms may
include headache, muscle ache, sore throat and
weakness, followed by diarrhea and vomiting.
Antidote for Ebola Virus: There is no vaccine
and no cure for Ebola, only proper medical
management such as avoiding péople who are
exposed to it and maintaining balance of Fluids
and electrolytes and oxygen; blood transfusion
and treatment for other infections.
10. 4. Plague - also called Black Death killed half the
population of Europe in the 14th century caused
by the bacterium Yersinia pestis which was
transmitted to humans by infected rats. Plague
exists in two main strains: bubonic and
pneumonic. Bubonic plague typically spreads by
bites from infected fleas, but also can be
transmitted from person to person through
contact with infected bodily fluids. Symptoms
occur within two or three days and typically last
between one and six days. Pneumonic plague is
less common and spreads through the air by
coughs, sneezes and face-to-face contact. Its
symptoms include high fever, cough, bloody
mucus and difficulty breathing.
Antidote for Plague: Antibiotics are prescribed to
treat bubonic plague, and the patient is advised
to be hospitalized in isolation.
11. 5. Tularemia is also called rabbit fever. It is a
disease caused by the bacterium Francisella
tularensis and is one of the most infectious
bacteria on Earth. Rabbits, hares, and rodents are
especially susceptible and often die in large
numbers during outbreaks. Patients may
experience fever, chills, headache, diarrhea,
muscle aches, joint pain, dry cough and
progressive weakness. Pneumonia-like symptoms
can also develop. If left untreated, respiratory
failure, shock and death can follow.
Antidote for Tularemia: Tularemia is not
transferred between human hosts but can be
spread very rapidly between animal hosts and
humans or when used in aerosol form.It can be
easily treated with antibiotics or prevented with a
vaccine.
12. 6. Botulinum toxin is caused by a bacteria
Clostridium botulinum that contains the
deadly botulinum toxin. It is colorless and
odorless in the air. The signs of botulism
are blurred vision, vomiting and difficulty
swallowing. To prevent severe effects, an
antitoxin botulism should be administered
to the victim. If untreated the victim will
experience paralysis, affecting the muscles
and eventually the respiratory system.
Antidote for Botulinum: antitoxin drugs can
be administered to the patient to prevent
the disorder from worsening, but recovery
still takes many weeks according to
Davis(2017).
13. 7. Rice Blast is classified as a bioweapon, a
kind of crop disease caused by the fungus
Pyricularia oryzae (also known as
Magnaporthe grisea). The spores quickly
multiply and spread to all plants it comes in
contact with, weakening them and producing
lower crop harvest. This bioweapon does not
kill instantly, but low food production could
lead to severe hunger in poorer countries, as
well as losses in income
Antidote for Rice Blast: To prevent Rice blast
infested plants from growing, it is suggested
to develop fungus resistant plant varieties.
Other crop management measures can also
be done, such as: Do not use excessive
fertilizer and Irrigate the soil regularly
14. 8. Rinderpest(cattle plague) is a German
name and a kind of pest caused by virus
similar to measles, but affects mostly
cattle and other ruminant animals such
as goats, bison and giraffes. It is a highly
contagious disease, characterized with
fever, loss of appetite, dysentery and
inflammation of the mucus membranes.
Antidote for Rinderpest virus (RPV):
Vaccination can be administered if
directed by the authorities proper
disposal of dead animals and
contaminated material. Maintain
cleanliness and proper sanitation of
cattle farms.
15. 9. Nipah disease is caused by the nipah
virus in 1999. Health workers suspect the
virus naturally occurs in fruit bats. The
illness typically lasts 6 to 10 days, inducing
symptoms that range from mild, flu-like
conditions such as fever and muscle pains
to encephalitis, or inflammation of the
brain. In these more severe cases, patients
experienced drowsiness, disorientation,
convulsions and ultimately coma.
Antidote for Nipah Virus: Treatment is
limited to supportive care
16. CHEMICAL WEAPONS
OF MASS
DESTRUCTION
Chemical weapon of mass destruction is composed of toxic
chemical contained in a bomb. They come in the form of
liquids, vapors, gasses and aerosols. They are called nerve
agents, blister agents and choking agents, all of them can
irritate the eyes, lungs or skin. Effects include immediate failure
of the respiratory or nervous system, or skin irritation,
headaches, heart palpitations, respiratory difficulty, vomiting
and convulsions.
18. 1. Sarin, also called GB, is a colorless,
odorless nerve gas and considered an
organophosphate chemical, a potent
pesticide. Sarin is a tasteless, odorless,
colorless liquid that has no odor in its pure
form. It is a highly poisonous chemical that
kills because it interferes with signaling
within the nervous system by suffocation.
Antidote for Sarin is exposure to Atropine
and pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM Cl) for nerve
agent against toxicity; however, 2-PAM Cl
must be administered within minutes to a few
hours after exposure to be more effective.
19. 2. Soman is a combination of Sarin and
Lewisite, an effective blistering agent.
It is more expensive to produce than
sarin. It is a colorless liquid, and
becomes dark brown if aged. It is
tasteless but has been variously
described as having a sweet, musty,
fruity, spicy or nutty smell.
