MODULE 10

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION_________________

Duration: 5 hours

I. Introduction

BAZINGA! You have made it this far!

Your imagination and curiosity bring you here at Module 10, Weapons of Mass
Destruction. With the learnings you have gained from the previous modules; it is time
to take the last step of reaping the rewards of your own successful show. Before
anything else, take a glance on the short selection below to prepare for a big picture
of what will be discussed in this module.
The history of mankind experienced different devastating phenomena. Most of
these phenomena used weapons of mass destruction to bring damages to the
environment, threats to the public safety and stability across the globe. In fact,
weapons of mass destruction are developed, primarily, to improve countries’ military
power. The use of these weapons may have relatively low risks. However, there are
some threats that may arise in its use and production. This means that there are some
instances which can threaten the rest of the world because of its possession and ready
implementation. Additionally, the risks of its usage may substantially increase if
expansions of networks and organizations of special interests occurred. Over the
years, much has been written about the weapons of mass destruction. Among the
write-ups include its classification namely: chemical, biological, nuclear and
radiological. These classifications gained the interest of the public, policy makers and
scholars. Although, people reject the use of these weapons, the reality about this
matter inclines humans with great extent of finding and creating lethal and destructive
instruments of war and violence. Accordingly, the international community was united
and had exerted utmost efforts to strengthen treaties, agreements, and regimes in
proscribing the use of these weapons and in mitigating the consequences of any such
use.

Now that you have ideas, you will figure out that this module has been prepared
to help you comprehend about weapons of mass destruction and its classification
namely biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological. Also, this module will deliberate
the positive and negative effects of weapons of mass destruction by boosting your
mind and inquisitiveness. What are you waiting for? Take your last HURRAH!

II. Objectives/Competencies

1. Define weapons of mass destruction.

2. Classify weapons of mass destruction into biological, chemical, nuclear

and radiological.

3. Provide examples of weapons of mass destruction according to

classification.

4. Enumerate and explain the positive and negative effects of weapons of

mass destruction.
 III. Lesson Proper/Course Methodology

Weapons of Mass Destruction: Term and Definition

The Term Weapons of Mass Destruction

The term Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) has been the subject of
different discussions. According to Quilop (2006), weapon of mass destruction “refers
to nuclear, biological and chemical weapons”. He continued that in 1948, the term was
adopted when the United Nations (UN) Commission for Conventional Armaments
needed to decide on the types of weapons to be included and excluded from its view.
Also, according to him, the term WMD was used due to the fact that nuclear, biological
and chemical weapons had attained political and strategic significance.

Furthermore, in the book entitled Chemical and Biological Warfare Overview by

the United States Airforce Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies, the term
WMD was discussed with the inclusion of nuclear weapons with chemical and
biological weapons. This discussion focused on chemical and biological threats since
these threats are considered to be more likely than the threat of nuclear weapons.

Also, in the paper of Win and Masum (2002), they explained that WMD was first
known as NBC weapons meaning nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. They
expounded that radiological weapons were later included in the arsenal. In their essay,
they also mentioned that, nowadays, WMDs also consist of potential weapons based
on new technologies such as genetics, proteomics, artificial intelligence and robotics
which all have the potentials for mass destruction. This means that the world has
arrived a new era of WMD” (Parthemore, 2019).

Definitions of Weapon of Mass Destruction

According to the Senate Bill 2449 of the Republic of the Philippines, weapons
of mass destruction “refer to weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction
and/or being used in such a manner as to create large numbers of casualties during
a single event or incident.” Specifically, “weapons of mass destruction are created to
kill large numbers of people in a single blow” (Win and Masum, 2002). To
Encyclopaedia Britannica, these are the weapons that are capable of inflicting death
and destruction in a massive scale which may bring grievous threat if by chance
present in hands of hostile power.

For the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia
and the Pacific (2020), weapons of mass destructions “constitute a class of weaponry
with the potential to, in a single moment, kill millions of civilians, jeopardize the natural
environment, and fundamentally alter the world and the lives of future generations
through their catastrophic effects.”

In the page of fbi.gov, definitions of weapons of mass destruction according to

the United States (US) law were given. These definitions are: (1) “A destructive device,
such as an explosive or incendiary bomb, rocket, or grenade”; (2) “A weapon that is
designed to cause death or serious injury through toxic or poisonous chemicals”; (3)
“A weapon that contains a biological agent or toxin”; and /or (4) “A weapon that is
designed to release dangerous levels of radiation or radioactivity.”

Although, there are different and sometimes inconsistent definitions of weapons

of mass destruction across the globe, it is essential that the specific meaning intended
is evident whenever the term is used (Carus, 2012).

