CBRN 101 7 May 2019 UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE.

CBRN 101 7 May 2019 UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

Agenda Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear [CIA | B&A | | (U) | ]

What is the Chemical Threat?
Crude Sophisticated Choking Agent Blood Agent Blister Agent Nerve Agent [CIA | B&A | | (U) | ] The spectrum shows the chemical threats from crude capability on the terrorists’ side, to the more complex materials within the capability of a nation state program… Toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) – general term for chemicals that have a legitimate industrial use Toxic chemicals, Article II of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention - Any chemical which through its chemical action can cause death, temporary incapacitation or permanent harm to human or animals Precursor – Any chemical reactant which takes part at any stage in the production…this includes any key component of a binary or multistep process Choking agents – Injure your respiratory tract and lungs. Can cause lungs to fill with fluid, followed by asphyxiation. Examples include chlorine, phosgene, chloropicrin. Blood agents – Prevent the normal use of oxygen by the cells, causing rapid damage to body tissues and asphyxiation. Notable examples include hydrogen cyanide (AC), cyanogen chloride (CK), and arsine. Blister agents – Also called vesicants, cause severe inflammation, blisters, and permanent cell damage. Symptoms are often delayed, but large quantities via inhalation can be lethal. Sulfur mustard (H, HD), nitrogen mustards (HN1, HN2, HN3), and arsenicals (such as Lewisite) are the most notable examples. Nerve agents – Chemicals that react with an enzyme in the body – acetylcholinesterase – inhibiting nerve cell signaling, and overloading the nervous system. Death is most often caused by asphyxiation, because the lungs stop working (nerves stop telling lungs to breathe). G-Series – GA (Tabun), GB (Sarin), GD (Soman), GF (Cyclosarin) V-Series – VX, R-33 (Russian VX)

Choking Agent: Chlorine
Many commercial uses: Water purification Bleaching agents Oxidizing agents Solvents Intermediates for other compounds Readily available Liquid or gas forms Can be generated from solids Inhalation: Irritating, potentially lethal Used in World War I Sources: [CIA | B&A | | (U//FOUO) | ] Source Syrian chlorine barrel bombs [JANE'S NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL DEFENCE | 1002/fc647bf3-4fe f2-5187bdddc10d | GUIDE ID: 1002/fc647bf3-4fe f2-5187bdddc10d | 20 July 2018 | | (U) NBC capabilities , Syria , Chemical , Key Facts | | (U) | (U) | ] -[OSC | CPR | GUIDE ID: 1002/85f46215-a2cd c26-2d69c98b4268 | 3 February 2015 | | (U) Bas News: Peshmerga Allegedly Foil ISIL Chemical Weapons Attack Near Mosul, 23 January | | (U) | (U) | ] (U) Choking agents affect primarily the respiratory tract, where they cause mucous membrane inflammation. If exposure is severe, fluid accumulates in the lungs, resulting in pulmonary edema, oxygen uptake becomes inadequate, and death occurs due to asphyxiation. This is sometimes called "dry land drowning." One example of a TIC/choking agent is chlorine, which is widely available in water sanitation, academic labs, and other commercial areas. Chlorine is a heavy greenish-yellow irritating toxic gas. Symptoms include burning sensation on skin, eyes, nose, throat, lungs, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, etc. Ask if anyone in the room was in Iraq during the timeframe and what they remember. If someone speaks up, let them explain what they recall of the chlorine VBIEDs. Acknowledge that they are in fact correct and segway into next slide. Top picture: Chlorine tanks as used in research and other applications. When stored under pressure, chlorine is a liquid, becomes a gas at room pressure Top picture: (U) Chlorine was the first chemical agent used as a large-scale weapon when the Germans attacked Allied troops during World War I. The Germans in April 1915 at Ypres, Belgium placed 6,000 pressurized cylinders containing liquid chlorine along several kilometers of their own front lines. The wind blowing toward the Allied front lines and as the gas from several thousand point sources coalesced, a pale-green cloud of chlorine gas several meters high and roughly 3 kilometers wide could be seen drifting toward the Allied trenches. Other background if needed: (U) There are no drugs available to treat chlorine exposure. First aid measures and supportive therapy are used to treat victims presenting physiological signs and symptoms of exposure to chlorine. (U) Dosage level and duration of exposure to chlorine affects the severity of physical effects. The following table lists this relationship (ppm = parts per million): 1-3 ppm mild mucous membrane irritation 5-15 ppm moderate irritation of upper respiratory tract 30 ppm immediate chest pain, vomiting, dyspnea, and cough 40-60 ppm toxic pneumonitis and pulmonary edema 430 ppm lethal with exposure over 30 minutes 1000 ppm death within minutes after few breaths

