sarin

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. 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.

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.

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In addition to warfare, sarin also has been used in terrorist attacks, most notably in 1995, when members of the Japanese new religious movement AUM Shinrikyo (later renamed Aleph) used sarin in the Tokyo subway attack. Members of the cult brought sarin into the subway system in packages that resembled lunch bags. Thirteen people died, and thousands more were treated for symptoms.

Effects and antidotes

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.