Classifications of Weapons of Mass Destruction

Weapons of mass destruction are classified as biological, chemical, nuclear

and radiological. These weapons are described according to their nature, effectivity,
characteristics and delivery.

Biological Weapons of Mass Destruction

A. Nature

Biological weapon, also known as germ weapon, is defined as any of a

number of disease-producing agents that may be utilized as weapons
against humans, animals, and plants. Disease – producing agents of this
weapon includes bacteria, viruses, rickettsia, fungi and toxins
(Encyclopaedia Britannica).

B. Effectivity

Biological weapons of mass destruction may be capable of causing

deaths and are not capable of mass destruction of infrastructure, buildings,
or equipment. It has the potential for starting widespread pandemics which
is the difficulty of controlling disease effects and its fear that inspires.
Because of the indiscriminate nature of these weapons, most countries have
agreed to ban the entire class (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

C. Characteristics

Biological Weapons have the characteristics of low visibility, high

potency, easy delivery, and accessibility. When used, disease producing
agents must be highly lethal and robust (Win and Masum, 2002).

D. Delivery

Biological weapons can be manufactured easily and quickly but the

delivery of the agent in a form in which it will infect large numbers of people
 is the primary challenge in mounting a biological attack. There are 3 factors
to consider: (1) Particle size and its accuracy and precision, depending on
the agent, may determine how it will be filtered, inhaled or exhaled (2);
surviving dispersion by the weather; and (3) the packaging for the weapon
to remain active (Win and Masum, 2002).

E. Classification of Agents

1. Bacteria are small free-living

organisms mostly grown on solid or
liquid culture media. Bacterial
structure consists of nucleus,
cytoplasm, and cell membrane. Its
reproduction occurred simple division. And, the diseases they
produce are often treated by
specific therapy with antibiotics A magnified photo of a
(Win and Masum, 2002). Salmonella Bacteria lifted from:
https://www.livescience.com/
2. Viruses require living cells to
replicate. They are strongly
dependent on the cells of the host
they infected. Viruses can produce
diseases that generally do not
respond to antibiotics but which may
be responsive to antiviral
compounds (Win and Masum, A magnified photo of a Corona
2002). Virus lifted from:
https://www.newscientist.com/

3. Rickettsia are microorganisms with

characteristics that are common
format to both bacteria and viruses.
Like bacteria, they possess
metabolic enzymes and cell
membranes, utilize oxygen, and are
susceptible to broad-spectrum
antibiotics. They resemble viruses
wherein they grow only within living A magnified photo of a Rickettsia
cells (Win and Masum, 2002). felis lifted from:
https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/

4. Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular

parasite that are not capable of
producing their own energy source.
In comparison with bacteria, they are
responsive to broad-spectrum
antibiotics. And like viruses,
chlamydia requires living cells for
reproduction (Win and Masum,
2002). A magnified photo of Chlamydia
lifted from:
https://www.avert.org/
 5. Fungi are non - photosynthetic
primitive plants that can grow without
oxygen and can draw nutrition from
decaying vegetable matter. Most fungi
form spores which are operationally
significant. Their free-living forms are
found in soil. Fungal diseases may be
treated using various antimicrobial
(Win and Masum, 2002). A magnified photo of a type of
fungi lifted from: livescience.com

6. Toxins are poisonous substances that

are produced and derived from living
plants, animals, and microorganisms.
Some toxins are created using
chemical means. Toxins may be
treated using specific antisera and
selected pharmacologic agents (Win
and Masum, 2002). A photo of Staphylococcus
Aureus lifted from:
www2.gvsu.ed

F. Intrinsic Features of Biological Agents

The potential use of biological agents as weapons is influenced by their

intrinsic features. These features include infectivity, virulence, toxicity,
pathogenicity, incubation period, lethality, transmissibility and stability. The
unique ability of many biological agents is to multiply in the body and
increase their effect (Win and Masum, 2002).

G. Examples of Biological Warfare Agents

1. Anthrax is a zoonotic disease

caused by gram positive, rod –
shaped bacteria known Bacillus
anthracis. These are found in
natural soil and commonly affects
domestic and wild animals (Centers
for Disease and Control Prevention,
2017). According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), there A photomicrograph of Bacillus
are two types of this disease. The anthracis bacteria using Gram’s
first one is the cutaneous anthrax stain technique. lifted from:
which develops when a bacterial https://www.cdc.gov/
organism from infected animal
tissues becomes deposited under the skin; and the second one is the
inhalation anthrax that is caused by inhaling the bacterial organism
into the lungs (Win and Masum, 2002).
2. Botulism is a serious illness that
attacks the body nerves (Centers for
Disease and Control Prevention,
2017). It is caused by intoxication
with any of the seven distinct
neurotoxins produced by the
bacillus, Clostridium botulinum (Win
and Masum, 2002). A biological
warfare attack with botulinum toxin
delivered by aerosol would cause A photomicrograph of Clostridium
symptoms that affect the human botulinum lifted from:
nervous system (Southern Nevada http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/
Health District, 2020).