Blood Agent: Cyanide Industrial uses – readily available
Common forms: Salt (solid) & gas LD50 in animals (oral):6.4 mg/kg Extrapolation for 70kg adult: 450 mg Lethal: Inhalation (rapid) or ingestion Causes increased respiration and respiratory arrest Sources: [CIA | B&A | | (U) | ] Bottom image: (U) Cyanide has a number of industrial applications and is usually found in a solid or salt form – it can also be produced as a gas when combined with other chemicals Primary modes of exposure include ingestion or inhalation – breathing in Cyanide gas leads to rapid pulmonary failure. Ingestion takes longer but with high enough concentrations is also fatal… blood agents in general interfere with the ability of the bloodstream to carry oxygen to cells and tissues of the body. Cyanide toxicity depends upon many factors, including food acidity (if added to foods), ingestion rate, general health of the victim, and the body's natural ability to detoxify cyanides. (U) Information on cyanide is readily available on the internet and in open source literature, and has been proliferated in terrorist manuals and on extremist websites. The material itself can be obtained legally with minimal restrictions – a 17 year old Maryland boy was able to obtain cyanide salts over the internet by claiming he was working on a metal-smithing project – he used it to poison the soda of his best friend because they were both interested in the same girl. The friend died.

Blood Agent: Cyanide Contact poisons (crude, ineffective)
Food & beverage contamination Improvised Chemical Device (“Mubtakar”) Sources: [CIA | B&A | | (U) | ] Source for Mubtakar and referenced toxic materials: [OSE | IML | GUIDE ID: 1002/8e73e94d-04e9-4a73-9db2-9928f14d9b68 | 13 September 2016 | | (U//FOUO) BBCM: Web Monitoring Report for 13 September 2016 | | (U//FOUO) | (U//FOUO) | ] (U) Cyanide has a number of industrial applications and is usually found in a solid or salt form – it can also be produced as a gas when combined with other chemicals Primary modes of exposure include ingestion or inhalation – breathing in Cyanide gas leads to rapid pulmonary failure. Ingestion takes longer but with high enough concentrations is also fatal… blood agents in general interfere with the ability of the bloodstream to carry oxygen to cells and tissues of the body. Cyanide toxicity depends upon many factors, including food acidity (if added to foods), ingestion rate, general health of the victim, and the body's natural ability to detoxify cyanides. (U) Information on cyanide is readily available on the internet and in open source literature, and has been proliferated in terrorist manuals and on extremist websites. The material itself can be obtained legally with minimal restrictions – a 17 year old Maryland boy was able to obtain cyanide salts over the internet by claiming he was working on a metal-smithing project – he used it to poison the soda of his best friend because they were both interested in the same girl. The friend died.

Blister Agent: Mustard
ISIS used in Iraq & Syria No commercial use; incapacitating agent Viscous liquid at room temperature Persistent: contact & vapor hazard Effects: Mild (blisters) to lethal (inhalation) Information available in open source Sulfur or nitrogen mustard recipes Precursors available, more so overseas Sources: [CIA | B&A | | (U//FOUO) | ] Photo Source: OPCW website A Baltic fisherman with a relatively fresh mustard agent injury. Inflammation and fluid-filled blisters can be seen on the foot. The photo was taken at Bornholm Hospital and was kindly placed at FOA’s disposal by Dr. Steen Christensen. (Ivarsson U, Nilsson H, Santesson J, eds. A FOA briefing book on chemical weapons: threat, effects, and protection. Umeå, National Defence Research Establishment, 1992, page 33) Blister agents like sulfur and nitrogen mustard is a chemically stable, viscous or thick and persistent substance that causes severe blistering wherever it comes into contact with human tissue and as a result, it poses a contact and vapor hazard. It may remain in the environment for long periods of time, although in temperatures of 100 degrees and higher it evaporates quickly, which creates a serious inhalation hazard. Right around 88F is the sweet spot where it starts to go from liquid to gas. Blistering does not occur on contact and can take 2-48 hours to appear, based on the dose and purity. Rupturing the blister should be avoided at all costs due to increased chances of infection. Mustard is most commonly seen as sulfur mustard, though nitrogen mustard has also been of interest to terrorists.

