CBRN Research Articles

Consequence Management Assessment Method Synthesis for Combatant Commands

One of the most important roles that the US fulfills in the global war on terror and their integration with Partner Nations (PNs) is minimizing the threats and effects of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as well as Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) attacks by enemy nations, rogue elements, or terrorist groups around the world. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) currently implements an assessment framework for determining a PN’s state of CBRNE readiness, but it is unable to conceptualize that assessment at a regional or Combatant Command (CCMD) level. This research uses the Systems Decision Process (SDP) to create an assessment metric that is capable of synchronizing PN CBRNE readiness across a CCMD into a single assessment. This research is focused on developing an effective and flexible Microsoft Access database, which evaluates all global PNs across a wide array of metrics and then synthesizes them through multi-purpose objectives in order to develop an encompassing assessment framework at the CCMD level.

Laboratizing the border: The production, translation and anticipation of security technologies

This article critically interrogates how borders are produced by scientists, engineers and security experts in advance of the deployment of technical devices they develop. We trace how sovereign decisions are enacted as assemblages in the antecedent register of device development through the everyday decisions of scientists and engineers in the laboratory, the security experts they engage, and the material components of the device itself. Drawing on in-depth interviews, observations, and ethnographic research of the EU-funded Handhold project, we explore how assumptions about the way security technologies will and should perform at the border shape the development of a portable, integrated device to detect chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) threats at borders. In disaggregating the moments of sovereign decision-making across multiple sites and times, we question the supposed linearity of how science comes out of and feeds back into the world of border security. An interrogation of competing assumptions and understandings of security threats and needs, of competing logics of innovation and pragmatism, of the demands of differentiated temporalities in detection and identification, and of the presumed capacities, behaviours, and needs of phantasmic competitors and end-users reveals a complex, circulating and co-constitutive process of device development that laboratises the border itself.

An Overview Of The OPCW’s Programme For Biomedical Samples Analysis

Abstract Since 2009 the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been organizing and conducting confidence-building exercises for biomedical samples analysis. The purpose of the exercises was to begin and continue building expertise in the analysis of biomedical samples relevant to the investigation of incidents of alleged use of chemical weapons. The exercise consists of a number of samples for which the laboratory will be request to identify and determine the approximate concentration of a specified set of metabolic products of Chemical Weapons Convention scheduled chemicals. The paper provides an overview of the current status of the confidence-building exercises and the implication of the Scientific Research Centre for CBRN Defence and Ecology to the OPCW’s programme for biomedical samples analysis.

Prevention and Decontamination of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Contaminants for the Emergency Medical Personnel during Ambulance Services

The first role and responsibility of emergency ambulance service is to provide a resource to save and serve the patient with the highest quality of care. Second, ambulance services are an option to temporarily provide treatment for an injured or exposed patient while removing decontamination. Lastly, rescue the exposed and or injured patient in the most suitable mode of transportation. These roles are all necessary to maintain a high level of confidence in ambulance practices while adhering to proper protocol transfer for a contaminated patient. Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense (often abbreviated as CBRN defense or CBRND) is the term for protective measures taken in situations in which any of these four hazards are present. To account for improvised devices, the term CBRNe (e for explosives) is also used. CBRN defense consists of CBRN passive protection, contamination avoidance and CBRN mitigation [1]. Hanyang Med Rev 2015;35:146-151 http://dx.doi.org/10.7599/hmr.2015.35.3.146

Communication Challenges in CBRN Terrorism Crises: Expert Perceptions

The aim of this paper was to investigate experts' perceptions on communication in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) terrorism crises, including challenges and good practices. This is pursued by means of a qualitative online questionnaire aimed at international crisis communication and crisis management experts. The challenges of communication concerning CBRN terrorism arise from the complexity of such incidents, having to do with the nature of the threat, leading to problematic public perceptions and response. Critical areas that need to be taken into consideration include resources, competences, and cooperation in preparedness communication and when providing information during a crisis. The findings and conclusions of this study will serve the development of an audit instrument for communication preparedness towards CBRN terrorism.