3. Smallpox virus is an orthopoxvirus

with a narrow host range confined to
humans. Today, the virus only exists
in two laboratory repositories in the
United States and Russia. If
appearance of human cases outside
the laboratory exist, the virus is used
as a biological weapon (Win and
Masum, 2002). A magnified photo Smallpox vius
lifted from:
https://www.sutori.com/

4. Brucellosis is a disease spread

from animal to human caused by
one of the four species of bacteria
including Brucella melitensis, B.
abortus, B. suis, and B. canis.
These bacteria are small gram-
negative, aerobic, non-motile
coccobacilli that grow within
monocytes and macrophages. A micrographic photo B. canis lifted
They reside in tissue and bone- from: https://mechpath.com/
marrow, and are extremely difficult
to eradicate even with antibiotic therapy. Their natural pool is found
in domestic animals, such as goats, sheep, and camels (B.
melitensis), cattle (B. abortus), and pigs (B. suis). Brucella canis is
primarily a pathogen of dogs, and only occasionally causes disease
in humans (Win and Masum, 2002).

5. Clostridium perfringens is a
common anaerobic spore –
forming gram – positive bacterium
associated with three distinct
disease syndromes; gas
gangrene or clostridial
myonecrosis, enteritis
necroticans, and clostridium food
A magnified photo Clostridium
poisoning. Each of these
perfringens lifted from:
syndromes has very specific
http://www.bacteriainphotos.com
 requirements for delivering inocula of Clostridium perfringens to
specific sites to induce disease, and are thus not feasible as a
biological warfare agent (Win and Masum, 2002).

Chemical Weapons of Mass Destruction

A. Nature

Originally, chemical weapons did not become true weapons of mass

destruction until they were introduced in their modern form in World War I
(Encyclopaedia Britannica). Chemical weapons are classified according to
their volatility as persistent and non – persistent agents (Win and Masum,
2002).
A persistent agent is characterized with high boiling point, low volatility,
and very slow dispersion. As a contact or inhalation hazard, it continuously
produces threats in a long span of time after delivery (Win and Masum,
2002).

A non-persistent agent evaporates quickly, disperses rapidly and

produces an immediate and short-lived hazard. They are released as
airborne particles, liquids or gasses. Intoxication usually results from the
inhalation of the chemical agent. These chemical agents are characterized
with low boiling points, high vapor pressure and disperse very quick. Non-
persistent agents can be made persistent and more adhesive by producing
a highly viscous substance formed by dissolving chemical agent polymers
in the weapon agent (Win and Masum, 2002).

B. Effectiveness

To measure the effectiveness of a chemical agent, the capacity of an

agent to produce the maximum number of casualties or amount of disruption
of operations with the least amount of agent is determined. However, there
are factors that influence the effectiveness of a chemical agent. Among
these factors are the amount of agent released, environmental factors, and
the size of the target population. The effectiveness of a chemical weapon
can be rather uncertain. Also, the duration of effectiveness of a chemical
agent depends on several meteorological factors: (1) wind affects the
dispersion of some chemical agents in a specific topographical area; (2)
temperature may dictate the persistency of some chemical agents; (3) rain
affects the disposition and dilution/concentration of some chemical
reagents; and (4) atmospheric stability determines the vapor state and
atmospheric persistence of some chemical agents (Win and Masum, 2002).

C. Characteristics

Characteristics of chemical weapon consist of physical properties

including physical state, vapor pressure, density, odors and solubility;
chemical properties that determine its abundance, stability and reactivity;
and toxicological which describes its ability to react in the same way from
species to species when the same amount of agent is used on them (Win
and Masum, 2002).

D. Delivery
 Chemical agents are delivered in consideration of its states and forms.
Some chemical agents are delivered through ammunition which is designed
to provide a container to effectively reach and affect the target area. This
method can accommodate existing weapon systems and weapons.
Chemical ammunition utilizes long – range artillery, rockets, ground
missiles, aerial bombs, spray tanks, mines and grenades. Another method
of chemical agent delivery is the use of binary weapons technology. It forms
chemical weapons agent before the release of the agent itself. This is done
when reactions of the compounds in the missile or shell takes place before
it hits the target. Chemical weapon agents using binary technology allows
for safer handling, storage and disposal (Win and Masum, 2002).