Precursor Acquisition: Buy, Steal, or Produce
Sulfur, ethanol, acid, chlorine - hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid) – pools, cleaning supply Solvents – acetone, toluene, alcohols, turpentine… Cyanide salts – used extensively in mining and metal plating Commercial and academic labs have most chemicals on site Import from poorly regulated countries (U//FOUO) Assessment B&A Photos unclass from internet There are a variety of ways in which terrorists might obtain some of these chemicals, especially those chemicals (like TICs) that can be used as weapons themselves (chlorine, mubtakar ingredients): (see slide) On stealing it – there are a number of legitimate locations where these chemicals might be found that do not necessarily have tight security surrounding their storage: universities in particular often have labs with chemical stores that remain open for graduate students who work all hours, and their inventory is less-likely to be monitored rigorously, allowing someone to take smaller quantities relatively unnoticed….

CW Precursors Precursors can be easily acquired from commercial items, if one knows what to look for (U//FOUO) Assessment B&A Photos FOUO from office-sponsored training setup

Production

Production METH CW CW METH

What is the Biological Threat?
Crude Sophisticated Toxins Bacteria Viruses Sources: [CIA | B&A | | (U//FOUO) | ] Here is the spectrum of biological threats Notice that sophistication/suitability of a particular agent generally groups with the type of agent it is – like toxins are the simplest and viruses the hardest to work with. As you’ll see in this briefing and later when we discuss dissemination, if you know the type of agent, you know a lot about the general characteristics, even if you’re not familiar with the specific agent. [CIA | B&A | | (U) | ]

Estimated human lethal dose
Toxins – Ricin Availability Common form of toxin Route of exposure Symptoms Estimated human lethal dose 0.5-4 µg/kg, injected µg/kg, inhaled 30-30,000 µg/kg, ingested Sensitive to High Temperatures Sources: B&A [Book | | USAMRIID'S Medical Management of Biological casualties Handbook | | September 2014 | | | 10 August 2018 | ] mirror.co.uk Images from Open source (U) Ricin is a protein toxin present in castor plant seeds (or “beans”) as 3-5% of the beans by weight. It’s the same plant that makes castor oil. Terrorist interest in ricin is likely related to its ready availability, relative ease of extraction, popularization by the press, and high toxicity. [Book | | USAMRIID'S Medical Management of Biological casualties Handbook | | September 2014 | | | 10 August 2018 | ] There are three different ways of exposure: Ingestion, inhalation and injection. [Book | | USAMRIID'S Medical Management of Biological casualties Handbook | | September 2014 | | | 10 August 2018 | ] (U) For ingestion, symptoms occur first and most severely in the gastrointestinal tract and include nausea, vomiting, malaise, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Symptoms can occur in as little as an hour if ingested on an empty stomach, but typically take several hours. A lethal dose depends upon the weight of the individual and purity of the solution; deaths may be seen with as little as 10 milligrams of pure ricin, equivalent to about a dash of salt. Shock and death can occur within 3 days. Heating contaminated products to 80 degrees Celsius inactivates the toxin, while the ricin molecule is too large to penetrate the skin as a contact poison. (U) If inhaled, within a few hours, symptoms will appear including fever, cough, labored breathing, nausea, chest tightness, profuse sweating, swelling in the lungs, bluish discoloration of lips, incapacitation, and abnormally low blood pressure. Respiratory failure and circulatory problems occur prior to death. Death in hours, based on animal models. Lethal dose is in the micrograms. (U) Depending on the site of injection, ricin can cause fluid retention in lung tissue surrounding blood vessels or death of muscle and regional lymph nodes with some organ damage. Death may occur, dependent on the dose and purity of ricin. The medical treatment for ricin poisoning is supportive, meaning treatment acts against the effects of the toxin but does not directly counteract the toxin itself. No antidote or vaccine currently is available. (U) Symptoms of exposure can include: Fever, vomiting, diarrhea, shock; dependent on dose and route of exposure. Onset of symptoms in 4-8 hours typically; Death in 1.5+ days (U) Lethal dose is pretty low but varies depending on route of exposure. (U) Inactivated by prolonged exposure to high temperatures