French contribution to develop Prussian blue

Purpose: Prussian blue is an antidote indicated for the treatment of internal cesium radioisotope contamination. The French armed forces develop and manufacture some antidotal drugs meeting regulatory, analytical and pharmaceutical requirements in order to submit marketing authorization documentation. Prior to an initial meeting with the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM) in 2011, the authors were following regulatory developments in free cyanide release, active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) synthesis, API specifications, ability of cesium/Prussian blue binding products and collection of pre-clinical data.Materials and methods: Free cyanide release was assessed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometry at 615 nm. The kinetics of cesium were evaluated in vitro by flame atomic absorption. Good laboratory practice (GLP) and mutagenic assays were examined in rat studies to assess ‘no absorption’.Results: A validated method makes it possible to assess the free cyanide in API according to the published tolerability in humans. The French synthesizer meets good manufacturing practice (GMP) to give a drug that is compliant with all specifications, ensuring its high quality. Two standard mutagenic assays showed mutagenic potential, leading to further tests to obtain more information on any induced chromosomal aberrations. Absorption could be an important factor in determining the risk posed by the drug.Conclusion: The French health service provides the country with several antidotal drugs reducing Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) risks. Using their GMP manufacturing facilities and pharmaceutical expertise, the French armed forces have contributed to developing drugs with marketing authorization, such as pentetate calcium trisodium (Ca-DTPA) for infusion, or under development with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), such as Ca-DTPA by inhalation.

Economic impact profiling of CBRN events: focusing on biological incidents.

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incidents, both caused accidentally by human error or natural/technological events and determined intentionally as criminal/malicious/terroristic acts, have consequences that could be differently characterized. In the last years many efforts to analyze the economic impact of terrorist threat have been carried out, while researches specifically concerning CBRN events have not been extensively undertaken. This paper in particular aims at proposing a methodological approach for studying macro-level economic impact profiles of biological incidents caused by weaponized and non-weaponized materials. The suggested approach investigates the economic consequences of biological incidents according to two main dimensions: type of large-scale effect and persistence of effect. Biological incident economic impacts are analyzed taking into account the persistence of effect during time as short-term impact (i.e. immediately after the incident), medium-term impact (i.e. by a month) and long-term impact (i.e. by years). The costs due to preventive countermeasure against biological threats (e.g. prevention, protection and preparedness expenses) are not taken into account. To this purpose, information on the key features of past biological incidents can be used as case studies to try to build impact profiles taking into account the proposed two main dimensions. Consequence management and effect mitigation of CBRN emergencies and disasters may benefit from an ex ante definition of the impact profiling related to this kind of incidents. The final goal of this paper is to define an approach to organize information on possible biological events according to their impact profile for supporting more effective and efficient first responders' prompt actions and policy makers' strategic decisions after the event occurrence.

Psychosocial care to affected citizens and communities in case of CBRN incidents: A systematic review

Disasters are associated with a substantial psychosocial burden for affected individuals (including first responders) and communities. Knowledge about how to address these risks and problems is valuable for societies worldwide. Decades of research into post-disaster psychosocial care has resulted in various recommendations and general guidelines. However, as CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) events form a distinctive theme in emergency planning and disaster preparedness, it is important to systematically explore their implications for psychosocial care. The aim of this study is to answer two questions: 1). To what extent does psychosocial care in the case of CBRN events differ from other types of events? 2). How strong is the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial care interventions in the context of a CBRN event? A systematic literature review was conducted. Searches were performed in Medline, PsychINFO, Embase and PILOTS. Studies since January 2000 were included and evaluated by independent reviewers. The 39 included studies contain recommendations, primarily based on unsystematic literature reviews, qualitative research and expert opinions. Recommendations address: 1) public risk- and crisis communication, 2) training, education and exercise of responders, 3) support, and 4) psychosocial counselling and care to citizens and responders. Although none of the studies meet the design criteria for effectiveness research, a substantial amount of consensus exists on aspects relevant to CBRN related psychosocial care. Recommendations are similar or complementary to general post-disaster psychosocial care guidelines. Notable differences are the emphasis on risk communication and specific preparation needs. Relevant recurring topics are uncertainty about contamination and health effects, how people will overwhelm health care systems, and the possibility that professionals are less likely to respond. However, the lack of evidence on effectiveness makes it necessary to be careful with recommendations. More evaluation research is absolutely needed.

