Chemical, Biological, Radiological Or Nuclear Research Articles

OPEN BALKANS AND THE CONSPIRACY FOR SUSTAINABLE INSECURITY

The war in Ukraine and the consequences of the war impose the fear that there is a risk that the countries of the Western Balkans will become a second front that Russia will open in Europe. The flared up conflict is a new "red" dividing line that awakens old bloody wounds in the Balkan countries. The consequences of the war in Ukraine are also felt in Europe and especially in the Western Balkan region because there were or are operational plans that if Russia succeeds in defeating Ukraine, the war can spill over the gates, into the Western Balkan region which also could be the next point of destabilization on European soil, which would represent a further expansion of Russian influence. The diplomatic priorities of the international community for the region include inclusive democracy, the rule of law, freedom of public opinion, freedom of the media, fight against corruption, mutual recognition of countries, reduction of trade barriers. The easily vulnerable region of the Western Balkans encouraged Western diplomats to increase activities and initiatives, negotiations, agreements.Will the Western Balkans once again become a new field of serious conflicts, given the existing ethnic tensions? Will the attention of the USA and the EU be completely focused on the reconstruction of Ukraine, and this part of the Old Continent will be left at the mercy and mercy? Political initiatives and numerous actions on a political, security and defense plan signal the generation of additional mistrust towards these countries. Especially since the international community is constantly active and engaged in countless diplomatic talks and negotiations followed by the signing of various agreements, while, on the other hand, the inclusion in the European structures hangs in the clouds, and the inclusion in the largest defense-security organization - NATO is partially resolved. Peace seems to be working, but it is on glass legs.If we analyze the strategic concepts of NATO from 1991, 1999 and 2010 in terms of security issues, certain risks to allied security are still present in terms of territorial disputes and ethnic conflicts or intolerances that have a potential initial capsule for a conflict of wider aspects. As a fundamental instrument for NATO's intervention, crisis management is one of NATO's basic tasks, for which it uses an appropriate combination of political and military tools for crisis management in an increasingly complex security environment. NATO is an international organization that includes the implementation of a wide range of operations for the prevention and management of crises that can be of a political, military or humanitarian nature, and can be the result of a natural disaster or as a result of technological, chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) disruptions. NATO is transforming from a defense to a security organization including not only the deployment of troops, but a whole range of military and civilian experts engaged through civil-military coordination and cooperation. The new strategic concept of the Alliance was prompted as a result of the interventions in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995 and the operation of the allied forces in Kosovo in 1999 with the aim of ending the human suffering and conflicts caused by the conflicts that took place in the areas of the Western Balkans, and which later resulted in the signing of numerous resolutions and agreements. The question of whether and to what extent all those agreements will be respected remains open.However, the 2010 strategic concept promotes Euro-Atlantic security by strengthening partnerships with the Balkan countries through collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security. At the same time, NATO monitors the region and in possible early signs of crisis, which by using various instruments should stabilize the regions safety, and ensures and guarantees peace.

Dividing the Emergency Department into Red, Yellow, and Green Zones to Control COVID-19 Infection; a Letter to Editor.

COVID-19, in certain respects, can be viewed as a CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear) event due to being a consequence of SARS-CoV2 virus (the "contaminant"). We, thus, reorganized our emergency department (ED) into 3 distinct zones (red, yellow, and green) for the purpose of infection control. Patients with high or medium risk of COVID-19 infection are managed in the red zones. Low-risk patients are managed in the yellow zones. All patients are prohibited to enter the green zones. Green zones are used by healthcare providers (HCPs) for personal protective equipment (PPE) donning, inventory, planning, and dining. Only HCPs who work in the red zones are required to use full level PPE (aerosol precaution). HCPs working in the yellow zones require less PPE (contact and droplet precaution). No PPE is required in the green zones. Establishing red, yellow, and green zones in the ED can be helpful in reducing cross-infections and minimizing demand for PPE.