E. Handling/Working with Chemical Agents

Two important things to note when handling/working with chemical

agents are the protective equipment and decontamination.

Protective equipment forms a

physical barrier to prohibit contacts
between the body and the chemical
weapons agent. An example of a
predominant protection item is gas
masks. These masks are made of a face
piece, impermeable material and is fitted
with an aerosol filter containing a carbon
filter in canister form. Gas masks are
capable of mechanical filtration which
removes aerosols. This process is done
because the filter of the gas mask
contains several elements and is
capable of absorbing the majority of
A photo of a gas mask lifted from:
chemical weapons agents in aerosol
form. For skin and body protection, there https://www.mirasafety.com/
are two types of special protective
clothing. First is nylon fabrics lined with butyl rubber and is impermeable to
liquids. The other one is fabrics permeable to air and moisture but
impermeable to chemical weapons (Win and Masum, 2002).

Decontamination plays a vital key role in the safety and security against
chemical weapon agents. When vehicles, men and materials are coming in
contact with chemical agents, all of these must be decontaminated.
Personal decontamination must be secured and most of the times available
in standard kit. Examples of decontaminates are fuller’s earth powder to
absorb liquid agents and some in liquid forms like alcohol solutions of
sodium phenolate used for nerve agents and chloramine solutions for
mustard gas. For individuals exposed to several nerve agents, autoject
devices like atropine are used and tablets like pralidoxime or oxime are
given. Equipment decontamination may use diethylene triamine,
ethyleneglycol monomethylether, and sodium hydroxide to penetrate the
contaminated material and destroy the chemical weapons agent. Another
 way of decontamination is utilizing superheated steam, hot air, boiling and
bleaching powder for ground contamination (Win and Masum, 2002).

F. Types of Chemical Weapons

1. Blistering agents or mustard

agents are chemical weapon
agents that cause wounds
which resemble blisters or
burns. These agents cause
severe tissue damage to eyes,
respiratory system and internal
organs. This chemical weapon
agent is used not only to
produce blister but to force A photo of blistering skin exposed to mustard
enemy troops to wear agent lifted from: https://manbironline.com/
protective equipment thereby
reducing their efficiency. Blistering agents can contaminate almost
anything it touches for long periods of time (Win and Masum, 2002).

2. Nerve agents are highly toxic

chemical agents that poison the
nervous system and disrupt
vital bodily functions. Nerve
agents are usually used with an
association with a technology to
form binary weapons
technology (Win and Masum,
2002).
A photo of nerve agent A-232 lifted from:
https://www.argonelectronics.com/

3. Blood agents are agents that are

absorbed into the body through
the action of breathing. Once in
the body and blood stream, they
cause severe damage by acting
on the enzyme. Some of the
major substances that belong to
the blood agents are hydrogen
A photo of Hydrogen cyanide in bottle
cyanide, cyanogen chloride and
arsine (Win and Masum, 2002). labeled as poison lifted from:
http://amazingplanetnews.com/

4. Choking agents also known as

pulmonary agents are
composed of chemical
compounds that disrupt normal
breathing. These chemical
weapon agents include gasses
like chlorine, ammonia,
phosgene, organohalides, and
nitrogen oxides (Ravi, 2013).
A photo of Nitrogen dioxide under the electron
microscope lifted from: https://phys.org/
 5. Psychotomimetic agents are
chemical agents that reliably
and dose-dependently. It
induces psychosis, often
including hallucinations and
delusions in normal individuals
(Aghajanian, 2008).

A photo showing hallucinations lifted from:

https://medicalxpress.com/

Nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction

A. Nature

Nuclear weapons are designed to release energy in an explosive

manner as a result of nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, or a combination of the
two processes. Fission weapons are commonly referred to as atomic bombs
or A-bombs. Fusion weapons are also referred to as thermonuclear bombs
which is commonly known as hydrogen bombs or H bombs. These nuclear
weapons released at least a portion of energy to enable destruction
(Encyclopaedia Britannica).

B. Effectiveness

In general, nuclear weapons within seconds or minutes of detonation,

can produce blast, thermal radiation, and prompt ionizing radiation causing
significant destruction. The delayed effects, such as radioactive fallout and
other environmental effects, inflict damage over an extended period ranging
from hours to years (AtomicArchive.com).