Bio-threat preparedness: Need for a paradigm shift

India of late has been vulnerable to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threat, on account of its unique geographic position. Biological threat is an imminent threat in the hands of a terrorist. The public health system of our country is overburdened due to its present role and bio-attack response is not a priority area. This paper suggests that as the prime focus is on the CR and N threats in the integrated CBRN preparedness strategy and that specialized and technical forces are needed to deal with a bio-threat; hence there is a need for a paradigm shift in policy. The emerging field of bio-threat needs to be delinked from the joint family of ‘CBRN’, with consequent structural and functional changes. A separate specialized cadre needs to be formed for dealing with bio-threat, created from the pool of doctors and non-medical scientists from the AFMS and the DRDO. Structural changes are needed in the organization, to bring in the resources of NCDC, New Delhi for enhanced disease surveillance capacity and creation of a bio-threat mitigation node in the AFMC, Pune.

The Concept of CBRN Defence and Possibilities of its Application in the Czech Armed Forces

Weapons of mass destruction are understood as permanent and significant threat not only for armies but also for civilian inhabitants. Application of uniform concept of force protection, respectively CBRN Defence introduces a basic frame for uniform command and control of forces in operations. The article introduces current valid Czech definitions of Armed Force Chemical Corps, CBRN Defence and chemical support.

Pharmacists’ Roles in Post-September 11th Disasters

Purpose: To characterize the roles pharmacists have assumed in disasters and clarify the types of roles and disasters that may be less well-documented in the pharmacy literature. Methods: This research examines how balanced or equally proportioned role categories are in the pharmacy literature, whether pharmacy journals differ in the proportion of role categories reported, and whether journals significantly differ in the proportion of reported chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN), and natural disasters. Data coding was performed solely by the lead author using Concordance (Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts), a Web-based content analysis software, and Minitab® (version 15; Minitab, Inc; State College, Pennsylvania) for descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Pharmacy journals publishing at least 2 articles about pharmacist disaster roles from September 11, 2001 to September 30, 2011 were used in the study and were available electronically. Results: Chi-square analyses reveal significant differences in the weighted counts of roles, roles categorized by journal, and CBRN disasters categorized by journal. Conclusions: Data suggest that pharmacists may be prepared to respond to hurricanes and biological and chemical disasters in pharmaceutical supply and patient management roles. Future research should highlight efforts to prepare health systems for the effects of nuclear, radiological, and chemical disasters.

From Interblocking Stovepipes to Interlocking Networks

Introduction: Actions Applicable to CBRN Prevention,Detection, and Response : From Interblocking Stovepipes to Interlocking Networks

Possibilities and Limitations of Selected Indexes of Public Orders Effectiveness in Action of International Military Organization NATO Joint CBRN Defence COE

Possibilities and Limitations of Selected Indexes of Public Orders Effectiveness in Action of International Military Organization NATO Joint CBRN Defence COE

Emergency Physicians' Preparedness for CBRNE Incidents in Hong Kong

Background Recent terrorist attacks with biological and chemical weapons have caused much concern for the public. The purpose of this study was to assess emergency doctors' preparedness in handling Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) incidents. Methods This is a cross sectional survey of all emergency doctors working in public emergency departments (ED) in Hong Kong. Apart from the experience and confidence to handle these events, data on participants' willingness to participate in CBRNE incidents and training motivations were also analysed. Results Biological and radiological events were found to be the least commonly encountered. Few respondents reported they were confident to manage biological events (10.6% to 29.8%), despite 66% of respondents reported having prior training in CBRNE management. Conclusions This study demonstrates ED doctors' low confidence in managing specific CBRNE incidents. Current strengths identified include the good awareness of hospital emergency plans and high motivation to get more training.

Use of Particle Counter System for the Optimization of Sampling, Identification and Decontamination Procedures for Biological Aerosols Dispersion in Confined Environment

In a CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and explosive) scenario, biological agents hardly allow efficient detection/identification because of the incubation time that provides a lag in symptoms outbreak following their dissemination. The detection of atmospheric dispersion of biological agents (i.e.: toxins, viruses, bacteria and so on) is a key issue for the safety of people and security of environment. Another fundamental aspect is related to the efficiency of the sampling method which leads to the identification of the agent released; in fact an effective sampling method is needed either to identify the contamination and to check for the decontamination procedure. Environmental monitoring is one of the ways to improve fast detection of biological agents; for instance, particle counters with the ability of discriminating between biological and non-biological particles are used for a first warning when the amount of biological particles exceeds a particular threshold. Nevertheless, these systems are not able to distinguish between pathogen and non-pathogen organisms, thus, classical “laboratory” assays are still required to unambiguously identify the particle which triggered the warning signal. In this work, a combination of commercially available equipment for detection and identification of the atmospheric dispersion of biological agents was evaluated in partnership between the Italian Army, the Department of Industrial Engineering and the School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. The aim of this work, whose results are presented here, was to conduce preliminary studies on the dynamics of biological aerosols fallout after its dispersion, to improve detection, sampling and identification techniques. This will help minimizing the impact of the release of biological agents and guarantee environmental and people safety and security.