Ricin Production Indicators
Materials likely to be sought/discussed: Castor “beans” or “seeds” Acetone or organic Solvent or water Grinders, blenders, hammers, or mortar and pestle Funnel and filter paper Salts for precipitation Acids, bases, and pH strips or pH meters 1962 US Patent or other manuals Sources: Open Source ( U//FOUO) Note: Make basic explanation of what column chromatography is. Less likely: references to column chromatography

Bacteria Sources: B&A[CIA | B&A | | (U) | ] [Book | | USAMRIID'S Medical Management of Biological casualties Handbook | | September 2014 | | | 10 August 2018 | ] FBI – fbi.gov (Amerithrax letters) Images from Open source (U//FOUO) Bacillus anthracis is one of the bio agents we’re most concerned about because it causes the disease anthrax. Bacillus anthracis is the bacteria, anthrax is the disease. You’ll often hear the term ‘anthrax’ used to refer to the bacteria – that’s not technically correct, though people will understand what you mean. It can survive in oxygenated environments—and in fact, can survive without oxygen. This bacterium forms spores—which increases its ability to survive in harsh environmental conditions. This bacterium is also endemic to many areas—causing disease in livestock and occasionally humans. Onset of disease varies by route of exposure: for cutaneous anthrax, it is within 1-12 days, while with both gastrointestinal and inhalational anthrax, symptoms generally appear within 1-6 days. Endemic in many countries (U//FOUO) Cutaneous (skin version) anthrax is the most common form and causes skin lesions, less than 1% fatality rate if caught, 20-30% if it becomes systemic or is untreated. (U//FOUO) Gastrointestinal causes nausea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain; case-fatality rate is estimated to be 25-60%. (U//FOUO) Inhalational anthrax initially appears as an influenza-like illness and develops into shock and respiratory distress. There is an % fatality without rapid treatment (immediate antibiotics). The case-fatality rate for inhalational anthrax for the fall 2001 US anthrax attacks was 45%, likely due to early diagnosis and aggressive medical treatment of some victims. Symptoms Fever, skin lesions, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, shock Dependent on dose and route of exposure (U//FOUO) How do you treat a bacterial infection? There are typically two ways and anthrax is no exception. The first is a Vaccine. The second is Antibiotics, which attack bacteria’s structure, trying to destroy the cell’s wall. Antibiotics do not work on viruses.