Combat Application Tourniquet fares well in a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear dress state

IntroductionThere is a need for a military tourniquet to control catastrophic haemorrhage in a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) threat environment. No published data exist as to the efficacy...

Food defence systems as an answer to food terrorism.

Terrorist attacks on critical infrastructures can cause problems to a national stability and functioning. Food and water supply chains are some of the most important infrastructures, and it is the country's (government's) obligation to provide sufficient quantities of food and water to its population. Intentional food contamination can, among other motives, originate from an act of terrorism (with political or ideological motives) with the aim of causing fear (terror) among people. Food defence systems can help assess vulnerabilities, determine mitigation strategies for terrorist attack, estimate risks, and prevent a terrorist attack. Risk assessment and prevention also include control over the production and distribution of potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) agents or their related materials. When a terrorist attack occurs, rapid and organised response is essential in terms of determining the type of agent used, managing the diseased, ensuring the functioning of the food and water supply, and the recovery of the infrastructure system under attack. Food defence planning as part of a food counterterrorism strategy should include considerations regarding the global food market and the fact that ingredients are supplied from all over the world (vendor certificates). Preventing terrorist attacks on sources of food and water is a far better option than crisis management once an attack had already been committed, but governments should have a response to any scenario.

Chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear events: The humanitarian response framework of the International Committee of the Red Cross

AbstractMounting an effective international humanitarian response to a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) event, especially if the response is undertaken on an ad hoc basis, would be extremely difficult and would pose many risks to the responders. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has created a competency-based capacity to respond to at least small-scale CBRN events, including a deployable capability to undertake operational activities. This involves informed assessments of CBRN risks, timely and competent decisions on how to respond, and effectively mobilizing appropriate resources to implement these decisions, through the creation of an emergency roster. In addition to the acquisition of technical expertise and material resources, the creation of such capacity requires the application of central processes, ensuring systematic management of CBRN response (including risk-based decision-making), standing operational procedures, and availability of and access to the necessary resources. Implementation of the ICRC's CBRN response framework as described in this article should be considered by any agency or other stakeholder preparing for international humanitarian assistance in CBRN events – especially if such events are related to armed conflict.

Non-State actors’ pursuit of CBRN weapons: From motivation to potential humanitarian consequences

AbstractThis paper discusses non-State actors’ motivation and capacity to develop and use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) improvised weapons in attacks, as well as the possible consequences of such use. Six types of groups have been identified as potential CBRN weapons users that may increasingly be able to acquire relevant CBRN weapons-related knowledge, skills and possibly materials. As technical barriers still form a gap between the theoretical possibility and the operational reality, any potential future CBRN attacks would most likely be crude, low-level attacks, including chemical or radiological materials. CBRN attacks carried out by non-State actors in the future are likely to be more disruptive than destructive.

Treating accident or chemical attack casualties in hospital

It is mandatory for all hospitals to be prepared for the occurrence of a chemical biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) event. This preparation requires specific investment on the part of the hospital management, as well as from the nursing teams on the frontline. Teams from Lariboisière hospital in Paris have been working on these risks for several years.

A survey of UK acute clinicians' knowledge of personal protective requirements for infectious diseases and chemical, biological, and radiological warfare agents

We conducted a survey to assess clinicians' knowledge of personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for infectious diseases and biochemical warfare agents. A safe level of PPE is essential when treating patients with highly infectious diseases or those contaminated with hazardous substances. The recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa has highlighted that, although uncommon, contagious diseases with high mortality rates can be a threat to healthcare systems at local, national, and international levels [1]. Chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) contamination presents similar risks.

