CBRNe December 2020

CBRNe December 2020 cover and spine vPress:CBRNe December 2020 cover and spine vPress 29/12/2020 15:53
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December 2020
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CBRNe December 2020 vChanges:CBRNe December 2020 vChanges 04/01/2021 14:20 Page 1
Leader
“2019 felt like the difficult second act of a three-act play.
We’ve had all the build-up, we know that there’ll be a
crisis some point soon, but at the moment we’re
treading water waiting for it to turn up…” CBRNe World
Leader, 2019-6
attempted poisoning of Alexei Navalny. We now have
limited understanding of the toxidromes of dermal
transmission of A-series agents via underpants. Putin as a
KGB man through and through, must be Koshi Waza-ing
[Judo hip throw, Ed.] the entire department at the
Well that was uncannily accurate! I think out of all moment [This article1 suggests not, Ed.]. If the attempted
the possible events that might have happened, the killing of the Skripals made them look stupid, the
chance of a pandemic that would kill 1.8 million people confession of tradecraft to the individual you tried to kill
and infect 80 million seemed far too far fetched… after over an open line2 provides even more punchlines. Less
all we’ve trained and prepared for pandemic flu! James Bond, more Benny Hill.
The UK and US governments were keen to believe that It has been a mildly exciting year for nuclear weapons
there would be no such planning (as did other countries), too. In October North Korea unveiled what appears to be
and both opted to make it up as they went along. one of the world’s largest ICBMs. Iran has also exceeded
Scientists were either ignored or purposefully sidelined, as limits on uranium enrichment and refused to let
they got ready for the two major events in their calendars, inspectors into the sites suggested by Israel. What
Brexit and the re-election of Donald Trump. Those happens next will be due to the change in POTUS. The
countries that had strong, focussed governments shut Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is pushing
down hard and largely contained the virus, those that for the US to rejoin the process, but the strategic climate
actually followed the science had a less torrid time of it… has changed since 2015. The problems Trump mentioned
but the ones that took their eye off the ball, for whatever about them being a bad partner have expanded
reason (UK, US, Sweden, Belgium) are still suffering badly. exponentially, partly because of their pariah state. What
Hopefully the vaccine distribution system that has might have been a fringe issue five years ago is now
been trained for (nominally or in reality) over the past moving into near parity with the nuclear issues. Iran is
10-20 years will work… but if past performance is any refusing Biden’s request for re-negotiation3 and four years
guide it will be another cluster flip. For me the real take of impasse seems likely.
home from the whole response is how under resourced North Korea will also be a problem. Kim Jong-un
behavioural science has been for such disasters. Seen as entered into talks hoping that Trump might be a 'new
one of the ‘liberal arts’ as far as the hard science CBRN broom’. This didn’t happened and having now played
response is concerned, this proved its importance around ‘good cop’ and ‘bad cop’ it is hard to see what
the time of the first lockdown and has shown how opportunities await in the US/DPRK relationship.
essential it is when facing repeated requests for Ironically for all his, and his critics, bluster very little
compliance. There has to be a critical look at how good or bad has been achieved by the Trump
humans behave in a CBRN crisis and this needs to result administration and we will have to see whether
in a funded strategy and action points. Assumptions Biden/Harris can do any better.
about human behaviour because ‘that’s what I’d do!’ need In addition to this the strange radiological anomalies
to stop and be replaced by more complex systems and the emanating from Russia that were such a part of 2019
take homes based on them. continued with another one in June this year. Russia
Even though it seems like we had no space for any declared “no such thing”, but the CTBTO monitoring
more biological excitement, there was another Ebola stations and the governments of Finland, Sweden and
outbreak, albeit briefly. A significant dengue outbreak had Norway begged to differ.
some of the highest case numbers since 2013. Mother In terms of predictions for next year, I can only see
nature worked overtime in 2020. more Covid and greater economic and social strife. We
It has also been a busy year for chemical incidents. have yet to feel the full effects of a global economy that
Lost amid the Covid headlines were a number of medium has stalled, job losses to make the recession we had in
size chemical disasters and fires likely caused by incorrect 2008 seem like a holiday and the civil unrest that will
shut downs or missed maintenance. Lives were lost, ensue. There will be violent incidents, and while small
hundreds of thousands of poundof damage was done and you can expect a proportion of them to be CBRN. Who
all down to a desire to get home and ride out the ‘rona. It knows what awaits us at CBRNe World too! I hope that
wasn’t just industrial accidents however, the ‘once in a in 12 months time I can report more cheerfully on the
lifetime' chemical agent returned in the shape of the events of 2021!
1
F.S.B. Andrei Soldatov answers the questions about Russia’s top intelligence agency that you’re too afraid to ask — Meduza
2
"If it Hadn't Been for the Prompt Work of the Medics": FSB Officer Inadvertently Confesses Murder Plot to Navalny - bellingcat
3
Iran rejects Biden's terms for reviving nuclear deal - BBC News
More information on our range of events via www.cbrneworld.com
www.cbrneworld.com December 2020 CBRNe WORLD 1

CBRNe December 2020 vPress:CBRNe December 2020 vPress 04/01/2021 10:48 Page 2
Contents 1-7
Leader,
30-31 Taking a chomp:
Contents, A review of the Bitesize
News Boston event
Covid convergence:
Ron Fizer on why CBRN and
Letter to the Editor health need to get closer
8-11 32-37
‘Not what it seems like...’
CBRN Babel: A review of the Mike Cashman and
5th Iraqi CBRN safety and Melissa O’Meara on when
security conference clan labs go bad
12-17 38-43
Sky is the limit: Extremely persistent:
Edoardo Cavalieri D’Oro on Zoe Rutherford on
the Italian fire’s drone work persistent decon
18-23 44-45
Making the invisible, visible: Party favours:
Bellingcat’s Eliot Higgins on Jon Hart on the 25th
his Navalny research conference of the CWC
24-29
Published by Falcon Communications Limited
46-48
Contact Details: CBRNe World
Editor Business Marcoms For Sales: 28 North Drive,
Gwyn Winfield Development Manager +1 443 605 2583 Winchester,
Manager Zoe Rutherford david.levitt@cbrneworld.com SO22 6QA
Business James Ross +44 (0)7788 288031
Development Sub Editor Web: www.cbrneworld.com
Director Business james.ross@cbrneworld.co.uk
Jenny Walton Twitter: @cbrneworld
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Executive Correspondents For Editorial: LinkedIn: cbrneworld
Art Director Sophie Pym Jeffrey Bigongiari +44 (0)7974 537016
Tony Denton Brian O’Shea gwyn.winfield@cbrneworld.com
2 CBRNe WORLD December 2020 www.cbrneworld.com

49-59
Advertiser Index
ADS 33
Airboss Defense Group 25
Capability Profiles and
book review Alexeter Technologies 11
Argon Electronics 15
BioFire Defense OBC
BioFlyte 35
CBRNe Convergence 2021 18
Cristanini 21
EpiGuard 37
CBax to save the day
Federal Resources 13
60-63
First Line Technology 43
Flir IFC
Milipol Qatar IBC
NBC Sys 31
OHD LLLP 27
Paul Boye Technologies 23
Prairie Dog Proengin 29
64
Quicksilver Analytics 11
Radiation Safety & Control Services 41
Tracerco 7
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August, October & December by Falcon Communications
Ltd and distributed in the US by Asendia USA, 17B S
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CBRNews
GLOBAL CBRN THREATS AND ACTIVITY
Our threat overview is complemented by our online E Newsletter. Every two months we will do an extended
online version of this map, and a major Threat E Newsletter twice a year. Sign up for your copy via
www.cbrneworld.com or follow us on Twitter via @cbrneworld
THREAT WATCH biosolids before they are recycled to it was not known that the chemical was
Toxic Trash land as an organic soil conditioner. pepper spray, all emergency services
First responders in Maine are Witnesses to the blast said they knew was that multiple people in
reminding people to be careful when thought a bomb had gone off due to multiple locations were showing signs
they discard their trash after two the volume of the explosion. of chemical exposure after a masked
people were treated for chemical burns man began spraying a noxious
on Monday. The Goodwins Mills Fire Nalvany dosed twice? substance. A 20-year-old later handed
Department have reported that a A recent report in The Times newspaper himself into police in connection with
container filled with hydrochloric acid has alleged that Alexei Nalvany was in the incident.
ended up in the trash, as it was fact not only poisoned once, but twice.
compacted in a garbage truck the Western intelligence sources Nuclear risk management
container broke and reacted with other apparently told the paper that a A project to look at hydrogen and
items in the trash creating a fume second dose of poison was allegedly carbon monoxide combustion risk
cloud. Two employees, who quickly given to Navalny before he was flown to management in the case of severe
tried to empty the truck thinking there Berlin for further treatment. The Times accidents at nuclear power plants has
was a fire, were taken to hospital to be alleged that Russian security forces been launched. The EU-funded
treated for chemical burns. may have influenced the doctor who Horizon 2020 project, Accident
treated Navalny in Omsk. It is believed Management of the Hydrogen/CO
Tank Explosion that the second dose was prevented Combustion Risk (AMHYCO), started
Four people died, and a fifth was from being successful due to the fact on 1 October, and will run for four
injured when a chemical tank at a Nalvany had been administered years. Severe accidents at nuclear
water treatment plant in the UK atropine beforehand. plants are costly and potentially
exploded recently. According to dangerous to humans and the
reports, one of the workers that died Pepper spray attack environment. Adequate accident
was thrown 500 feet by the blast into a A large scale pepper spray attack, in 3 management measures are
lake. Investigations are still ongoing separate businesses in the UK, left “paramount” for preventing and/or
but, the explosion apparently more than 15 people needing medical mitigating the consequences of these
happened in a silo that held treated treatment. At the time of the incident, accidents, says AMHYCO.

