How to Understand Whether A Chemical Weapon Is Used In An Attack?

Traces of chemical weapons are sought in environmental samples (soil, water, shrapnel, clothing samples of people who have been attacked) as well as biological samples such as blood, tissue, and urine. Researchers who want to determine whether chemical weapons are used in an attack have to compete over time. Since most of the chemicals are broken down in a short time, the chemical weapon active ingredient, which can be found in environmental samples, needs to be determined within a few hours. The degradation products formed after these substances are broken down allow for a relatively long period of analysis, such as a few days.

In biological samples, the residues of the active substance itself or the decomposition products and the specific structures formed by these substances by binding with proteins in the blood are examined. For example, by binding to acetylcholinesterase enzyme, which has a key role in controlling the muscles, it is possible to find traces of the chemical attack even after a few weeks by examining the different proteins in which the sarin gas affects the nervous system.