An agent-based model and computational framework for counter-terrorism and public safety based on swarm intelligencea

Public safety has been a great concern in recent years as terrorism occurs everywhere. When a public event is held in an urban environment like Olympic games or soccer games, it is important to keep the public safe and at the same time, to have a specific plan to control and rescue the public in the case of a terrorist attack. In order to better position public safety in communities against potential threats, it is of utmost importance to identify existing gaps, define priorities and focus on developing approaches to address those. In this paper, we present a system which aims at providing a decision support, threats response planning and risk assessment. Threats can be in the form of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) weapons and technologies. In order to assess and manage possible risks of such attacks, we have developed a computational framework of simulating terrorist attacks, crowd behaviors, and police or safety guards’ rescue missions. The characteristics of crowd behaviors are modeled based on social science research findings and our own virtual environment experiments with real human participants. Based on gender and age, a person has a different behavioral characteristic. Our framework is based on swarm intelligence and agent-based modeling, which allows us to create a large number of people with specific behavioral characteristics. Different test scenarios can be created by importing or creating 3D urban environments and putting certain terrorist attacks (such as bombs or toxic gas) on specific locations and time-lines.

Decontamination Modules Formed by the Czech Armed Forces Chemical Corps

Abstract Czech Armed Forces Chemical Corps units became famous already in early nineties of last century. Since, they are regularly incorporated into task forces for solving questions concerning both chemical support and CBRN Defence. In fact, they can be termed as “modules” regarding the reality that they fulfill tasks separately and for some time even without a necessity of logistic support. A paper deals with tasks of Czech Armed Forces Chemical Corps units and accesses to realization of their incorporation in task forces as full-value modules. Keywords: Module, chemical corps, chemical support, CBRN protection, decontamination.

The effects of functional limitations on soldier common tasks.

This paper describes the findings associated with the ability of an individual to perform the United States Army's Common Soldier Tasks of: "Maintaining an M16-Series Rifle" , "Protect Yourself from Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Injury or Contamination with Mission-Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) Gear", and "Protect Yourself from Chemical and Biological (CB) Contamination Using Your Assigned Protective Mask." The analysis was conducted using data compiled from videos of a Soldier performing the given tasks at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The findings reflect the opinions of researchers in identifying potential elements, which impose abnormal, irregular, and/or extraneous effort when performing the tasks as outlined in STP-21-1-SMCT - Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks: Skill Level I.

Unrecognized and Unwelcome? The Role of the EU in Preventing the Proliferation of CBRN Weapons, Materials and Knowledge

This article assesses the role of the EU as an actor in the area of non-proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons, materials and know-how. It focuses primarily on the Russian Federation. Russia's extensive CBRN programmes, combined with bad economy, weak security and high unemployment among CBRN scientists, have become a major source of concern for the international community following the end of the cold war and after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. The EU is the only non-state actor that got involved in addressing this threat right at the beginning of the 1990s, renewing its commitments after 9/11. This article revisits the concept of ‘actorness’ in order to examine the past, present and possibly future role of the EU in preventing the proliferation of CBRN capabilities. This means that in addition to evaluating past policies, this contribution analyses the impact of the Lisbon Treaty reforms and the changing international security environment on the position of the EU as an aspiring international non-proliferation actor.

A performance study of radio-opaque personal protective fabrics for the reduction of transmittance of gamma-rays and neutrons

Commercial radio-opaque combat (CRC) fabrics, for incorporation into personal protective equipment used by first responders and armed forces, are marketed as having the ability to provide a level of protection against specific types of radiation. For a CRC material, a standard combat uniform and a multi-layered chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) protective material, the present work examines chemical composition and radiation protection against gamma-rays and neutron fluxes. Significant reduction in gamma-ray transmittance occurs only for the CRC fabric (46–514 keV) with gamma-ray attenuation coefficients of 3.10 to <0.10 cm2 g−1. Reduction in neutron transmittance, for all three fabrics, could not be assessed with certainty as the measured transmittance was obscured by large statistical uncertainties.