Aum surveillance Poisoned Base townhouse village close to one of the

The Public Security Intelligence Agency An investigation by CBS has revealed mass burials, prompting fears if not
in Japan has requested an extension to new evidence in the cases of service managed properly and the cattle pits
the surveillance period for three groups members who believe their rare are disturbed, anthrax spores could be
that derived from the Aum Shinrikyo cancers and other illnesses stem from re-released. ‘Officially’ the 1979
doomsday cult. The current their time served on a remote base incident of an anthrax leak from a
surveillance is due to end in January after 9/11. They say they were exposed clandestine biological weapons lab
2021. The three groups in question are to toxic materials at Karshi-Khanabad, only killed 66 people, the true number
Aleph, which is Aum’s successor or K2, a former Soviet base in is suspected to be closer to thousands
organization, Hikari no Wa, which is a Uzbekistan. Now, DoD employee Mike and remains the deadliest outbreak of
splinter group of Aleph, and another Lechlitner, who was involved in testing inhalation anthrax known in history.
group that separated from Aleph in at the base has gone on record.
2015, called Yamadara no Shudan. The According to Lechlitner, low-resolution Over and out
extension of this will allow authorities satellite imagery shows the aftermath In some good news for 2020, the
to conduct on-site inspections of the of a massive explosion in 1993 at the Democratic Republic of Congo
groups’ facilities for three more years. base's weapons depot and this declared the end of the latest Ebola
explosion scattered toxic material outbreak on November 18th. Following
The who one knocks including asbestos and a refined form hotly on the heels of the world’s
At the end of October, police in Mexico of uranium ore called yellowcake. The second deadliest Ebola outbreak there
busted an industrial scale meth and readings were "7 to 9 times higher than was concern that this latest one could
fentanyl lab, it was so big the normal background radiation," get out of control as ‘Ebola fighters’
investigators were dumbfounded. The Lechlitner said. were still battling the previous
lab had chemical preparation vats outbreak in the East. Thankfully, this
about two stories tall that could Close to home was not so, and with a vigorous
process 11,000 pounds of raw Residents in Maryland were told not to vaccination programme this, the 11th
material at a time. Also in the lab, open any packages delivered to them Ebola outbreak was brought under
found behind a storefront advertising following an explosion that injured at control, resulting in only 55 deaths.
industrial cleaning chemicals, were least one person in the neighbourhood
stacks of drums and 265-gallon tanks in Carroll County [Not far from our own Poisoned face masks
holding precursor chemicals. David Levitt! Ed.]. The exploding Reports have emerged that extremists
Investigators have said these are the package was not delivered by UPS, are apparently being urged to take
largest chemical vats they have ever leading investigators to believe that it advantage of the Coronavirus
come across. was hand delivered, and the victim pandemic by handing out ‘poisoned’
specifically targeted. Hazmat, bomb face masks on the street. A new
Spot takes a trip squad, Maryland State Police, and ATF magazine called “Wolves of
Spot the robot dog took a trip to officers were among the law Manhattan” by a pro-al Qaeda news
Chernobyl in October, along with a enforcement agencies on the scene, a outlet calls on fanatics to kill
team of engineers from the University K-9 unit was also brought in to ensure “unbelievers,” and to spread terror by
of Bristol. The purpose for the trip was there were no more explosive packages handing out poisoned masks at street
to test Spot under Exclusion Zone in the area. corners and stations. There is no
Conditions, and to conduct threat mention as to what poison they might
mapping, including inside the New Brucellosis Bio-breach employ should they do this.
Safe Confinement structure, with Spot A brucellosis outbreak, which was
surveying levels of radiation in the detected in November 2019 and traced Grave mistake
zone and then creating a 3D map of to a leak at a vaccine plant, is still Six children were left fighting for their
its distribution. Spot was not alone on going on a year later. The first cases lives, and 30 more people were
this trip; the university team were also were detected when students at the hospitalised when staff at a swimming
using drones and remotely operated Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute pool in Russia made a huge mistake
sensors and scanners to measure the tested positive, by December 181 staff and released 250 times the normal
same radiation. at the institute had been infected. The amount of chlorine into the pool. The
outbreak spread throughout the region injured children were released after
Not top secret anymore! and as of now of 55,725 people treatment, but on December 8th six
In October the trial commenced of a tested, 6,620 are positive for were considered as in grave condition
former UK defence contractor who brucellosis. The outbreak originated at and were in intensive care. A criminal
may have caused "risk to the UK" and a biopharmaceutical factory which had case has been opened and an
its allies by sharing classified used expired disinfectants in July to investigation is ongoing into how such
information about a British missile August 2019 to make brucellosis a huge mistake was made.
system. Software engineer Simon vaccines, leaving the bacteria in its
Finch denies breaching Britain's waste gas. The contaminated gas later
Official Secrets Act. According to the formed aerosols that drifted downwind PRODuCT WATCH
charges he emailed details of the to the veterinary institute. Pathogen Catcher
system, which a prosecutor described Aquila Bioscience have released the AB
as critical to UK security, to Anthrax’s latest release Decontamination device, a
undisclosed recipients in October There is some concern that the biodegradable Class I sterile device that
2018. The document he apparently Sverdlosk anthrax incident may raise safely captures, removes and
attached to the email set out technical its head again after planning neutralises harmful pathogens and viral
detail classified as secret and top permission was granted for the site infections like coronavirus from skin
secret and contained details about where contaminated cattle were buried. and surfaces. ABD does not attack the
the operational performance of The planning permission is for the pathogens, it captures them which
the system. residential development of a means it is less likely that the pathogen

will evolve its defenses and this reduces arrived in Spain, with the medical The RAPIDplus (mod 4) allows
the risk of secondary re-contamination. technology distribution company Direx automated, 24/7 monitoring of
Once captured inside the material the entering in into an agreement as the chemical hazards at distances up to 5
contaminant does not detach. exclusive distributor in Spain. The first km. It is specifically designed for
pod arrived in mid-November for maritime, coastal, and shipboard
D7 get robotised evaluation by professional caretakers environments which makes this
At the end of October, D7 teamed up and medical transport. instrument unique. The system has
with Howe & Howe for a live been extensively tested against the
demonstration of D7 by using the Chiron’s ride pertinent military and environmental
disinfecting formula in the Thermite FLIR Systems, Inc. announced that the standards associated with a corrosive
RS3, the first robotic fire fighting vehicle US Army, Air Force, and Navy have environment and has successfully
in the US. Robots like the Thermite RS3 collectively ordered more than 250 demonstrated its superior capabilities
are set up to deploy firefighting foam to additional FLIR Centaur UGVs, worth in this challenging application.
put out fires while keeping firefighters $32 million combined. The award is
out of harm's way. Howe & Howe has, being sourced through the Army’s Man AeroVironment Acquires Telerob
however, engineered its robot to Transportable Robotic System On December 3, 2020, AeroVironment
distribute the D7 product, expanding Increment II program. Over the last 12 Inc. entered into a Share Purchase
applications for its technology into new months, FLIR has announced multiple Agreement with Unmanned Systems
areas such as COVID-19 disinfection, orders totalling roughly $97 million for Investments to purchase 100% of
toxic chemical remediation, and more than 750 Centaur unmanned Telerob Gesellschaft für
biohazard disinfection. D7 has been ground systems from the Army, Air Fernhantierungstechnik mbH, including
recognized by Manufacturing Outlook as Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. EOD Telerob’s wholly owned subsidiary,
a Top 10 Foam Technology Solution teams across all services will use the Telerob USA, Inc. Upon closing of the
Provider for 2020. FLIR Centaur to assist in disarming transactions contemplated by the
IEDs, unexploded ordnance, and Purchase Agreement, Telerob will
Busy little Bees similar hazardous tasks. Operators can become a wholly owned subsidiary of
Kromek have been having a busy few quickly attach different sensors and AeroVironment Inc., which plans to
months. They announced they have payloads to the robot to address other retain the site in Germany and its
entered into a development missions, including CBRN threats. entire team. The transaction will
agreement, worth up to $660k, with a combine leaders in UAS and UGVs for
US-based, sector-leading industrial Outstanding Rapiscan broader, integrated mission solutions
OEM with a global customer base. The Learning Academy of Rapiscan in air, near-space, ground and
Under the development agreement, Systems has been awarded an maritime domains, giving the chance
the Group will customise one of its ‘Outstanding’ grade as a certified to deliver new, multi-domain
CZT detector platforms for training provider by the Civil Aviation capabilities to defense, homeland
incorporation into the customer’s Authority (CAA) UK. The Learning security and commercial customers.
systems for identifying contaminations Academy provides certified training
during production processes. globally to an average of 3,000 Rad assist on the go
students per year, having trained The Oak Ridge Institute for Science
They launched the D5 RIID, a small, approximately 9,800 security and Education (ORISE) Radiation
light, 3.5% resolution wearable RIID professionals to date. The Academy Emergency Assistance Center/Training
with an expansive radioisotope library supplies a range of training and Site (REAC/TS) has launched a new
and an ultra-low false alarm rate. It educational programs to suit individual RadMed app, providing a wide range of
continuously scans and accurately customer requirements, including resources on the medical management
identifies radiological threats in real Threat Recognition and accredited UK of radiation incidents that can be
time, even in mixed source Security Training across Rapiscan’s downloaded for free on mobile devices
environments. They have also been range of security and inspection and used while on the go. The
awarded two contract extensions by a technologies and areas of expertise. REAC/TS RadMed app offers
European government-related company healthcare professionals, emergency
to provide network solutions of its D3S- They also launched the Orion Metor responders and planners, public health
related technologies to counter nuclear 900M, their most advanced metal professionals and health physicists’
terrorism. The contract extensions are detection system to date. It is the first easy access to essential medical
worth a total of £460k and will be launch in an upcoming series of new, information and resources when
delivered in the current financial year. advanced, metal detection systems. dealing with a radiation incident.
The Meteor 900M is weatherproof with
Epishuttle keeps going global IP65 protection, making it suitable for JCAD Adapter
Medevac company Keewatin Air both indoor and outdoor use. Uses Smiths Detection Inc. announced it will
recently deployed the isolation pod include visitor screening at stadiums, initiate manufacturing of the Solid
EpiShuttle, for safe transportation of critical infrastructure protection and Liquid Adapter (SLA) following an
contagious patients. Keewatin staff passenger screening at airports and indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity
and hospital staff at the Health other mass transit facilities. The system (IDIQ) award, worth potentially $90.8M
Sciences Centre’s simulation lab and is designed to detect ferrous and non- over a maximum nine (9) year ordering
Stretcher Service of Manitoba have ferrous metals such as handguns, period, with the US Department of
gone through extensive training knives and other security threats. Defense (DoD). Fitted with an SLA, the
including trial runs. With the JCAD can test for illicit drugs,
EpiShuttles in place, the medivac RAPIDplus (mod 4) including opioids such as fentanyl, and
services providers can perform patient Bruker have launched the novel detect explosive compounds – without
monitoring and full intensive care of RAPIDplus (mod 4) FTIR based stand- compromising the conventional
infected patients during air, sea and off detector for Chemical Warfare chemical warfare agent detection
land transport. Epishuttle has also Agents, and Toxic Industrial Chemicals. capability of the JCAD.