The energy produced per gram

of nuclear weapons is millions of
times greater for nuclear
explosives as compared to
chemical explosives. Specifically,
the use of nuclear weapons can
result to: (1) Nuclear winter which
is caused by the absorption of
sunlight when large amounts of
soot are injected into the
atmosphere by the widespread A photo of nuclear winter lifted from:
burning of cities and petroleum https://www.liberaldictionary.com/
stocks destroyed in a nuclear
attack; (2) Air bursts where the explosion occurs above the ground which
sends out shock waves like an expanding soap bubble; (3) Surface bursts
if the blast is intended to destroy a buried or very hard structure like a missile
silo or a dam and where the shock waves are transmitted through the soil;
(4) Sub-surface bursts if the explosion happened below ground level which
 can create craters and destroy buried structures; and (5) Earth-penetration
(Win and Masum, 2002), wherein, these weapons can destroy targets deep
underground or in tunnels. It can produce more effective agent-kill
mechanisms. For this situation, there are uncertainties associated in nuclear
weapons’ effectiveness. These include weapon design, actual and depth of
burst, and site geology and damage creation (Effects of Nuclear Earth-
Penetrator and Other Weapons, 2005).

C. Characteristics

Nuclear weapons are relatively small, light and inexpensive (Rambousky

and Sabath, 2013). It can produce destruction depending on the potential
energy that can be released from the nuclei of atoms. Nuclear weapons use
the basic approach of fission and fusion events to create and release a huge
amount of nuclear energy in a very short period of time (Nuclear Matters
Handbook, 2020).
D. Delivery

Most nuclear weapons are designed for a specific delivery system either
by a platform or any capable vehicles. Each system has warheads to hold
the actual nuclear device and which ensures that the weapons will function
and will reach the objective. Nuclear weapons are launched either in sea
using submarine, ground that is launched from hardened silos buried in the
ground, or in air using aircrafts (Nuclear Matters Handbook, 2020).

E. Types of Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons are classified according to nuclear reactions and

design details.

1. Pure fission weapons use only

fission reactions as a source of
energy. Fission bombs operate by
rapidly assembling a sub-critical
configuration of fissile material into
one that is highly supercritical (Win
and Masum, 2002). An example of
this weapon is called atomic
bombs or A-bomb.

2. Combined fission/fusion weapons

An atomic bomb (top) and a
are created when fusion reactions
are used to enhance the hydrogen bomb (bottom). Photos:
destructive effects of fission Los Alamos National Laboratory).
weapons. All weapons that use Lifted from
fusion require a fission bomb to https://america.cgtn.com/
provide the energy to initiate the
fusion reactions (Win and Masum, 2002).
 3. Boosted fission weapons applies
fusion to useful weapons. When the
bomb core of this weapon
undergoes enough fission, it
becomes hot enough to ignite
fusion reaction which accelerates,
producing an intense burst of high-
energy that causes a
correspondingly intense burst of
fissions in the core (Win and
Masum, 2002).

4. Cobalt bombs and other salted

bombs are nuclear weapons similar A photo of a man with a cobalt
to fission-fusion-fission weapons. bomb lifted from
This bomb uses non-fissionable https://picryl.com/
blanket of a specially chosen salting
isotope which captures the escaping fusion neutrons to breed a
radioactive isotope that maximizes the fallout hazard from the
weapon (Win and Masum, 2002).
Radiological Weapons

A. Nature

Radiological weapons disperse radioactive agents to inflict injury, cause

contamination, damage and death. These weapons use a conventional
explosion or medium to disperse radioactive contaminants (International
Risk Management Institute Inc, 2020). In general, radiological weapons are
used for terror, political and area denial purposes. Exposure to radioactive
material brought by these weapons act may experience harm or fatal
sufferings (Cordesman, n.d.).

B. Effectiveness

The effectiveness of radiological weapons

has been a controversial issue, and the impact
varies depending on the time required to
accumulate a disabling or significant dose of
radiation through ingestion, inhalation, or
exposure. When a radiological weapon
disperses radioactive agents, it emits
radiation. Radiation produces radiation-
induced injuries. Three types of these are: (1)
external irradiation that occurs when all or
parts of the body is exposed to radiation and
can be treated like any other patient; (2) A photo of intestinal radiation
contamination with radioactive materials either
injury lifted from
in solid, liquids or gaseous form that may bring
harm externally and/or internally; and (3) https://emedicine.medscape.com
incorporation or the uptake of radioactive materials by body cells, tissues, and
target organs such as bone, liver, thyroid, or kidney and are distributed
throughout the body based upon their chemical properties. All of these can
happen in combination and can be complicated by physical injury or illness. In
 such a case, serious medical problems always have priority over concerns
about (Cordesman, n.d.).