Bacteria – Bacillus anthracis
Availability Route of exposure Symptoms Transmission Treatment Bacillus anthracis Sources: B&A[CIA | B&A | | (U) | ] [Book | | USAMRIID'S Medical Management of Biological casualties Handbook | | September 2014 | | | 10 August 2018 | ] Images from Open source (U//FOUO) Bacillus anthracis is one of the bio agents we’re most concerned about because it causes the disease anthrax. Bacillus anthracis is the bacteria, anthrax is the disease. You’ll often hear the term ‘anthrax’ used to refer to the bacteria – that’s not technically correct, though people will understand what you mean. It can survive in oxygenated environments—and in fact, can survive without oxygen. This bacterium forms spores—which increases its ability to survive in harsh environmental conditions. This bacterium is also endemic to many areas—causing disease in livestock and occasionally humans. Onset of disease varies by route of exposure: for cutaneous anthrax, it is within 1-12 days, while with both gastrointestinal and inhalational anthrax, symptoms generally appear within 1-6 days. Endemic in many countries (U//FOUO) Cutaneous (skin version) anthrax is the most common form and causes skin lesions, less than 1% fatality rate if caught, 20-30% if it becomes systemic or is untreated. (U//FOUO) Gastrointestinal causes nausea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain; case-fatality rate is estimated to be 25-60%. (U//FOUO) Inhalational anthrax initially appears as an influenza-like illness and develops into shock and respiratory distress. There is an % fatality without rapid treatment (immediate antibiotics). The case-fatality rate for inhalational anthrax for the fall 2001 US anthrax attacks was 45%, likely due to early diagnosis and aggressive medical treatment of some victims. Symptoms Fever, skin lesions, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, shock Dependent on dose and route of exposure (U//FOUO) How do you treat a bacterial infection? There are typically two ways and anthrax is no exception. The first is a Vaccine. The second is Antibiotics, which attack bacteria’s structure, trying to destroy the cell’s wall. Antibiotics do not work on viruses.

Producing Bacteria Create streakplate Wait 12-24 hours Inoculate tube
Culture stock Choose colony Inoculate tube Scale-up Plates Fermentor Flasks Source: [Text is Unclassified from Scientific Textbooks and manuals, B&A (U)] Slide not to be belabored, quick overview of some of the steps. [note: Giant streak plate image for discussion of what we mean when we say “isolating a pure culture”; emphasize the many, many different types of colonies you would see on an environmental plate] Start with culture stock Culture Plate Agar Slant Lyophilized Frozen Stock Environment Start small growth and verify purity* * This is a stage to induce antibiotic resistance if desired Test tube Streak plate Scale up for growth Agar plates Flasks Fermentor [Text is Unclassified from Scientific Textbooks and manuals (B&A)

Vacuum filtration system
Other Possible Laboratory Equipment Vacuum filtration system Glove box Autoclave Sources: Open source images ( U) Improvised bio hood Improvised autoclave Centrifuge

Viruses Nonliving, submicroscopic agent composed of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat Challenges: acquisition & growth Viruses, like smallpox, are nearly impossible to acquire Viruses require living cells in order to multiply Dissemination Wet slurry Dry powder On objects (fomites) Contaminated body fluids Variola major (smallpox) Sources: [CIA | B&A | | (U) | ] [Book | | USAMRIID'S Medical Management of Biological casualties Handbook | | September 2014 | | | 10 August 2018 | ] Open Source/internet images Ebolavirus

Growing Viruses Culture Stock Inoculate Inoculate Inoculate Sources:
Open Source/internet images In ovo Animal hosts Cell culture

Dual-Use Dilemma? Virtually all laboratory equipment could be “dual use” Information on isolating, growing, and modifying harmful organisms is widely available Sourcing Images: Open source/internet images

What is Radiation? Two classes of radiation
Non-ionizing Radio waves (RF) UV/visible light Heat Microwaves Ionizing radiation—what we’ll be talking about today Pictures Unclassified from Scientific Textbooks and manuals, Text B&A (U) So what is radiation? Radiation is all around us at every moment of our lives. Most radiation is invisible to us but there is radiation we can see (visible light) and there is radiation we can feel (infrared or heat). Now, there are two basic categories of radiation: Non-ionizing and Ionizing. The difference between them is rather simple and obvious given their name. Non-ionizing radiation doesn’t have enough energy to ionize an atom that it strikes. Meaning it can’t dislodge an electron from the atom. Ionizing radiation does. Now this is important because when you ionize an atom you can break the chemical bonds that atom is a part of. This can cause chemicals or complex materials to break down, and in the case of biological tissue can damage DNA or even outright kill cells. All types of Non-ionizing radiation are pure energy and they have no mass. Visible light, radio waves, heat (infrared radiation), microwaves are all just waves of energy. For the most part they can’t hurt us, unless we are exposed to very concentrated sources. Obviously things like microwave ovens or intense heat sources can hurt us, but the random non-ionizing radiation we encounter in the world won’t cause acute damage. Ionizing radiation, on the other hand, comes in both the form of pure energy and small particles. And this is what we’re really here to talk about today. But before we get into that a quick question. Can anyone tell me what items here in the room are emitting any ionizing radiation? (wait for a few answers…most will be correct, but not complete). The truth is everything. Every thing in this room, including your own bodies, are emitting ionizing radiation thanks to small amounts of naturally occurring radioactive materials. Its just not that much radiation, in fact is so minimal that it gets lost in the background, but more on that in a few. Lets talk a little bit about the specific types of radiation.