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CBRNeWORLD
Milton Leitenberg, Senior research associate at the center for international
and security studies at the University of Maryland is concerned about
the numbers and the credibility of the Chinese government
The Question of
Covid-19 Mortality
in China
A
review in the New York Review It is difficult to understand how a medical colleagues on a WeChat group,
of Books on 5 November 2020, seasoned China observer could have after which he was detained by the local
by the independent China repeated that number. The public health police and reprimanded. A day later the
scholar and journalist, Ian Johnson, measures undertaken by the Chinese Wuhan Municipal Health Commission
bore the title: How Did China Beat Its government after 21 January were verified this, by which time it was also
Covid Crisis? It discussed two books: draconian and they unquestionably understood that the virus was aerosol
Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a saved millions of lives. The current transmissible from person to person
Quarantined City by Fang Fang, and Chinese administration's record of because medical personnel had become
The Art of Political Control in China information suppression is equally infected. No Chinese official admitted
by Daniel C. Mattingly.2 draconian however, and Johnson that publicly, however, until the
Fang Fang’s book describes events certainly is aware of China's influential hero of the 2003 SARS
that took place in Wuhan in the early problematical 70-year record of official outbreak, Dr Zhong Nanshan, did so on
months of 2020 and is by a well-known statistical manipulation, as well as the 20 January. Throughout December
Chinese writer working within the city. statistics it does not report at all. people from Wuhan and elsewhere in
This brief commentary discusses just The epidemiological pattern of China were flying to other cities in
one particular aspect of Johnson’s SARS-CoV-2 (shortened to Covid-19) China, and all over the world from
discussion of her book. infection and mortality reported by Wuhan as they always did, because
Ian Johnson is a prize-winning China since January 2020 does not Wuhan airport is a major Chinese air
author who lived and worked in China resemble that of any other nation in the hub.5 In December 2019 and January
for 20 years and wrote about China for world, including those of other nations 2020 approximately 185,000 people flew
years before that. He covers a range of that have succeeded in keeping out of Wuhan to other countries.
issues concerning China, including mortality quite low.3 Moreover between 31 December
historical memory, religion and The CIA reportedly informed the US 2019 and 21 January 2020 when the
literature. Most recently he taught at government that 'China has vastly Chinese government isolated Wuhan,
the Beijing Centre for Chinese Studies, understated its coronavirus infections between 5 and 7 million people left the
however, he was expelled from China in and that its count could not be relied city by air and railroad. Multiple maps
March 2020, together with several other upon…’ and that holds equally true for published by the New York Times
US journalists. He was therefore not China's reported Covid-19 mortality recorded this exodus and several of
under any constraints when he wrote figures.4 The Covid-19 mortality them displayed the relative numbers of
the review for the New York Review of numbers reported by the governments people who arrived in different
Books, which would have been the case of China, Russia, Iran and Brazil are Chinese cities.6
had he still been in China. considered to be highly unreliable, and It is inconceivable that two thirds of
In discussing Fang Fang’s book, those of China perhaps the most all the Covid-19 deaths in China
Johnson wrote: ‘The result is that unreliable of all. occurred among the million or more
China, the pandemic’s epicentre, a The Covid-19 virus was spreading people who remained in Wuhan, and
country of 1.4 billion people, has had throughout December 2019 in Wuhan only a third in the rest of China,
4,634 deaths – a seventh of Spain’s, an and Hubei province, and possibly during including Wuhan citizens who had left
eighth of Italy’s, a ninth of Britain’s and November 2019 as well. At that time it the city. Several published peer reviewed
less than a fortieth of the US’s.' was diagnosed as an atypical papers that appeared early in the
However, the number 4,634 is pneumonia. On 30 December 2019 Dr pandemic strongly indicated the
fraudulent and impossible. Li Wenliang reported this privately to number of cases, and by implication

CBRNeWORLD
deaths, had to be higher than the more than 10,000.9 ‘ in the province, about 15%, however
official figure. One article outlined the Other informal estimates within the 15% number is of no significance.
shifting case definition, which would China are far higher, and they also are That is because the documents
indicate that the early numbers, never for Wuhan alone: ‘Some social media demonstrate multiple reasons why the
subsequently revised, should have been posts have estimated that all seven official numbers were very substantially
much higher. In addition, these studies funeral homes in Wuhan are handing undercounted. The authorities had little
made no attempt to capture the number out 3,500 urns every day in total. understanding of the actual prevalence
of mild or asymptomatic cases, which Funeral homes have informed families of the disease for about two months. In
other studies have shown were more that they will try to complete addition, the documents primarily cover
than 40% in China.7 cremations before the traditional grave- the period from 1 January to 10
In a more recent manuscript that is tending festival of Qing Ming on 5 April, February 2020, and they concern events
still undergoing publication review, and which would indicate a 12-day process and statistics that for the most part
which examined Covid-19 reporting data beginning on 23 March.’ Such an were within the city of Wuhan.
from several countries the author wrote: estimate would mean that 42,000 urns • They double the number of identified
‘The underlying reasons for the two would be given out during that time. of cases of Covid-10 in the province.
distinctly different age profiles for age Another popular estimate is based • They suggest that the first recorded
specific infection rates reported from on the cremation capacity of the funeral case was on 17 November 2019.
the two groups of countries included in homes, which run a total of 84 furnaces • As many as 200 cases are expected to
this analysis, are not yet entirely clear. with a capacity over 24 hours of 1,560 have occurred during December 2019,
Sampling bias due to the use of case urns city-wide, assuming that each and not 40 as reported in a Chinese
definition criteria which have either (1) cremation takes one hour. This publication.
restricted testing to symptomatic cases calculation results in an estimated • There was also a wave of respiratory
and contacts of previously confirmed 46,800 deaths. A resident of Hubei disease in Hubei province in December
cases, or (2) the exclusion of positive province, of which Wuhan is the capital, 2019 that was attributed to influenza. A
diagnostic testing results from persons said: ‘Most people there now believe that possibly large subset of influenza-like
who were judged to be asymptomatic or more than 40,000 people died in the city diseases in December 2019 in Hubei
non-symptomatic at the time of testing before and during the lockdown.’10 province that had not been tested for flu
appears to have been a major factor in The numbers derived from urns and and shown to be positive could have
the case of China and the US.8’ cremation rates are obviously crude been Covid-19.
As for the city of Wuhan, a local guesstimates, and should only be • On 10 February 2020, provincial
infectious disease MD who is quoted in considered illustrative. officials privately reported more than
a recent report published in the New On 30 November 2020,CNN released twice as many Covid-19 cases in Hubei
Yorker estimated that: ‘…the actual a long report based on 117 pages of as the government of China publicly
total [who died in the city] could be leaked documents from the Hubei reported on that day for the entire
three to four times higher than the Provincial Centre for Disease Control country.
government's figure…‘ He referred to and Prevention.11 Wuhan is the largest • The average time for a confirmed
the early period of the pandemic, when city in Hubei province, and the diagnosis was 23.3 days, at the same
overwhelmed hospitals turned patients documents had been provided by a time as the test kits used in the first
away. 'If you were infected and not whistleblower. The documents provide week of January 2020 regularly
diagnosed, then you weren't counted,' some but not a very great increase in produced false negatives. The two
he said. 'I think the total is probably specific numbers for Covid-19 mortality factors combined to facilitate spread.
The impact of Covid on the Chinese people, and the heroism of the medical staff, can't be judged until
the true figures come out ©Macau Photo Agency

CBRNeWORLD
The Question of Covid-19 Mortality in China
• The most significant finding in the include people who died at home and information. The absence of such
leaked documents was the evidence of were not entered into Covid-19 adjustments is one of the clearest
an interactive combination of flawed mortality statistics, or people whose indications of a problem with China's
testing, shifting diagnostic criteria, death certificate cites pneumonia or reported statistics, even though the
suppression of information and kidney failure. numbers involved for this reason
confused and contradictory reporting to In the US excess deaths considered would be low.
official agencies. attributable to Covid-19 are estimated Johnson also refers to China’s
An American virologist who to be about 60% on top of the official ‘highly capable bureaucracy’. While
maintains close contact with virologists Covid-19 mortality number. China has Johnson is reviewing Fang Fang’s
in research institutes in China has reported only an implausibly low narrative about events in the city of
estimated that the Chinese government number of Covid-19 deaths in Xinjiang Wuhan he never mentions that the
under-reported deaths by an order of province. The authorities claimed that capable bureaucracy ‘disappeared’ two
magnitude, a factor of 10 to 2012. Of an there had not been a single case of Chinese citizen journalists who were
estimated 66,000 deaths he believes that Covid-19 infection in all of China blogging and sending videos about the
two thirds - that is 40,000 to 46,000 - between 15 August and 11 October. pandemic from inside the city14 and
were in Wuhan and only one third in all The Japanese authorities, however, they are still disappeared to this day.
the rest of China. Epidemiologists reported that 16 Chinese nationals We have also seen the citizen
consider that highly implausible, and at arriving from China at Narita, Haneda journalist Zhang Zhan sentenced to
least one has estimated Covid-19 and Kansai International airports four years imprisonment15. The same
mortality in China as being as high as between 24 August and 23 October capable bureaucracy also forced several
two orders of magnitude (ie 100 times) tested positive for Covid-19. Obviously, Chinese scientists who posted papers
the Chinese government's officially if President Xi states that the Covid-19 about the early medical response in
reported number.13 pandemic has been conquered in Wuhan to retract their publications.16
Also, China has not published any China, local public health authorities Whatever the actual number of
statistics on excess mortality since are not going to start reporting cases. Covid-19 deaths in China, we can be
January 2020, that is the excess number If the Chinese government's officially certain of two things: it is definitely
of deaths over the same time period in reported numbers were real, they not 4,634, and it is likely to be
2019, 2018, or 2017, which would be should change over time as early somewhere between one and two
attributed to Covid-19. These would figures are revised with updated orders of magnitude higher.
2
“How Did China Beat Its Covid Crisis,” New York Review of Books, Vol. 67, No. 17, November 5, 2020, pp. 47-49.
3
COVID-19 Global Tracker, New infections reported by region, https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/.
4
“C.I.A. Seeks to Verify Virus Totals in China, Dismissing Official Tallies” New York Times, April 3, 2020.
5
https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-wuhan-wuh.
6
Knvul Sheikh, Derek Watkins, Jin Wu and Mika Gröndahl, “How Bad Will the Coronavirus Outbreak Get? Here Are 6 Key Factors,” New
York Times, Updated Feb. 28, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/asia/china-coronavirus-contain.html?smid=nytcore-
ios-share.
7
Tsang TK et al, "Effect of changing case definitions for COVID-19 on the epidemic curve and transmission parameters in Mainland China; a
modeling study. "The Lancet Public Health, 2020, 5(5): e289-e296.
8
Joseph P. Dudley, "COVID-19 Transmission Under the Public Health Radar: High Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Young Adults
During Wave 1 of the COVID-19 Pandemic", paper under review in Eurosurveillance.
9
Peter Hessler, " Nine Days in Wuhan, the Ground Zero of the Coronavirus Pandemic", The New Yorker. October 5, 2020.
10
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/wuhan-deaths-03272020182846.html
11
Nick Patton Walsh, “The Wuhan files, leaked documents reveal China’s mishandling of the early stages of Covid-19,” CNN, November 30,
2020. See also, Editorial, "A new report adds to the evidence of a coronavirus coverup in China," The Washington Post, December 6, 2020,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/a-new-report-adds-to-the-evidence-of-a-coronavirus-coverup-in-
china/2020/12/06/81d880f2-366e-11eb-8d38-6aea1adb3839_story.html.
12
Personal communication, April 3, 2020.
13
Personal communication, April 3, 2020.
14
“Coronavirus: Why have two reporters in Wuhan disappeared?,” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51486106.
15
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/world/asia/china-Zhang-Zhan-covid-convicted.html?searchResultPosition=2
16
An entirely different aspect of the global Covid-19 pandemic concerns the question of whether the outbreak was caused by the infection of a
laboratory worker at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the course of using molecular genetic technology to convert the pathogen from one
that infected bats to one that could infect humans. Such research was taking placed at the Institute during 2019. As this question does not
directly impact the question of Covid-19 mortality in China, it has not been discussed in this paper. See, Milton Leitenberg, “Did the SARS-
CoV-2 virus arise from a bat coronavirus research program in a Chinese laboratory? Very possibly,” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 4 June
2020, https://thebulletin.org/2020/06/did-the-sars-cov-2-virus-arise-from-a-bat-coronavirus-research-program-in-a-chinese-laboratory-very-
possibly/. See also, Alina Chan, https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1336487766117527554.html and Moreno Colaiacovo, "The origin of SARS-
CoV-2 is a riddle: meet the Twitter detectives who aim to solve it," https://mygenomix.medium.com/the-origin-of-sars-cov-2-is-a-riddle-meet-
the-twitter-detectives-who-aim-to-solve-it-5050216fd279