Training of public health personnel in handling CBRN emergencies: A table-top exercise card concept

There is a large concern in the society today about the threat posed from releases of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) materials, whether accidental or malicious. A rapid and adapted response to a CBRN incident combined with a thorough public communication is believed to decrease the detrimental impacts on health and to reduce the psychosocial effects. To facilitate CBRN exercises, which often can be regarded by non-specialists as rather complicated, a tool in the form of a set of Exercise cards for CBRN emergency response table-top exercises has been developed. The exercise tool is a generic tool intended for an exercise director and consists of a set of adaptable scenarios with supporting instructions and questions that deal with preparedness, acute response and mitigation efforts. The exercise tool was tested in three different settings with positive results and has been assessed to be a cost-efficient means to train and test public health response to CBRN incidents.

Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents: what has changed in the use of atmospheric dispersion modeling?

The threat of a major accidental or deliberate event that would lead to hazardous materials emission in the atmosphere is a great cause of concern to societies. This is due to the potential large scale of casualties and damages that could result from the release of explosive, flammable or toxic gases from industrial plants or transport accidents, radioactive material from nuclear power plants (NPPs), and chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) terrorist attacks.In order to respond efficiently to such events, emergency services and authorities resort to appropriate planning and organizational patterns. This paper focuses on the use of atmospheric dispersion modeling (ADM) as a support tool for emergency planning and response, to assess the propagation of the hazardous cloud and thereby, take adequate counter measures.This paper intends to illustrate the noticeable evolution in the operational use of ADM tools over 25 y and especially in emergency situations. This study is based on data available in scientific publications and exemplified using the two most severe nuclear accidents: Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011).It appears that during the Chernobyl accident, ADM were used few days after the beginning of the accident mainly in a diagnosis approach trying to reconstruct what happened, whereas 25 y later, ADM was also used during the first days and weeks of the Fukushima accident to anticipate the potentially threatened areas.We argue that the recent developments in ADM tools play an increasing role in emergencies and crises management, by supporting stakeholders in anticipating, monitoring and assessing post-event damages. However, despite technological evolutions, its prognostic and diagnostic use in emergency situations still arise many issues.

A proposal for field-level medical assistance in an international humanitarian response to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear events

A capacity for field-level medical assistance for people exposed to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) agents or medical support for people potentially exposed to these agents is intrinsically linked...

Meeting the challenges of medical countermeasure development.

SummaryDespite substantial investments since the events of 2001, much work remains to prepare the nation for a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) attack or to respond to an emerging infectious disease threat. Following a 2010 review of the US Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise, FDA launched its Medical Countermeasures initiative (MCMi) to facilitate the development and availability of medical products to counter CBRN and emerging disease threats. As a regulatory agency, FDA has a unique and critical part to play in this national undertaking. Using a three‐pillar approach, FDA is addressing key challenges associated with the regulatory review process for medical countermeasures; gaps in regulatory science for MCM development and evaluation; and issues related to the legal, regulatory and policy framework for an effective public health response. Filling the gaps in the MCM Enterprise is a huge national undertaking, requiring the collaboration of all stakeholders, including federal partners, current and prospective developers of medical countermeasures, relevant research organizations, and state and local responders. Especially critical to success are an appreciation of the long timelines, risks and high costs associated with developing medical countermeasures – and the systems to deliver them – and the requisite support of all stakeholders, including national leadership.

Development of an Algorithm for Calculating the ‘Risk’ of Terrorist-CBRN

In order to avert a disaster from a terrorist chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) attack, it is important to study the likelihood of terrorists using CBRN weapons. This study reports on the development of an algorithm for calculating the ‘risk’ of a terrorist seeking CBRN weaponry with 67.3 percent prediction accuracy. The algorithm was developed through four phases, Phase I proposed independent variables likely associated with Terrorist-CBRN (T-CBRN) derived from our interpretation of the literature; Phase II involved constructing a ‘Random Nations Matrix’ from 74 countries or locations of the world selected at random, for correlating the proposed independent variables; Phase III entailed the construction of a multivariate model from the independent variables which met our correlation criteria with T-CBRN; and finally in Phase IV, an algorithm was derived from the model design for calculating the risk of a terrorist seeking, acquiring and or using a CB