The Basics Table of the Elements (the simple version)
Fundamental substances in nature, that cannot be chemically separated into other substances Pictures Unclassified from Scientific Textbooks and manuals, Text B&A (U) So we’ve all probably encountered the Table of Elements at some point. It displays all the fundamental elements that make up the world around us. But it only tells part of the story. While each element in the table can’t be further separated chemically, there’s a great deal more variation in the elements that make up the material universe than what this table would suggest.

Radiation’s Health Effects
Biological damage from radiation Cells that divide quickly (bone marrow, intestinal lining) are more effected than cells that divide slowly (bone, muscle) Radiation burns to skin and muscle are very similar to thermal burns Acute exposure is very different from chronic; body heals with time Acute radiation sickness occurs with significant radiation doses to the internal organs and central nervous system Destruction of blood production centers Destruction of intestinal lining Interruption of nervous system Destruction of lung tissues Long-term can increase cancer risk (maybe) Pictures Unclassified from Scientific Textbooks and manuals, Text B&A (U) So what actually happens when the body is exposed to radiation. Cells that divide quickly (bone marrow, digestive system lining, etc) are more effected than cells that divide slowly like bone or muscle. This is why your extremities (hands and feet) can take far more radiation than your core. One thing that I need to really stress is that acute exposure is very different from chronic. The body will heal itself from radiation damage if given enough time. An instantaneous dose that would almost certainly kill you, if instead spread out evenly over a year, may not even cause diagnosable symptoms. But there is no bright line between what constitutes an acute dose versus a chronic dose, just a general statement that the quicker a dose is received the harder it is for the body to repair. The first tissue to be affected by an external source of radiation is your skin. Radiation burns to the skin are very similar to thermal burns. Redness, blistering, and if there is enough exposure complete destruction of the skin. Acute radiation sickness (ARS) is what occurs when you get a significant radiation dose to the internal organs, occurring over a short period of time. ARS is term used to cover a collection of different things that go wrong with the human body from radiation exposure, and can be broadly dividing into a handful of general problems. Each radiation exposure will be a unique mixture of these effects based on what parts of the body are most exposed. First is the destruction of the blood productions centers, this is the bone marrow contained primarily in the pelvis and thigh bones. When these receive enough radiation they will slow down producing of red and white blood cells, make defective cells, and with enough radiation stop production all together because the bone marrow dies. This will lead to anemia and a loss of one of your bodies primary immune systems. This can obviously kill you but it will typically take weeks to months. Second is the destruction of the lining of the digestive system. As this system is damaged it can cause severe nausea and diarrhea. While this will reduce your bodies ability to absorb nutrients, far more important is the fact that it will stop your lower intestines ability to properly regulate water retention in your body. As this gets worse this can cause severe imbalances in your body’s electrolytes, which if bad enough can lead to cardiac arrest. This can also kill you, but it typically takes days to weeks. Third is interruption to the nervous system. For the most part the primary nervous systems (spine, brain stem, brain) are fairly resilient to radiation damage, but once your reach their tipping point the results can be fast and catastrophic. The other two primary components of ARS take time to kill you, but if you pass the threshold for the central nervous system it can kill you in minutes to hours, with a permanent loss of consciousness in seconds with a high enough dose. Fourth is the damage to the tissues in the lungs. This takes a fairly high whole body dose to become a concern, high enough that the other issues will usually kill you first. Normally this is only encountered by people undergoing radiation cancer treatment around the lungs, but this damage pathway could play a factor in an inhalation based RDD, which of course would concentrate the damage in the lungs. This will also typically take months to kill. There are, of course, other body structures that can become damaged from radiation and cause health problems but these four are the most likely ones. So, what about cancer. There has been a great deal of often conflicting work done on the effects of radiation and your chances of developing cancer at some point in your life. For decades the general consensus was that increased radiation exposure increases your cancer risk, but a number of studies over the last two decades suggest that may not be the case. There are a number of different things that can cause cancer and separating the carcinogenic effects of chemical exposure from the effects of radiation exposure can be very difficult. As an example, the major US city with the largest average radiation exposure per year is Denver. It also just so happens that Denver has one of the lowest rates of cancer for major US cities. The most recent studies suggest that the increased risk of cancer from even large radiation exposures is relatively small in comparison to your overall lifetime cancer risk. Changing your overall risk (which is between about 25% and 50% depending on a variety of other factors) by a couple percentage points at most.