Alexeter
Technologies LLC
Commerical Biological Defense Systems
9/28/
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CBRNeWORLD
Gwyn Winfield reviews the recent 5th Iraqi Safety and Security Conference
CBRN Babel
I
t would be hard to find a country chemical and biological guidelines
that’s suffered more from chemical in the Iraqi universities. He’s
weapons over the past 50 years than also a really enthusiastic
Iraq. That encompasses the large scale CBRN head!
use of chemical weapons (CW) during This enthusiasm is
the Iran-Iraq war through to CW use by the reason the
the state (1987 etc) and by terrorist conference exists at
groups (2013 etc). In addition, the wars all. Its early days
with America and its coalition partners saw little
and against Daesh have seen large parts governmental
of the country destroyed and become a support, and even
haven and land of opportunity for less input from
terrorists. While the state is working responders, but
hard to stop this, Iraq is clearly a buyer’s Prof Hussein
market for individuals who are keen to pushed on
get their hands on chemicals for regardless and little
offensive purposes, either as explosives by little he has forged
or as CW. Legislation to regulate the a community. Initially
possession, storage and transportation of this was just scientific
chemicals is still too complicated, the and academic, but each
ruined north still has provincial stores of iteration saw more responder-
chemicals that offer the opportunity for based government departments
be plunder, and then there is whatever realised he was serious and start to
Daesh has buried. There is a lot to do. bring their problems to the event for
Thankfully Iraqis and their some oxygenation and movement head of CBRN Team Development in
international partners are well aware of towards a resolution. Having been Iraq, enumerated them:
the problem. For the past five years the involved with it personally since the • Regional and international conflicts.
International CBRN Safety and Security third iteration, I note the inclusion of • Lack of complete border control.
Conference has brought together, for a concepts greater than lab safety and • Incomplete arms control measures in
three day event, many of the actors security to looking further downstream the hands of the state. Incomplete
involved in fighting Daesh and also in to how the chemicals reach the lab, and regional, international, intelligence and
making the country safe. The event is ensuring safety throughout the supply security coordination measures to
organised by the University of Babylon, chain. A third of this year's presentations combat terrorism.
but its ‘father’ is Professor Falah Hasan (22 out of 66) were directly on chemical • The presence of corruption in
Hussein Al-Khafaji. In truth you’d safety and security, with far more important intersections in society and
struggle to go anywhere CBRN in Iraq touching on it. the state.
without meeting Professor Hussein. He While the event was virtual for the • Major economic crises.
chairs the central committee of CBRN international attendees, for many of the • The lack of seriousness of the
safety and security in Babylon nationals it was a ‘live’ event and so international community in helping
University, and is a member of the there were breakout sessions where Iraq adequately.
ministerial CBRN committee in the these agencies could sit down together • Political conflict between the main
ministry of higher education and and go through the problems they face. entities in Iraq.
scientific research (MOHESR), the As is so often the case at live events,
supreme ministerial CBRN committee, once people realise they are facing a While many tasks still remain, the CBRN
and the supreme committee of CBRN shared problem the egos and politics team were keen to point out that they
programme improvement. Besides that, that could seem insurmountable are had developed preparatory actions in:
he heads the committee for evaluating overcome at a fantastic speed. controls for the transport of hazmat, a
chemical and biological laboratories and Iraq certainly has problems, and in national report on handing CBRN
is a member of committee for unifying the opening address Dr Ali Alyaseree, incidents, a national strategy to confront

CBRNeWORLD
CBRN Babel
WMD, national strategy for chemical

security, training contexts, joint action
between national partners and
encouraging parties to work together.
As you might imagine in a country
facing so many threats a great deal of
effort has been put into responding to
them. This includes the civil defence
force but also the Iraqi army’s CBRN
incident response team. Brigadier
General Delli’s civil defence force has
been in action since 2014 and in that
time has had to respond to the chemical
bombardment of cities such as Taza (See
CBRNe World 2018-06). While its initial
response was rudimentary and depended
on what could be bought commercially
and the responders’ scientific acumen, it
has now grown into a more mature
force. Its duties are the followinge:
survey and detection of CBR incidents,
identification of contaminated areas and
assessment of pollution hazards,
collection of forensic evidence,
command and control of specialist
teams and decontamination and first aid
for affected individuals. The level of
incidents, especially in the north, means
that it is already an all-hazards group,
Professor Falah and Mohammed Al Sharaa, Director INMA, at the 5th Conference
with integrated explosive ordnance © Falah
disposal, law enforcement/forensics and
CBRN skills combined. The national chemical labs they have needed to deal regulations, but the multitude of them.
team works with a wide variety of with have been in the north, mainly Without agreed national controls for
civilian agencies, but is distinct from Nineveh and Al Anbar. The army came regulating hazmat transport it means
the army’s team, whose role is much under fire from a range of chemical that each department might have its
more frontline. munitions from 81mm (3.19in) missiles own rules and regulations, complicating
Colonel Walid Khalid Daham is the up to home-made, one metre long the system and making it hard to
chemical laboratory commander and missiles that could carry a CW payload enforce. Plans for a system that
head of the army staff’s CBRN incidents of up to 8l (1.76 gal). informed security agencies of the type
response team. With CBRN experience Both the civil defence force and the and volume of cargo, along with the
going back to 1994, he has a clear CBRN incident response team have type of vehicle and route had to be
understanding of the threats not only received training, equipment and funds shelved due to security concerns. This
from legacy munitions, but also the from the likes of the Defense Threat was a clear case of why there need to be
dangers of Daesh’s improvised devices. Reduction Agency (DTRA), the local solutions for local problems.
Col Daham’s presentation gave European commission, Interpol and the Trying to impose a western template
fascinating insight into the breadth of Organisation for the Prohibition of onto Iraq will not always work.
incidents the army has had to respond Chemical Weapons (OPCW). While still As Chief Engineer Safa’ Thamer
to, and the weapons that have been fledgling forces compared to Nato Rashm in the ministry of oil pointed out,
turned against it. They provide technical nations, their threat profile is far it wasn’t just the bulk containers of
advice to command and other elements, steeper and they have learned what chemicals that were the problem, it was
identify CBRN weapons, evaluate works the hard way. also empty, or near empty barrels.
outcomes and downwind hazards, One of the problems with the Currently there is no clear path to a safe
provide preliminary laboratory tests on transport of hazardous materials, as and less costly way of dealing with these,
samples and liaise with regional, Brigadier General Mohammed Abdul meaning that they take up a
national and international authorities Rahman, director, security planning phenomenal amount of warehouse
on CBRN incidents. Except for Basra department in the Iraq ministry of space. As is likely with such things,
and Fallujah the vast majority of Daesh interior pointed out, is not a shortage of eventually the barrels leak, or are moved

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CBRNeWORLD
CBRN Babel
Some of the participants at the live event ©Falah

and spill, meaning a threat to life and this was an international conference, followed around the world. This
the environment. The ministry of oil is and in addition to some of the funding represented the experience of everyone
now working with the Iraqi national organisations such as DTRA, the US in the field of prevention and treatment
monitoring authority for non- state department, the European of coronavirus in all countries of the
proliferation and ministry of health and commission etc, countries including world, in order to reach the best
Environment to try and find solutions to Jordan, Georgia, India, Lebanon, Turkey, international protocols.
these issues. Much like the ministry of Afghanistan and Bahrain attended. There “Preparations for the Sixth
interior, the plan is now to try and were also presentations from countries International Conference on Chemical,
remove some of the layers of like Pakistan, Morocco, Lebanon and Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
bureaucracy to make it easier to get Liberia. Dr Hussein explained the vision: Safety and Security have already
approval for chemical storage under the “The Fifth International CBRN Safety begun. We hope that the spectre of
ministry of health and the environment and Security Conference represented a Covid-19 will have gone by then,
as well as import permits and approvals. quantitative and qualitative leap forward allowing us to meet the world’s elites
As you might imagine at any CBRN when compared to its four predecessors. in Baghdad on 6-8 November 2021,
conference in 2020, Covid consumed a Although the conference was held under God Almighty willing.”
large slice of time. While Iraq has not difficult and complicated circumstances, It is also worth noting the excellent
fared as badly as Iran, its neighbour to due to coronavirus, we had 615 work of Shawn Garcia and her team at
the east, its cases per million people are registered delegates representing 21 The Critical Mass, who delivered a
comparable. Again, in a country that countries, in addition to various virtual event in Iraq. The internet can
has been so roughly handled by events international organisations, including be problematic there, and a wealth of
you would expect Iraq to have fared the World Health Organisation, Interpol, technical issues beyond the organisers’
poorly against Covid. The fact that it and national and international security control saw a number of work arounds
has not is down to the work of its figures with great CBRN experience. put into place in short order.
doctors and nurses, and also the civil “Another important point in this Iraq has a wide variety of CBRN
defence teams and other CBRN forces conference was the participation of problems, both legislative and security,
that have been engaged in a major official delegates from all Iraqi and there are no quick fixes. Time will be
public education and disinfection drive ministries, the private sector, the Iraqi a factor in some cases, rotting half filled
for the past nine months. In a silver chemical syndicate and the Iraqi chemical barrels will not magically get
lining to Covid, the pandemic has chemists union. Representation from better, and while we might wish the
supercharged an effort to spread the security ministries was wide, large, ‘supertanker’ of Iraq politics to turn
biological safety and security in Iraq’s and effective and it touched a real desire faster, the fact that it is turning at all is
laboratories. Previously this has been from all sectors involved to advance down to the organising committee at the
spotty, now that there is such an Iraq’s CBRN security. The conference International Safety and Security
emphasis on what can go wrong, and was also distinguished by the inclusion Conference. These problems could
what needs to happen to mitigate an of special sessions on the coronavirus remain ‘someone else’s problem,’ but
outbreak, the MOHESR is convinced pandemic, and over the three day event with Dr Hussein getting all the key
that funding for initiatives and approval there was discussion of the causes of the agencies together to discuss how to solve
for contingency plans will happen. spread of the epidemic, and prevention them for the betterment of the people of
Finally it is worth pointing out that methods and treatment protocols Iraq real progress is being made.