C. Characteristics

Radiological weapon utilizes radioactivity

as its main weapon. Radioactive materials of
these weapons are often sintered in ceramic
or metallic pellets. Radiation produced by
these weapons can be alpha, beta and
gamma radiation. Such weapon does not
produce nuclear yields but spreads
contamination. Radiological weapons
produce far less immediate damage but it A photo of a dirty bomb explosion
can create enormous potential for lifted from
intimidation (Cordesman, n.d.). https://nationalpost.com/

D. Delivery

Radiological devices are released within forms of devices and bombs. The
release considers factors like geographic area, wind and the strength of the
radioactive material used in the weapon (Lee, 2007). Radioactive materials
inside the radiological dispersal devices or dirty bombs are released through
aerosols and explosive means. Another way to release the radioactive
materials is through food and water contamination (Cordesman, n.d.).

The Positive and Negative Effects of Weapons of Mass Destruction

There is no doubt that man has a big role and involvement to the long history
of earth. Man, experienced ups and downs because of the natural disasters and their
own induced destruction. Man used different kinds of weapons to inflict harm, threat,
danger and destruction to one another to achieve their own agenda in which some are
gaining wealth and sustaining power and territory. Aside from achieving their desires,
some who used these weapons are also affected either positively or negatively. Below
are some of the positive and negative effects of weapons of mass destruction:

Biological Weapons

Negative Effects. Biological

agents can pose difficult public
health challenges causing deaths in
a short span of time while being
difficult to contain. Attacks using
these weapons can also result in an
epidemic (World Health
Organization, 2020). Biological Members of a hazardous materials response team
weapons may also be used to help to remove a hazardous materials suit from an
produce devastating effects to food investigator who had emerged from the U.S. Post
crops to delay production and induce Office in West Trenton, N.J., on Oct. 25, 2001. The
famine and hunger. However, this post office was closed after two letters containing
strategy may not be effective anthrax were traced back to this facility. Lifted from
especially for neighboring countries, https://www.npr.org/
where agricultural conditions are
similar to aggressor (Harigel, 2001). Tom Mihalek/AFP/Getty Images
And when unleashed to the environment, biological weapons, lead to serious threats
to wildlife and their habitats which are impossible to reverse (Information for Action,
2015).

Positive Effects. Two of the most possible positive effects of these weapons are
the avoidance of physical destruction to troops and civil population and it ends a war
quickly (Harigel, 2001).

In general, public surveillance and response activities with specific emphasis

are strengthened. The emphasis includes (World Health Organization, 2020):

• More effective national surveillance and monitoring of outbreaks of illness.

These encompass alert and response systems at all levels that can detect
diseases that may be deliberately caused;
• Improvement in the communication between multiple sectors, including
public health, water supply, food safety, nuclear safety and poison-control;

• Improvement in the assessments of vulnerability, and effective

communication about risks to both professionals and the public;

• Intensive preparation for handling the psychosocial consequences of the

deliberate use of pathogens and chemicals to cause harm; and

• Effective contingency plans for an enhanced response capacity by all

sectors.

Also, a system to prioritize biological agents according to their risk to national

security is developed (The College of Physicians in Philadelphia, 2020). It consists of
three (3) categories namely:

• Category A agents, which are the highest priority, are disease agents that
pose a risk to national security because they can be transmitted from person
to person and/or result in high mortality, and/or have high potential to cause
social disruption. These are anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox, tularemia,
and a collection of viruses that cause hemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola,
Marburg, Lassa, and Machupo. Most of disease agents exist in nature, but
they could be manipulated to make them more dangerous (The College of
Physicians in Philadelphia, 2020).

• Category B agents are moderately easy to disseminate and result in low

mortality. These include brucellosis, glanders, Q fever, ricin toxin, typhus
fever, and other agents (The College of Physicians in Philadelphia, 2020).;
and

• Category C agents include emerging disease agents that could be

engineered for mass dissemination in the future, such as Nipah virus (The
College of Physicians in Philadelphia, 2020).

Chemical Weapons
 Negative Effects. Chemical
weapons when used can cause social,
economic and environmental effects
(Ekzayez, Flecknoe, Lillywhite, Patel,
Papamichail, and Elbahtimy, 2019).
Social effects may include physical
injuries and psychological impacts.
Physical injuries include damage to life
and health. While, psychological effects
due to loss of family and community
members and the terror caused by its
impact can cause widespread
confusion, anxiety and a sense of Kurds killed during an Iraqi chemical-weapons
helplessness and entrapment among attack in the northeastern Iraqi city of Halabja on
victims which could last years (Integrity March 16, 1988. (official Iranian news agency
Initiative, 2019). Economic effects are IRNA) Tom Mihalek/AFP/Getty Images. Lifted from
felt due to loss of business and
https://www.rferl.org/
revenues, damages to properties and
establishments and commercial
interruptions. Environmental effects not only cause damage to the natural landscape.
It brings rapid loss of vegetation and severe soil erosion. These situations contribute
to the negative increase in species population. Also, high concentrations of toxins
persist in the land and ecosystems lead to irreversible damage (Information for Action,
2015).