Radiological Sources Source: Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School. (UNCLASSIFIED)

Radiological Weapons Radiological dispersal device (RDD) — A weapon that disperses radioactive material either explosively or by some other means The resulting radioactive contamination from the weapon may result in area denial or radiation poisoning Radiological exposure device (RED) — A weapon that basically consists of placing an unshielded radioactive source in close proximity to people to cause radiation poisoning Pictures Unclassified from Scientific Textbooks and manuals, Text B&A (U) So now lets talk about the threat: EXPLOSIVE Radiological source + explosives Explosion may or may not be effective in spreading radiological material Depends on type and form of radiological material used and type of explosive system Explosion may present greater threat than radiation Most likely a “weapon of mass disruption” – primarily area denial and clean-up issues result Depends on radiological material used There are potentially effective designs ATMOSPHERIC Basically any system or scheme to disperse material that doesn’t involve an explosive Dissolving the radioactive material and spraying it from an agricultural sprayer or misting system Releasing a finely powdered material in a building HVAC system Burning certain materials in a fire Dropping materials from a rooftop Little reported terrorist interest in such schemes Could be very effective at dispersing material, but may require more expertise and access to specialized equipment MANUAL Manual dispersal of material by terrorist operative Directly contaminating food sources—like a salt shaker or salad bar Scattering material on the sidewalk or in a building Unlikely to be effective at causing radiation related injury Requires almost no specialized equipment Places terrorist operative at much higher risk because of close contact with material 26

Radiological Exposure Device
Radiological source only Radioactive material placed in a location to ensure passive exposure occurs. Effectiveness depends on source Threat comes from exposure over time. Longer exposure = greater risk Ineffective in high traffic areas or with a weak source—Individuals must be exposed for some length of time to see any real effects Only known terrorist use of radiological materials was a RED used by the Chechens, but it was far too weak of a source to be effective Open Source. Case Study: A radioactive IED, Homeland1 News. http. (U) The most likely candidate material would be a metal or other solid material placed in an area where it would not be seen but the radiation exposure could still occur. Depending on the source it would be ineffective unless the victims received regular exposure at reasonably long intervals. Otherwise impact would be minimal, probably undetectable by most people. Cesium-137 Source Buried in a Moscow Park In November 1995, Chechen rebels placed a small radiological source––cesium-137––in Moscow’s Izmailovo Park. The source was exposed to population for 2 weeks, but was only discovered when a Chechen rebel leader revealed its location in a press interview. In the interview, Shamil Basayev asserted that four parcels were brought into Russia and two of them were hidden in Moscow where they could be detonated at any time. Authorities found a container weighing approximately 14-kilograms with about 0.05 curies of radioactive cesium-137. The device was considered a passive RDD because there were no explosives attached or any other means of dissemination. This is the only incident where terrorists successfully deployed a radioactive source in public place. The effects were minimal and there were no causalities reported. The curie count was well below any levels that would have desired impact. Chechen rebels had hoped this would help their cause during the First Chechen War, but it failed and the war continued until 1996. About a month later, during another press conference, Basayev displayed another container and threatened he could “explode it in the water or in the air for maximum contamination.” A majoritity of Russian experts believe Basayev obtained the radioactive materials by stealing it from facilities in the Chechnya.

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CBRN 101 7 May 2019 UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO NOT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE.

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