In 2021 we will be launching a series of workshops, they will start off as virtual but hopefully as
Covid stabilises they will become live. These will be targeted to niche areas of CBRNE and provide
an opportunity to talk through lessons learned, best practice and latest technology.
The current topics and dates are:
1. I dream of ANFO – Beirut, West and
Toulouse ammonium nitrate explosions
Of Interest to: Hazmat, military
Date: April 21, 2021
Sponsored by:
2. Future of Syria – What is the likely future

of chemical weapons in Syria
Of Interest to: General CBRN, policy people,
military
Date: May 12, 2021
3. Future of State conflict and CBRN

Of Interest to: military, general CBRN
Date: May 13, 2021
Sponsored by:
4. A rose by any other name… What CBRN

lessons can we take from Covid
Of Interest to: General CBRN heads, policy,
health responders
Date: June 16, 2021
Sponsored by:
5.Future of decon
Of Interest to: decon specialists in EPA etc,
military scientists
Date: June 17, 2021
Sponsored by:
6. It’s worse than that, he’s dead, Jim – mass

fatality events
Of Interest to: law enforcement, fire, EMS,
health specialists
Date: July 14, 2021
Sponsored by:
7. Evidence never lies… – CBRN forensics

Of Interest to: Law enforcement, military,
lab technicians
Date: July 15, 2021
Other dates:
CBRNe Convergence 2021, Rosen Plaza, Orlando, 2-4 November 2021
CBRNe Convergence Canada, Hilton Lac Leamy Ottawa/Gatineau, April 11-13 2022
CBRNe Convergence 2022, Westin Copley, Boston, 2-4 November 2022
More information soon on www.cbrneworld.com

CBRNe
’21 CONVERGENCE
3-5 November 2021
Rosen Plaza Hotel, Orlando, Florida
Platinum Sponsor
Book Soon!
www.cbrneworld.com
14th Annual CBRNe World Congress and Exhibition
Growing Closer, staying distinct: merging civilian and military response to CBRN and IED threats
Zoe Rutherford talks to Edoardo Cavalieri d’Oro about the work of
CBRNeWORLD
Vigili del Fuoco in the USAR and CBRN space, and his work in advancing
the use of drones and IoT.
Flying high
ZR: You are currently working on both since there isn't an international CBRN ZR: You've been working on the design
heavy rescue and CBRN. Do you see organisation equivalent to the of the new CBRN international
these as having complimentary skill International Search and Rescue modules for emergencies. For those
sets? And what knowledge is Advisory Group (INSARAG)? readers who don't know about DG
transferable between the two different ECd'O: With INSARAG, yes. The Italian ECHO or what you're doing, what does
types of incident? USAR Heavy team certified at the end of this mean? How will this be rolled out
ECd'O: What comes to mind first is 2018. In that year and subsequently, we across the whole of Italy, and how do
‘from chaos to order’, which is one of joined [in] a lot to be part of the its tactics, techniques, and procedures
the first rules of urban search and international and INSARAG community. (TTPs) differ from before? What would
rescue (USAR). This means that when There was plenty of knowledge exchange, you recommend to other CBRN forces?
you have a complex situation, or there best practice, even cost savings resulting ECd'O: Every country in Europe has its
are a lot of stakeholders involved, you from these exchanges. But right now, we selected CBRN expert and we all meet
have to quickly apply rules at the site don’t honestly, have the same situation up from time to time to we decide on
where you’ll do your interventions or with the international CBRN what is needed in international
access people. That means setting community. I am one of Italy’s national modules. CBRN is one area where
priorities, making decisions so that at CBRN experts within the EU. So, I'm in Europe has recognised a need for more
some point, the complex system is put with the Civil Protection Mechanism, research, or more effort. Right now, we
in order and you can start rescuing and in that area I have an exchange, but are focused on designing the so-called
people. So management rules from if I go further afield to the US or RescEU Mechanism, which means
USAR are codified and can be used in Australia I have fewer connections. I special CBRN units needed for very high
support of a CBRN event because at the don't have a similar network, because impact, low probability (HILP) events.
beginning you have the same issues, INSARAG is a UN advisory group and The modules Europe already has in terms
like understanding what your priorities therefore worldwide, while the of CBRN units are not enough for a rapid
are. And typically, in that stage of the Directorate General for European Civil answer in the event of a huge scale event,
process, they’re a matter of how to get Protection and Humanitarian Aid whatever the probability of this event is.
in and out of the red zone. Operations (DG ECHO) with the We are designing new units for
Directorate-General for European Civil diagnostics in real time, new decontam-
ZR: In effect the transferable skill is Protection is mainly Europe. ination units, and maybe new stockpile
ensuring everyone's safety? You need
everybody in the USAR situation to get
back as safely as if you would if it was
a biological incident for example?
ECd'O: Yeah, exactly. One of the main
goals is to be sure that your team is
operating under safe conditions and
then everything is going to be effective.
Otherwise, your team could get infected
and you would have a second problem
on top of the one you are trying to solve.
ZR: A number of other agencies have

CBRN within engineers’ units, such as
the Australian military and the
chemical biological incident response
force (CBIRF) in the US marine corps.
Do you have a connection with those The Italian Fire Brigade is one of the leading CBRN agencies in Europe
and how do you share experiences ©Vigili del Fuoco

CBRNeWORLD
Flying high
modules, including the CBRN area. The same rate as happens in other fields. the information I'm looking for (quickly
goal is to write a new rule from time to Innovation of technology (IoT) is moving and securely), an incident command
time, which may include new technology faster than both the CBRN and nuclear system where I see the whole picture.
or new organisational models. energy areas. For me IoT would be the We have to create one standard. One
centre of the revolution for CBRN. of the key features of the CBRN Alexa is
ZR: Can you tell us how the new The idea is that basically sensors being able to access a lot of devices. So
modules are going to differ from now provide opportunities to gather once I design my Alexa, it is the
what's come before, as regards TTPs, detection results remotely. Detection industry that has to connect to my
or are you still writing them? results were on a screen in the hands of incident commander platform system
ECd'O: We are still at the stage of an operative five years ago, now that and not vice versa. We must be able to
ensuring that the rules are there to screen is decoupled from the device and dictate our requirement to the industry,
allow us to develop such possibilities. you can get your results from a to create a protocol of communication
The new response mechanism will distance. This means that the ideal and standards to design the devices.
provide a greater response capacity than evolution in this area is coming by
the current modules in the occasion of creating an IoT system like Alexa. The ZR: Speaking of UAVs, drones actually
complex scenarios, with rapid activation goal is the Alexa of CBRN. The key is played quite a crucial role in the
times and making available resources ensuring that we have standards of Morandi bridge collapse emergency and
that can be added to those arranged by communication that are sufficiently recovery operations. There's been
the national CBRN response system. well thought out so that tomorrow’s significant investment in drones in
CBRN inventions don’t give me 21 Italy for fire and rescue. How do you
ZR: I read a presentation you gave in different screens for receiving see this technology being used and
2019 and at the end you stated that information, because every sensor and what further innovations would make it
coordination and innovation saves lives. every detector has its own laptop. I want more helpful to first responders?
What innovations do you see as essential all the codes converging in a single ECd'O: Well, more than financial efforts,
in the CBRN sphere going forward? machine so that I can merge the big effort was in designing an
Since CBRN is quite conservative in that information and build up my scenario organisation which can manage the
things tend to remain the same for long on one device, while safely away from user view of it. We were the first
periods of time, how do we encourage the red zone. country in Europe, as far as I know, that
change and improvement? The Copernican revolution in this could design a national unit using UAVs.
ECd'O: It is very conservative, but I'm field would allow us to move to IoT and It has to be clear what the role is within
used to that because of my background be sure that the entire industry is the organisation and how it is going to
as a nuclear engineer, and that is an area designing things with the same interface with the the organisation’s
in which things do not change at the protocols so I can have my Alexa and other tasks and scope. The incident
visualise everything from a single device. commander must know that UAVs can
be used and that they can be helpful in
ZR: You've done a lot of work and several different mission spaces. Right
research on the topic of computing now, Morandi bridge was one of those
and the internet of things. What do missions where we were able to use the
you think is needed in this area to UAV while a CBRN mission was still
push the technology we currently use under consideration.
over the edge in order to improve our
response capabilities? ZR: How do you capture other drone
ECd'O: A standard of communication, best practice? Like CBRN there is no
and more flexibility from the industry international drone pilot organisation,
side, so they don’t create protocols making it is difficult to share
which are black boxes we cannot read. If innovation, so how do you capture it?
you build a UAV, for example, with a ECd'O: One of the barriers is that UAV
sensor on it and both the UAV and the regulations differ from country to
sensor are black boxes, closed boxes, country, including the rules for the
that's not what we want. I support the pilot, and rules relating to some key
idea that we can enter the codes for matters, like proximity to airports. What
piloting the UAV and get what that I have done is to look at two of the more
sensor is reading, then put them mature sectors that use drones,
together so that I can have that with specifically oil and gas and agriculture.
possibly another sensor and another UAV missions have been reaching a level
IoT is at the centre of the revolution sensor again. I want to be able to open of maturity with pipeline maintenance
for CBRN ©Vigili del Fuoco data and merge it so that finally I get and leak detection for example, while in