Positive Effects. Collective efforts from around the world are brought in to
establish a standard system that will ensure that all toxic chemicals, and their
precursors, are only used for purposes. Multiple technologies were developed to test,
determine and counter the possible effects of these types of weapons. Responses and
exchange of information that will help to protect the population, assistance and group
experts to respond to these scenarios were improved. Legal accountability and
awareness through education and outreach are emphasized and conducted
(Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 2020).

Nuclear Weapons

Negative Effects. Billions of

people can immediately be affected
when nuclear weapons are released. In
addition, it spreads radiation that stays
years and destructs crops and wildlife
and induce pollution of seas and water
supplies. These situations may bring
starvation even to those who are not
present in the nuclear explosion
(Information for Action, 2015).
Infrastructure and economic loss were
also observed to be the negative effects
The city of Hiroshima devastated by a nuclear
of these weapons.
bomb. Photo lifted from https://cnduk.org/

Positive Effects. Nuclear weapons reinforce nationalism in the sense of

effective distribution of needed items to citizens and the world beyond. It serves as a
deterrent to a global conflict. It can reduce threats to a country’s military forces. It can
also help to create new technologies in other sectors like medicine, engineering and
more (https://futureofworking.com/).

Radiological Weapons

Negative Effects. Explosion

of radiological weapons like dirty
bomb can cause significant short-
and long-term health and
psychological problems. These
weapons can leave costly damage
due to the costs of evacuation,
relocation and cleanup. Buildings of
affected areas must be demolished
and debris must be removed. The
access to a contaminated area must
be strictly limited for years. This is to
be cleaned well enough to meet Radiation detection after an explosion of a
environmental standards to ensure radiological weapon. Photo lifted from
the protection and safety of the https://warontherocks.com/
public against harmful gamma rays
that could penetrate human skin and potentially cause cellular damage. The release
can also cause significant environmental and economic damage (Nuclear Threat
Initiative, 2015).

Positive Effects. Some of the positive effects of radiological weapons are the
development of shielding and protective equipment which are useful in working with
radiation, continues research and development of technologies that can be used to
lessen and minimize the impact of radioactivity and utilize these impacts to help human
being, the economy and the environment. Warnings, responses and surveillance are
improved. Rules and policies on the control and proliferation of these weapons are
crafted and imposed.
SUGGESTED READINGS AND WEBSITES

Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Ballistic Missiles

By Richard F. Mesic
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1314/MR1314.c
h8.pdf

Elimination of weapons of mass destruction: lessons from the last quarter-

century
By Philipp C. Bleek, Chen Kane and Joshua H. Pollack
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10736700.2016.1213493

Future of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Their Nature and Role in 2030

By John P. Caves and Seth W. Carus
https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=755104

ICM Policy Paper: Weapons of Mass Destruction

By International Peace Institute
https://www.ipinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ICM-Weapons-of-Mass-
Destruction.pdf

Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

Risks for companies and scientific institutions
By General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD
https://fas.org/irp/world/netherlands/wmdrisks.pdf

Strategic Culture and WMD Decision Making

By Kerry M. Kartchner
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230618305_4

Weapons of Mass Destruction and Human Rights

By Peter Weiss and John Burroughs
https://www.peacepalacelibrary.nl/

Weapons of Mass Destruction—Threats and Responses

By Christine Gosden and Derek Gardener
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1184257/

GLOSSARY

Abundance – a characteristic of having a large amount or pool.

Aerosol – materials in which colloidal suspension particles are dispersed in air.

Airbursts – occurs when an explosion happened above the ground

Anthrax - is a zoonotic disease caused by gram positive, rod – shaped bacteria known
Bacillus anthracis

Alpha radiation – a type of ionizing radiation composed of alpha particles usually

penetrated by sheets of paper.
Bacteria – are small free-living organisms mostly grown on solid or liquid culture
media

Beta radiation – a type of ionizing radiation composed of beta particles that can pass
through skins and is penetrated by body tissue.

Biological agent – is any of the disease – producing agents that can be used as
weapon usually for warfare.

Biological weapon – are germ weapons that can be used for humans, plants and
animals.