Improving Resilience of Critical Human Systems in CBRN Emergencies: Challenges for First Responders

Today's catastrophes (many of them man‐made or at least triggered by human activities) frequently endanger a growing number of humans and larger areas in numerous different ways, calling for more attention concerning dependability and resilience of our environment. Experience tells us that no matter what precautions and quality approaches we take, we will always encounter systems that initially were dependable and ‘suddenly’ become untrustworthy because of some unexpected, unknown cause. A system that in itself is unable to re‐establish its dependability, that is, is not resilient (any more), needs an external intervention: For human beings, a physician acts as an intervening system for re‐establishing dependability. A complex system can be made resilient by the addition of an Intervention System that intervenes in the case of loss of dependability. In this paper, we investigate the role of First Responders (i.e. fire brigade, ambulance services and police forces) as intervening systems in the case of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear) incidents, aimed at providing resilience. Taking a process view of these interventions, we analyse key processes especially with respect to supporting them by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). We identify properties of CBRN incidents and their implications for the activities of First Responders both in training and real assignments. The paper is based on the following study: Chroust et al. “Improving resilience of critical human systems in CBRN‐emergencies: challenges for first responders”. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of powered and conventional air-purifying respirators during simulated resuscitation of casualties contaminated with hazardous substances

Background:Advanced life support of patients contaminated with chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) substances requires adequate respiratory protection for medical first responders. Conventional and powered air-purifying respirators may exert a...

Chemical, Biological and Radiation Casualties: Critical Care Considerations

A chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) event would require a critical care response from point of exposure to definitive hospital management. Critical care staff should be aware of the...

The threat of outsourcing US ports operation to any terrorist country supporter: a case study using fault tree analysis

The possibility of any chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) weapon and/or material to be used in a shipment as a terrorist attack is considered a threat. The objective of this case study is to use fault tree analysis (FTA) to assess the threat to outsource the US ports to any terrorist country supporter. Thus, it was suggested a two-stage process to achieve this: problem formulation to define and rank scenarios, then quantitative risk assessment of selected, more highly ranked, scenarios. The quantitative risk assessment used here is considering two bioterrorist scenarios (projecting the past): the actual 1984 Rajneeshee incident in Oregon and a hypothetical release of oral anthrax into the food supply system. It is worthwhile to highlight that we have demonstrated with the use of FTA that a biological case scenario is possible if a terrorist attack happen.

Influence of air-purifying respirators on the simulated first response emergency treatment of CBRN victims

Medical first responders and emergency room personnel potentially are threatened by exposure to primary or secondary intoxication by chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) substances. The impact of personal respiratory protection by air-purifying respirators on the performance of resuscitation requires evaluation. This will help to improve major incident planning and measures for protecting medical staff. We investigated the influence of two air-purifying respirator designs on the resuscitation of simulated CBRN victims. Fourteen UK paramedics followed a standardised resuscitation algorithm, either unprotected or wearing a bi-ocular and a panoramic visor respirator in a randomised crossover design. Treatment times and wearer comfort was determined and compared. We did not find any difference in treatment times between the groups wearing respiratory protection and the controls (189+/-8.3s for the controls, 191+/-9.5s for the panoramic visor mask and 206+/-9.1s for the bi-ocular respirator [mean+/-S.E.M.]). Tracheal intubation appeared to be the most time consuming task. In a questionnaire, volunteers were of the opinion that orientation whilst wearing the respirator with the panoramic visor was better compared to the bi-ocular one (85% versus 15%). With respect to the fit, the majority (79%) rated the bi-ocular respirator as more comfortable. Modern personal respiratory protection has only a negligible effect in the delay on the short term treatment during well defined simulated scenarios with a single CBRN casualty. Furthermore, air-purifying respirators with panoramic visors seem to allow a better orientation for medical first responders during simulated resuscitation.