CBRNeWORLD
Flying high
the emergency management sector, they

are still evolving. In the former field,
everything is working very well,
including the use of artificial
intelligence. Similarly, you can detect
biological threats, or insect issues in
agriculture by using a UAV and artificial
intelligence to look at an area. In both
cases there's a market and thus
maturity in the use of devices, and
people are making money with these.
When I look at the public safety and
security sector, where CBRN missions
are the most critical or complex
applications there's no point of
reference. A lot of experiments and The Vigili del Fuoco has been heavily involved in the Covid mission with the
research are going on in America right mobile lab ©Vigili del Fuoco
now, and I've found a big company that security services didn't stop. We were problem of exposure to the traditional
is doing interesting work developing able to track outbreaks within our units, risks we are used to managing, plus the
payloads for CBRN missions. the firehouses, while the virus was biological risk of Covid-19. It was not
propagating, by having results back the easy finding the right compromise
ZR: Thinking of training and learning, same day. The diagnostics gave us the between the PPE that’s used
this year has been difficult for answers within five to 12 hours. traditionally and the PPE you have to
everyone. How has Covid affected the put on top. Which one comes first, and
fire service's response operations and ZR: This year has been busy for you. so on. It’s tricky but it's certainly
training, and do you think the fallout Are you able to tell us about the something that the CBRN world can
from Covid through the past year will chemical risk mapping work you have teach everyone else. This is something
have impacted the services you're able been involved with in Lebanon since that could draw attention to CBRN, it's
to provide? the Beirut port blast? a new opportunity for us because we are
ECd'O: Locally, meaning Milan, the ECd'O: This [was done by] part of our specialists in PPE and good when it
experience has been pretty good, as this national response unit, which is within comes to saying how many metrics of
was the first part of Europe to be the European Civil Protection risk can be faced, what is the right
strangulated by Covid, so by end of Mechanism. Our team was relocated sequence, and procedure. It’s a
February you were looking at Milan from Brussels to Lebanon along with challenge, but also an opportunity for
saying, ‘What's going on there?’ Our specialists from Venice and Rome, this field.
capability came from our knowledge making a 15-person team who went out What the Beirut incident tells us, as
and training in respect of anthrax, the to assess the area, something which is a HILP event, is that such occasions can
one-shot approach - you have the very well coded in the INSARAG USAR provide an opportunity, because I think
threat, take one sample, test it. What we community. They conducted a CBRN it's one of the first times, where a CBRN
had to do in February was to transform assessment, helping the authorities team was asked to intervene as a CBRN
this knowledge for human sampling, locally to be aware of potential risks in team. Lots of explosions, etc, have
which is via the swab. Instead of a one- the area where rescue operations were happened in the past, but there are
shot analysis, it became a pipeline of going on, as well as mapping risk none in which CBRN teams have been
analysis, so basically, we trained around city, geo-locating places that called upon internationally. The last
everybody in the unit to take swabs could pose risk, and giving them time I saw something like that was
from one another right from the start. chemical risk rankings. when members of our team were sent to
My unit was the first, we conducted Fukushima, but it was more nuclear
the sampling and the diagnostics were ZR: What do you see as the biggest specialists going there as an observer.
done by a doctor at a hospital. Because challenge facing CBRN units, now and Both Beirut and Covid can be seen
of our ability to transform our within the next five years? as opportunities for this field. It is
knowledge very rapidly, something that ECd'O: Right now, we must start living calling to the international CBRN
was needed at the time, we were able to with the idea that Covid is not just a community to speed up, because this is
maintain our statutory service. We also civilian problem, it's an emergency the time to put aside the conservatism
provided this service to the police so management problem, dealing with the you referred to at the beginning. It’s
they could continue working safely. This regular risks and adding on the time to ride the wave because it is really
is an example of the resilience we biological risk. Currently every going to be a moment and we are the
developed so that public safety and operation in the world is facing the dual only community with the experience.

MOBILITY, COMFORT
AND PROTECTECTION
IN CBRN ENVIRONMENT
Photo by ©Training Support Activity Europe (Spc. Craig Carter)

French 1st Regiment
equipped with Paul Boyé Technologies
CBRN protective equipment during
the SETC (Strong Europe Tank
Challenge – 07-18) in Grafenwoehr,
Germany.
w w w. p a u l b oye . c o m
CBRNeWORLD Eliot Higgins, Founder of Bellingcat, talks to Gwyn Winfield

about allowing CBRN to come out of the Cold
Higgins people
E
liot Higgins, better known as the of the information he was getting was signal as a military convoy rolls past has
blogger Brown Moses, and not being discussed elsewhere. He came a lot of information geotagged in it, and
probably best known as the to our attention when he was able to the licence plates of the vehicles can be
founder and executive director of show the movement of Croatian tracked back by people with a will.
Bellingcat, has shown what can be done munitions into Syria using only open Higgins had that will, and with the
with a little initial knowledge and a source intelligence (OSINT or OS). The Syrian chemical attacks everybody
laptop. In 2012, when he had time on things people take photos of these days suddenly became very interested in
his hands, he started covering the are a testament to our times. That what had been a niche hobby (see his
conflict in Syria and realised that a lot photo of you making a ‘rock on’ hand article in CBRNe World 2013-5).
Despite some great work on Ghouta, Elliot Higgins has really come to attention with his Novichok work ©CBRNe World

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CBRNeWORLD
Higgins people
Suddenly he was at the forefront of governments want to get involved. investigative body.”
information gathering and being able to Obama’s red line was CW use, but that Many of the skills that Bellingcat has
prove or disprove claims based on turned out to be false.” developed have come too late for Syria,
information that was placed in the Perhaps it is the impact of work he should it ever get to a criminal court or
public domain by citizen journalists or has done on things like MH17 that the security council, which seems
the curious. drives him. Many journalists’ stories unlikely. But this capability will have a
From there he started Bellingcat in only generate a raised eyebrow, and lasting impact - to a lesser extent for the
2014, and managed to land another while charities like Human Rights Salisbury poisoning, but to a greater
whale of a story. In July 2014 he set his Watch often get discussed in senior extent for Tomsk. Yet it isn’t just
sights on trying to uncover exactly what circles… little gets done. Bellingcat Higgins’ team that is working on these.
happened to Malaysia Airlines’ flight 17 goes for projects that end in attribution Intelligence communities throughout
(MH17), which was shot down over – this unit, did this to these people. That the world will also be poring over their
eastern Ukraine. While there has been kind of attention to detail can end up sources trying to come up with answers.
no sentencing, his investigation being used in prosecutions, as we are Having a ‘freelancer’ working on
uncovered systematic cover ups by the seeing in the Berlin Tiergarten these might not be popular. Not only is
Russian government, and despite assassinations (https://www.bellingcat there the chance that he will come up
criticism from other analysts his .com/news/uk-and-europe/2020/08/29/ with information they don’t have, but
account of the incident was verified by suspected-accomplice-in-berlin- putting information into the public
the Dutch government. Fast forward to tiergarten-murder-identified-as-fsb- domain may incite a change in ‘red
March 2018 when his investigation and vympel-officer/). force’ tactics that takes longer to
CBRN coincided again, as his work on Eliot Higgins agreed that this was a discover. On the other hand these are
the assassins sent to kill Sergei Skripal driver, but so is getting a greater cash strapped agencies. Having extra
hit the headlines. Fast forward once understanding of his tools out where it information can help, and can also spur
more to October 2020, and he managed matters. “It is about taking it beyond on their superiors to increase budgets!
to find the units and individuals arguments on the internet, which is Eliot Higgins said he had yet to find
suspected of being involved in the what it usually descends into, and out whether he had been struck off
attempted assassination of Alexander becomes how can you use OSINT with anyone’s Christmas card list. “We don’t
Navalny (highly recommended — - the International Criminal Court (ICC)? hear anything directly, but we learn
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk- The ICC has done a lot of work with OS from people that have. In some cases,
and-europe/2020/10/23/russias- and we have spoken to them, but they like the Berlin bicycle assassination case,
clandestine-chemical-weapons- are a big organisation and it takes a we see a lot of the information we had
programme-and-the-grus-unit-21955/). while for ideas to propagate. It’s wasn’t delivered to the investigators by
Bellingcat now does a wide variety of happening. You have bodies like the UN the German intelligence services. Now it
investigative work, covering riots in International, Impartial and has come to court our work has been
Portland to election tampering in West Independent Mechanism (IIIM much cited. Sometimes we can do
Papua… yet Higgins still seems to come https://iiim.un.org) on Syria. They are things that they can’t. For example,
back to CBRN. He explained why: “It was doing a good job by recognising that access to phone records in Russia is
so clear that it was wrong to use online video as a source of information provided as a service, Russia sells
chemical weapons (CW), and I thought plays a big part in understanding the everything, including stuff the public
the world understood that chemical conflict and building a case in which shouldn’t be seeing! I don’t know why
weapon use is unacceptable! Writing they can identify what happened; not the intelligence service doesn’t get it,
about it I could see how much of it was just at an incident but a broader especially when it is a few hundred quid.
being overlooked. The Global Public understanding of the conflict. We’ve had feedback saying that they are
Policy Institute study (GPPi See CBRNe “I thought that the ICC and other happy these people get exposed, as it
World 2020-04) looked at over 300 CW bodies would already be doing it, but makes it harder for them to operate. The
attacks, yet the public understanding of they don’t as it is so new. We are now two Skripal suspects have been sent to
CW use is based on a tiny fraction of refining our investigative processes and work in awful diplomatic posts as they
those attacks. Even those deniers of turning them into something that is aren’t any use as spies any more. It’s not
Syrian CW use, like Ted Postol, will only more usable for those stakeholders. If like Russia has thousands of these
talk about three or four attacks. This we do a piece of research now it is good people, so when you expose them it
lack of understanding goes right up to enough to hand over to them without impacts the way they operate.”
the policy makers who are supposed to having to rewrite or reinvestigate stuff. In good news for the CBRN
make decisions on this. Indiscriminate Social media companies are cracking community, but bad news for agents
attacks happen in a lot of conflicts, and down on the videos that make up using CW for assassinations, Bellingcat
they are wrong, but it doesn’t stop these investigations, they disappear is getting its teeth stuck into our area.
people doing it and so it becomes after a while, and it can take years for The ability to purchase phone and
‘acceptable’ to a point where these things to be used by an passport information now means that

CBRNeWORLD
Higgins people
they can start to look at when victim hasn’t fallen off a balcony was a Russian stuff. We will also be producing
individuals of interest travel to other nerve agent used? We have terabytes of a podcast on Unit 29155, the unit linked
countries and whether something Russian data and by examining it we can to the Salisbury and Gebrev poisonings,
untoward happened. find fake identities, discover Russian which will be out some time next year. I
“The stuff with Russia is ongoing and agents and dig into what they did and can’t give away too much, but we are
the arc of that is the active Russian CW where they were on certain days. That is continuing investigations into Russia’s
programme. For all we know there something we will look into in 2021. We use of Novichoks and hopefully will have
might have been dozens of these are also setting up a production some information out in a few weeks.”
assassinations that didn’t get coverage company, so that we can make TV and [He was good as his word! https://www.
and there is more to investigate. In some film documentaries. One of those will bellingcat.com/resources/2020/12/14/
suspicious deaths in Russia where the include things to do with CW, like the navalny-fsb-methodology/ Ed.].
Eliot's work on Syria is unlikely to make it to court, but recently a lot more of his research is being cited in court papers ©Bellingcat

CBRNeWORLD
Gwyn Winfield reviews Bitesize Boston
Going to need
a bigger boat
W
ell, it has certainly been a
year. In February 2020 the
Convergence team was in
Boston, setting up our annual event.
We were pleased to meet up with the
local agencies that were going to
support us, Freddy Lorenz, Brian Tully,
Mike Kates and Dennis Coston from
Boston Fire, Jerry Harrigan from
Boston Police and Dave Di Gregorio
from MA Department of Fire Services.
We were content that Fenway Park
would work for the demo, and started
to block out the scenario. We also
drove out to Burlington to see the
Kostas Research Institute and its
drone facility and decided that would
fit the bill. In short, we were ready for
our most ambitious Convergence ever,
with two workshops, a drone
‘Olympics’, two days of conference and
exhibition, a live demo at Fenway Park
and then a drinks reception at
McGreevy’s (and if we were lucky a
special guest appearance).
We had been tracking Covid-19
since late December, but even in
March we were pretty sure, like almost
everyone, that it would be yet another
near miss. In all honesty it was the
same until June, we felt that there was
no way the restrictions could continue.
Our barometer was Donald Trump.
While he was still having large
gatherings, and finding a way to do it,
then we would be able to tack to his
wind and find safe harbour before the
winter wave of Covid. But when Trump
cancelled the Alabama rally in June we organisers who were forced to go too easy to allow work to intrude, and
realised that plans must be made. virtual earlier in the year. Our secondly I don’t believe concentration
By then we had been involved in a experience was that it is next to works that way – even the most
lot of virtual events as delegates, so we impossible to listen to an eight hour hardened gamer needs to unplug for a
had an advantage over those event event on your desktop. For a start it is while! Equally it would be difficult to