Antidotes to nerve agent poisoning
must be given immediately. These
include: mAtropine,Pralidoxime
Diazepam.
20. 3. VX, or O-ethyl S-diisopropylaminoethyl
methylphosphonothiolate, is brownish in
liquid form, and its vapors are odorless.
VX is a very toxic nerve gas which causes
convulsions, loss of consciousness,
paralysis, and failure of the respiratory
system leading to death.
An individual exposed to a nerve-agent, is
generally given the antidotes atropine and
pralidoxime (2-PAM), as well as injected
sedative/antiepileptic such as diazepam.
21. 4. Tabun was discovered by accident in
Germany. It is a colorless or brownish liquid,
and odorless as a vapor. Tabun, is classified
as an organophosphate and originally
intended to be used as pesticides, and
considered among the easiest of nerve gasses
to manufacture. Signs of exposure are visual
disturbance, runny nose, chest tightness,
nausea, vomiting and convulsions. A large
dose exposure can lead to loss of
consciousness, convulsions, paralysis and
respiratory failure, which can lead to death.
Antidote for tabun is administration of
injectable atropine and pralidoxime.
22. 5. Zyklon B is another poison gas
invented in Germany in 1920 by Fritz
Haber, a type of hydrogen cyanide
used by the Nazis to kill war victims
inside gas chamber during World War
II. It is a colorless vapor at normal
temperatures with a smell like bitter
almonds. Hydrogen cyanide has high
toxicity and in sufficient
concentrations rapidly leads to death.
Antidote use is Amyl nitrite, sodium
nitrite, and sodium thiosulfate which
are antidotes for cyanide toxicity.
23. 6. Mustard Agents was first used near the
end of World War I. Exposure to it caused
severe eye and lung damage. The chemical
compound is often called "blister agents"
because their injuries usually resemble burns
or blisters. Sulfur mustard, commonly known
as mustard gas, has the ability to form large
blisters on exposed skin and in the lungs.
Sulfur mustard sometimes smells like garlic,
onions, or mustard and sometimes has no
odor.
There is no antidote for mustard exposure.
The best thing to do is to avoid it by leaving
the area immediately where the sulfur
mustard is present.
24. Nuclear weapons are just like large conventional
bombs, because they are meant to cause extreme
damage through an explosion that releases a large
amount of energy in a short period of time. Since
1945, no nuclear weapon has been used in a
conflict although possession of them is a symbol
of strength and prestige and can be used during
diplomatic bargaining.
NUCLEAR WEAPON OF
MASS DESTRUCTION
25. FISSION WEAPONS
Fission weapons: In fission
weapons, atoms are split. The
core of a fission bomb is made of
either plutonium or highly
enriched uranium. During fission,
when the heavy nucleus splits
into two smaller nuclei, extra
neutrons are released. If these
neutrons are absorbed by other
nuclei, they can, in turn, split,
also releasing neutrons and
setting off what is known as a
chain reaction.
26. FUSSION WEAPONS
Fusion weapons: In fusion
weapons-often known as
hydrogen bombs-deuterium and
tritium, two isotopes of
hydrogen, are fused together to
create heavier atoms. Fusion can
only happen at extremely high
temperatures and pressure
28. 1. Blast refers to the very fast release
of energy in an explosion producing a
shock wave equivalent to several
thousand pounds of pressure per
square inch.
2. Thermal radiation is a form of energy
with a combination of heat and light.
The heat from a nuclear explosion is so
intense that nearly all materials at the
center of the explosion (epicenter) are
immediately vaporized.
29. 4. Fallout consists of large numbers of particles,
which are propelled upward in the blast and
become irradiated, or contaminated with
radiation during the explosion. The rising and
descending debris forms the mushroom cloud
that follows a nuclear explosion. The
distribution of fallout depends on the
topography of the land and weather conditions,
pertaining to direction and speed of winds.
3. Direct nuclear radiation
releases several forms of
radiation such as gamma,
alpha and beta particles.
30. Depending on the amount of radiation, how fast or slow is radiation
contamination, it can affect the cells, tissues and organs of the body.
The most serious delayed, long-term effect of radiation exposure is increased
cases of leukemia, thyroid, lungs, breast, and bone cancers. The type of
cancer acquired depends on how the body was exposed to radiation.
While workers who painted glow-in-the-dark radium on watch faces licked
their radioactive paint brushes, which led to increased cases of bone cancer
and radiation- induced anemia.
Hiroshima survivors exposed from the nuclear bomb attack have been seen to
manifest high cases of leukemia, cataracts, hair loss, increased in infertility
rates and birth defects.
Effects of Radiation on Humans
31. Radioactive “dirty bombs" are weapons of mass
disruption not mass destruction. A radioactive
"dirty bomb“ is made by combining radioactive
material with conventional explosives usually
dynamite to spread it, but would not cause massive
death and injury as compared to the scale of a
nuclear weapon detonation.
RADIOLOGICAL
WEAPON OF MASS
DESTRUCTION