Blistering agents – also known as mustard agents, are chemical weapon agents that
cause wounds which resemble blisters or burns

Blood agents – are agents that are absorbed into the body through the action of
breathing

Botulism - a serious illness that attacks the body nerves causing intoxication.

Brucellosis – is a disease spread from animal to human caused by one of the four
species of bacteria including Brucella melitensis, B. abortus, B. suis, and B. canis.

Canister – a round cylindrical container made of metal used for storage usually food
and chemicals.

Chemical agent - chemical substance with toxic properties that can be used to create
weapons.

Chemical ammunition – are chemical delivery devices

Chemical weapon – are volatile either persistent or non – persistent that may cause
harm, danger and destruction to humans, resources and environment.

Chlamydia – is an obligate intracellular parasite that are not capable of producing

their own energy source

Chloramine solutions – are materials like bleach, disinfectants and oxidators

Choking agents – also known as pulmonary agents are composed of chemical

compounds that disrupt normal breathing.

Clostridium perfringens – is a common anaerobic spore – forming gram – positive

bacterium associated with three distinct disease syndromes; gas gangrene or
clostridial myonecrosis, enteritis necroticans, and clostridium food poisoning.

Density – of a substance is defined as the mass per unit volume.

Dirty bombs – is a radiological dispersal device combined with conventional explosive

with radioactive material.

Dispersion – action or process of distribution

Earth-penetration – occurs when weapons destroy targets deep underground or in

tunnels.
Fungi – are non - photosynthetic primitive plants that can grow without oxygen and
can draw nutrition from decaying vegetable matter.

Gamma radiation – a highly penetrating type of ionizing radiation composed of rays

that require dense materials to penetrate.

Gas mask - a protective mask that is used to cover a person's face as a defense
against poisonous gas.

High potency – a characteristics of having rich content

Impermeable – materials that prohibits fluid to pass through

Incubation period – of bacteria/ virus is the time required to infect

Infectivity – the capability of causing infection

Ingestion – the process of taking substances into body usually through absorption

Lethal - an indication of a specific level, for instance level of toxicity

Low visibility – a characteristic of having reduced visibility

Mustard gas – also known as sulfur mustard that causes severe burning of skin, eyes
and respiratory tract

Nationalism – support for the interests and identity of one’s own country

Nerve agents – are highly toxic chemical agents that poison the nervous system and
disrupt vital bodily functions.

Non-persistent agents – are agents that evaporate quickly, disperse rapidly and
produce an immediate and short-lived hazard.

Nuclear fission – the process of splitting atoms into two or more nuclei as products.

Nuclear fusion – the process of combining two or more atoms to produce a large
amount of energy.

Nuclear weapons – are weapons designed to release energy in an explosive manner

as a result of nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, or a combination of the two processes.

Nuclear winter – usually a layer of smoke and dust in the atmosphere blocking the
sun's rays due to abnormal cold and darkness after detonating nuclear weapons.

Odor – the smell or fragrance

Pathogenicity – the characteristic of causing diseases

Persistent agents – are characterized with high boiling point, low volatility, and very
slow dispersion

Physical state – existence in either solid, liquid or gaseous form

Psychotomimetic agents – are chemical agents that reliably and dose-dependently
induce a psychosis, often including hallucinations and delusions in normal individuals.

Radiation – the he emission of energy in the form of waves or particles

Radiological weapons – are weapons disperse radioactive agents to inflict injury,

cause contamination, damage and death.

Reactivity – the ability of a substance to undergo chemical reaction

Rickettsia – are microorganisms with characteristics that are common to both bacteria
and viruses

Robust – the ability to adapt and grow

Salt bombs – are nuclear weapon designed to produce enhanced amounts of

radioactivity

Smallpox virus - is na orthopoxvirus with a narrow host range confined to humans.

Solubility – the ability of either solid, liquid of gas to be dissolved in a given solvent.

Stability – the characteristic of being independent

Sub – surface bursts – occurs when an explosion happened below the ground

Surface bursts – occurs when an explosion happened within the ground surface

Toxicity – the level of toxins or poisonousness

Toxins – are poisonous substances that are produced and derived from living plants,
animals, and microorganisms.

Transmissibility – the characteristic of being able to pass from one organism to

another

Vapor pressure – the tendency of the material to be transformed into gas

Virulence – the severity of the harmful virus

Virus – an agent that strongly depends on the cells of the host they infected.

Warheads – the explosive head of a nuclear weapon

Weapons of Mass Destructions (WMD) – are weapons created to deliver high order
of destruction in a single event causing social, economic and environmental damages.

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