CBRNeWORLD
keep delegates going around the and the feedback was
exhibition, since there was no driver to amazing. 96% of
go there, and it would be too easy to delegates rated the
slip into the land of work and then event excellent (59%)
jump back into the sessions. But, on or good (37%), 96%
the positive side, it was great to be thought the
able to invite some speakers who presentations were
would usually be too expensive to fly excellent or good and
over to a live event. 85% thought it was
We needed to split the day into two better or much better
parts, an early morning session and a than competitors’
late afternoon session, which would events. Over 900 people
Thanks to Mike Armistead and Ronnie Bowman for singing
give delegates to space to get on with registered for Bitesize us out of the wrap party!
their work. We also wanted to ‘gamify’ Boston, and 617 vetted
the event, so those delegates that individuals (to weed out the bots) there is a chance for new things even
engaged with the exhibitors and attended the event. for people who attended the event. By
listened to the presentations would get The feedback has been so positive the time you read this you’ll be able to
unique swag, rather than free passes to that next year we will have a Live go to www.cbrneworld.com and learn
future events. Convergence as normal, and follow on more!
After much looking, we found the with Bitesize Orlando the week after. Finally thanks to all our friends in
Engagez platform that allows all of This will have all the presentations we Massachusetts who worked so hard for
these features and was easy to use both have been cleared to release as us, to all the sponsors and exhibitors
for administrators and delegates. Even prerecorded ‘simu-live’ and those that kept their faith in us, and to the
though it was long days for the UK presenters who declined that chance Falcon team (including guest star
office, the event was a great success, will be replaced with new speakers: so Juuso Kilpi) for doing a great job.
CBRNeWORLD Colonel Ron Fizer* (retd) on how military CBRN

and public health expertise should get closer
Mitigating CBRN and Infectious

Disease Threats to the Force:
accomplishing the mission
CBRN events over the past several years naturally occurring disease can have far When combined with the limited
have established that such threats are a reaching medical and economic impacts effectiveness of nonproliferation
problem right now. Those events serve and affect military readiness. The effects agreements all this points to increased
as tangible and stark reminders that of these pandemics mirror those that CBRN threats and the need to be better
CBRN weapons are not relics from the could arise from biological warfare prepared. The threats are real, and the
cold war. They also demonstrate that attacks. State actors continue to pursue intersection of CBRN warfare and force
whether naturally occurring or human- nuclear weapons acquisition or seek to health protection against epidemics and
made, they are not science fiction. In modernise and expand arsenals and pandemics is significant, while the
2011 we saw how a tsunami impacted delivery systems. All of this is occurring likelihood of future catastrophic events
Japan and caused a massive nuclear at a time of increased global integration is increasing. Although the impacts of
reactor meltdown at the Fukushima and significant advances in scientific these events on military readiness and
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant that spread methods and technologies, including operational effectiveness are the same,
radiological particles around the globe. genetic sequencing and synthetic planning and responding to CBRN and
Traditional and novel chemical weapons biology, artificial intelligence, adaptive force health protection threats have
have been used in assassination attempts manufacturing, and increased traditionally been separated. Similarities
and on the battlefield by state and non- connectivity, resulting in a continuing between the two are rarely accounted for
state actors. Global and regional and increasing challenge to preserve in planning or exercises to evaluate
pandemics demonstrate how quickly military readiness. readiness. Most recently, our response to
The intersection of CBRN warfare and force health protection against epidemics needs to be paved with more than good intentions
©DoD

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CBRNeWORLD Mitigating CBRN and Infectious Disease

Threats to the Force: accomplishing the mission
"When you wince we know it has gone in far enough..." Covid 19 has shown the impact on the military of EID ©DoD
Covid-19 in terms of maintaining limited resources is challenging, yet This understanding requires updates on
military readiness, responding to past challenges provide lessons that are the operational environment that
requests for military support for still applicable today. The Louisiana include analysing all information
domestic operations, and continuing Manoeuvres demonstrated that training available from open source to the
global military operations, brings a new to modern battlefield demands, even highest classification levels. These
opportunity for improving our ability to when lacking the necessary equipment updates must answer the hard questions
address these threats. to replicate those operations, can be about the threats. Instead of asking
It is time to stop underestimating successful. Another lesson was learnt whether the threats are credible, the
the threat, downplaying the more recently when military questioning needs to be about the
consequences, and saying it is too hard organisations faced potential WMD impact of the threat on our plans and
to incorporate CBRN conditions into usage during the Gulf war. The surge operations. Enemy intent is very hard to
training. While some strides are being in training needed to prepare to face forecast, and predicting naturally
made at the unit level, senior military these threats can be done again, with occurring infectious diseases is even
leaders must emphasise the importance three critical components required to harder, however, the ability to respond to
of training to fight and win in all CBRN ensure success. These components are these threats can be improved. One key
environments. An added benefit is that senior leaders’ commitment, staff component is senior leaders’
training under CBRN conditions can planners’ innovation, and integration understanding the threat and directing
increase readiness and resilience in the of mission demands. the appropriate planning and exercises.
face of another global pandemic or a First, senior leaders must commit to Second, building on senior leader
chemical or nuclear disaster. understanding the CBRN and force guidance, staff planners must incorporate
Designing and conducting CBRN health protection threats to the same the relevant conditions into operational
training in an era of increased mission extent that they understand kinetic, plans to account for the use of CBRN or
responsibilities, expanding threats, and cyber, and other asymmetric threats. outbreaks of naturally occurring diseases.

CBRNeWORLD Mitigating CBRN and Infectious Disease

Threats to the Force: accomplishing the mission
In fact, the more innovative the groups and boards can also develop the operational environment. The
planners are, the more likely it is that relevant scenarios to be incorporated solution begins with working together to
much in the plans to address these into exercises to assess the plan, or develop effective plans that account for
threats will be complementary. support subordinate units in executing those hazards and incorporating those
In conjunction with innovative training events that address the conditions into training and exercises
planning, exercises focused on particular threat conditions. This will that evaluate our readiness. Only then
evaluating plans and readiness must build a cohesive team that is able to can we know if we are ready for the next
incorporate CBRN or force health respond more effectively during any event and that we have identified the key
protection requirements and events. crisis. It also creates the synergy and capabilities that need investment to
This will test the plan and whether or understanding that the command will achieve the necessary readiness.
not it can be executed under the need to develop responses that What is next? Implementing these
conditions and challenges these threats ultimately accomplish the mission and recommendations focuses on increasing
would create. It is common to avoid don’t merely mitigate a problem (decon, military readiness and resilience, but it
exercising portions of plans that address medical treatment, etc). does not fully address the challenges of
CBRN because they may shut down an Moving forward, we can build upon mitigating CBRN and infectious disease
exercise. This is where innovation is the strategic guidance to counter CBRN threats to national security. The military
crucial. It can include exercising discrete threats and lessons learned from the must work more effectively as part of a
portions during standalone mini response to Covid-19. Many senior government response to these threats,
exercises or incorporating those mini military leaders emphasise the as they are likely to also require a public
exercises into major exercises. This importance of increasing our ability to health response. The military is not the
provides focused opportunities to survive and operate in CBRN lead for public health responses,
capture the effects of specific variables environments. Now is the time to however, it can provide key enablers to
on plans, operations, logistics, medical translate guidance into action and not the departments, agencies and
support and other functions. The lose sight of the opportunities to ministries responsible for protecting
outcomes can complement the lessons increase our resilience against both and restoring public health and
learned from other major exercises. CBRN and force health protection economic stability.
When combined, they can afford insight threats through efficient and effective
into the organisation’s readiness to face planning, exercises and training. *Colonel Ron Fizer (retd) is a fellow at
these threats, inform plan revisions, and We have the opportunity to deliver LMI. He applies his technical and
provide a foundation for future exercises. an 80% solution on time instead of a analytical expertise to solving complex
Effective staff planning and exercising 100% solution too late. The challenge is problems related to countering WMD
will help identify and mitigate the risk to ensuring our military can operate and CBRN defence. Before joining LMI,
the force and mission, but these efforts effectively and accomplish any assigned he spent 30 years in the US army, in
cannot be stovepiped. mission in the face of CBRN hazards, various command, staff, and leadership
A third step is to integrate staff regardless of whether they are used as roles across the army, joint staff, and
expertise into combined efforts and battlefield weapons or occur naturally in secretary of defence staff.
achieve synergy and efficiency. We need
to stop treating CBRN as a staff expert’s
problem and infectious diseases as the
surgeon’s problem. These potentially
catastrophic events require an
integrated staff approach. Responding to
an unmanned aircraft systems threat is
not just the air defender’s problem - it is
the entire staff’s problem. Similarly,
CBRN and infectious disease threats
require a team approach, involving all
the staff functions, including
intelligence, medical, CBRN, logistics,
personnel and operations.
A good first step is formally
establishing working groups or a staff
planning board that involves all these
disciplines and meets regularly.
Planning solutions can then be delivered
to account for these threats in the
context of the overall mission. The He ain't heavy, he's my EID brother ©DoD

Saving one - protecting everyone
Not been cleared for marketing by the FDA
TheEpiShuttle
The EpiShuttleisisananimportant
important part
part of of a comprehensive
a comprehensive Ebola response
Covid-19 response
As international
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personnel over thework
worldtirelessly to combat
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the ongoing pandemic,inEpiGuard
the eastern
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IRWYVIWEJIMWSPEXMSRERHXVERWTSVXEXMSRSJ)FSPETEXMIRXW(IZIPSTIHWTIGMƼGEPP]FEWIHSRI\TIVMIRGIJVSQTEXMIRX
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Copyright © 2019
Copyright © 2020EpiGuard
EpiGuardASAS | Design
| Design protected
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pending
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CBRNe World August Ad.indd 1 07/08/2020 08:49:13

CBRNeWORLD
Michael Cashman senior trainer at Federal Resources and
Melissa O’Meara, forensic science consultant on sampling and evidence
collection in the explosive environment
Ever so sensitive
I
t is Friday afternoon, time to head some sampling techniques. First and have finished explosive products along
home after a long week. But your foremost, the safety and security of with intermediate products present.
phone rings about a possible everyone involved is always the priority, Another scenario is the post blast
clandestine drug laboratory. You gather including rendering first aid to any analysis of an explosive crime scene
the team and head out to the site. Once victims that may need it. This also where a majority of the evidence will be
there, upon initial assessment, you see involves training and working with trace analysis. In these situations,
typical clan lab glassware. You state, local and federal bomb squads. It processing the crime scene is a
immediately know there's a poly-drug is important that if an actual or community effort, where canine
operation going on. suspected explosive material/device is assistance, bomb technicians, the
But…do you? observed in a location, investigators accident reconstruction team, and a
Further assessment reveals that yes, back out until the scene is deemed safe forensic scientist could all be deployed
it is a poly-drug lab. But as you continue, by bomb squad experts. Remember, to process depending on its severity.
you notice numerous empty hydrogen explosive materials can resemble Because the majority of evidence is
peroxide containers and see distillation finished product narcotics, and they are trace, in these scenarios, video, photos,
glassware. You then realise that you have extremely sensitive to outside stimuli and documentation are of the utmost
an illegal poly lab set up. Does this such as heat, shock, friction and importance. As stated in our previous
happen? Yes, absolutely it does. This was electrostatic discharge. Once during a article, if it’s not written down and
one of my calls, and it can happen to training exercise about a possible documented, it doesn’t exist.
you. It turned out to be a PCP, explosion at a subway station, our bomb Technology can be extremely useful
methamphetamine, Siegfried method squad performed a sweep, and low and in a post blast scene, where the distance
fentanyl, illegal poly-drug lab along with behold, found an old, undetonated pipe of each fragmented piece of the
a triacetone triperoxide or a TATP bomb at the site we were training at explosive device can be measured from
explosive manufacturing operation. [That’s what I call training! Ed.] points of reference like a wall, ceiling,
We have standard operating The use of canines is one of the or if outdoors, a tree. These
procedures (SOPs) on how to identify, quickest ways to determine the presence measurements can then be put into a
render safe and process illegal drug of explosives or explosive residue, computer. The images created can
operations but what about a TATP or however, the role of the canine will not replicate the post blast crime scene for a
explosive laboratory? Do we submit all be covered in this article. It should also jury and sometimes assist in
liquids or chemicals to a state or federal be noted that we are not covering the determining the origin of the blast. This
crime lab for analysis? Can this create exploitation of an overseas military is particularly helpful if hundreds of
problems? Recently a law enforcement improvised explosive device (IED) fragmented pieces of a post blast device
agency submitted liquids seized from a manufacturing lab. are collected, and of those pieces, which
drug laboratory to a state crime ones were analysed for the presence of
laboratory for analysis, and due to a Sampling techniques trace powder. Remember, due to the
backlog of cases it took months to get Many of the available techniques are intense heat of a blast, or a fire that
the samples analysed. So, while similar to those utilised for drug occurred afterwards, identifying a
awaiting analysis at the crime lab, the sampling, such as immunoassay, possible powder can be a challenge.
liquid sample crystallised into a shock colorimetric, Raman/Fourier transform This is where a canine can be a
sensitive homemade explosive (HME). infrared (FTIR) technology and gas valuable asset for investigators in
This resulted in the evacuation of the chromatography/mass spectrometry narrowing down the number of samples
crime lab, and a major update in (GC/MS), but with a few key differences that the crime laboratory will have to
evidence submission procedures. How in how the technology is applied. analyse to identify and confirm which
did this occur? The first investigators Before we dive too deeply into that, explosive was involved. In addition, field
on the scene missed important clues we need to recognise some important detection kits can also aid in identifying
and did not think of calling hazmat or points regarding sampling techniques. explosives at the post blast scene. As
bomb techs. The first concerns HMEs. In mentioned above, they are similar to
These are just two examples of real manufacturing HMEs, there can be those used in the drug world,
world scenarios that involved explosives different types of precursors, reagents immunoassay, colorimetric, FTIR/Raman
at the crime scene. There are many (acids and/or bases), solvents, etc, that and GC/MS or standalone MS.
others, and we will break down a few in are necessary for production. In Sometimes the old school methods
this article along with discussion of addition to these chemicals, we can of pH paper, KI paper, and Draeger

CBRNeWORLD
tubes can help identify whether indicates which category of chemicals colorimetric analysis, as are GC/MS and
something is a bomb or a drug lab. In are contained in the explosives, for GC-Ionscan. They are commonly used
responding to both types of cases, I have instance nitrates, chlorates and in crime laboratories but can be applied
been assisted by bomb techs in hydrogen peroxide, to name a few. Some in the field as portable instruments. The
identifying these scenes as one-pot detection kits involve wet chemistry, technology has advanced so that the
meth labs. But in one instance we had where many of the reagents and science of Raman and FTIR can be
an explosion, and there were booby chemicals used are liquid and may need contained in a single portable
traps at another. Simple pH paper can to be prepared beforehand, while other instrument, because both rely on the
go a long way in determining whether detection kits rely on dry chemistry scientific structure of a compound to
liquids are strong acids or bases, as where liquids are not used. Unlike drug produce a ‘structural fingerprint’.The
many of the current sampling methods colorimetric analysis where different major advantage of this technology is
and technology will not pick that up, kits may be necessary for different that the sample can be analysed
and can also degrade and harm your drugs, like cocaine and methamphet- through packaging and vials as long as
field instrumentation. amine, typically only one kit is needed they are clear.
Bomb techs will also conduct burn for explosive detection. Currently some Users need to be aware that during
tests as a method of confirming or colorimetric test kits allow for a ‘swipe’ Raman analysis, heat can be generated
denying the presence of explosive of the sample, sometimes taken on the by the laser and can react with dark
materials. Energetic or explosive outer packaging so the sample does not substances such as gunpowder in pipe
materials will react violently to the need to be removed from the packaging. bombs, so safety protocols should be
introduction of a thermal stimulus, As with immunoassay, results are followed since the suspected material
either by rapidly burning or detonation. available in minutes. Detection may be an explosive. Even dark
Very small samples are tested away from equipment such as a DetectaChem substances such as coffee grounds have
the bulk product as a safety precaution, SeekerE can analyse surfaces that exhibited smoke when exposed to the
and this required proper PPE usage. contain trace amounts of explosive laser during analysis. FTIR analysis is
While this field test does not identify the material, which can be very effective ideal for various coloured substances,
specific type of explosive material, it when processing scenes. which include many different types of
does provide the investigative team with Raman and FTIR are relatively new explosive powders. FTIR will not
further knowledge regarding the type of types of analytical instrumentation for generate heat like the Raman, but
laboratory present. field use compared to immunoassay and contact between sample and the
So, let’s break down the current
scientific technology for sampling
techniques.
As with drug detection kits,
immunoassay utilises antibodies that
target specific substances. For
explosives, it is more specific to the
explosive, such as TNT or RDX, whereas
colorimetric (see the next paragraph) is
specific to the class of explosive, for
example nitrates. Because of this,
multiple kits may be necessary for
different types of explosives and some
cross reactivity may occur. The results
are obtained in a matter of minutes, and
some kits can reveal a concentration
range which can be useful. Certain kits
may require a dilution, so extra work
may be involved, but they have been
around for many years, contributing to
their reliability.
Another detection kit utilises
colorimetric analysis, which is typically
less sensitive than immunoassay. There
are a variety of types of colorimetric
kits, but all use colour change for
screening. When using a colorimetric
explosive kit, the change of colour TATP seized at the poly lab ©Cashman

CBRNeWORLD
Ever so sensitive
instrument is necessary, so again, safety deemed too dangerous, it might have to scene in situ for presentation as
measures must be followed especially be destroyed. It should be noted if evidence in court. If anything has been
when analysing pressure sensitive military grade explosives such as an AT4 moved for safety reasons, this should be
compounds. As mentioned above, antitank rocket, M72 LAAW, military documented for court discovery reasons.
regarding explosive stimuli, impact and hand grenades or other types of Teams should work to identify all
friction will cause high explosives such explosives are observed during a search. finished product, ongoing reactions and
as TATP and HMTD to detonate, so In such cases the operation should stop, intermediate product. After this is
always test the smallest samples all parties should exit the location, and completed, samples should be safely
possible, away from the bulk material. bomb techs called to render the scene removed and sent to a crime lab for
Even newer scientific technology safe. analysis and safe keeping. All chemicals
encompasses various gas Sampling techniques will vary from at the scene, such as reagents and
chromatography (GC) paired with either location to location according to the solvents, should be identified and
mass spectroscopy (MS) or ion mobility type of explosive, and the size and documented. As with traditional
spectrometry (IMS), or just standalone location of the crime scene. The 2020 clandestine drug laboratories, it is not
MS or IMS instruments with no GC. All Christmas day explosion of an necessary to submit a whole large
these instruments are now portable for HME/propane bomb in a recreational container of reagent or solvents to the
use in the field, and like Raman and vehicle in Nashville, Tennessee shows crime lab for analysis. The smallest
FTIR, rely on the structure of the how complex a crime scene can be, or it representative sample necessary for
compound for analysis, creating another can be as simple as a mailbox. analysis can be taken. A sample can be
type of unique ‘fingerprint’ of the For the purpose of this article, we numbered, photographed with its
fragmentation of a particular are breaking this down into two types of original container and submitted to the
compound. In the crime laboratory, responses: explosive lab response and crime lab, although this may not hold
GC/MS and GC-IMS are typically used post blast response true for any final or intermediate
for confirmation of compounds and For safety reasons all sampling product that is identified. A discussion
substances, whereas in the field they are should be done under the direction of a with the prosecutor and others involved
screening tools. One downside of forensic scientist, bomb tech member should take place if there is a substantial
standalone MS or IMS instrumentation and/or a hazmat specialist who has been amount of explosive, which could lead to
is that it cannot detect mixtures of trained in the proper safety techniques a more dangerous situation if
explosives, but when coupled with a GC, of sampling. transported or stored incorrectly while
separation of the mixtures can occur awaiting analysis. With a drug lab, any
and individual compounds can be Explosive lab sampling remaining chemicals at the scene would
detected. These instruments are First and foremost, assessments must be be properly removed by a hazardous
excellent for trace analysis due to the conducted by qualified individuals and waste response company and put into
sensitivity of the MS and IMS. They do deemed safe. If there is any possibility of the treatment, storage and disposal
involve some sample preparation and explosives being present, or an explosive pipeline. At an explosive laboratory, the
require portable gas if a GC is involved, lab, the assessment should be conducted remaining chemicals might need to be
but when used properly worthwhile solely by bomb technicians. This should counter charged or burned to safety to
results can be achieved. include a check for explosives, booby remediate the location. When the
Hazmat teams or criminal traps, radiological hazards and unstable evidence collection is complete, items
investigators can come upon many reactions, and air monitoring that are deemed safe to remove should
different types of explosives while equipment should be used to check for be taken away by a licensed hazardous
performing their duties. These can explosive atmospheres (LELs – lower waste contractor, but all items removed
range from simple acid bombs that explosive limits). If the atmosphere is should be documented.
misguided youths might use to destroy deemed safe for processing, the scene
a neighbour’s mailbox, to military grade should be assessed methodically by a Post blast response
explosives diverted for use in improvised multi-jurisdictional multidisciplinary When responding to a post blast scene,
explosive devices (IEDs). The one thing team. The members should include a and we can’t reiterate this enough, the
all these items have in common is that law enforcement officer, and a bomb health and safety of victims and
they can hurt or kill. squad member for chain of custody investigators comes first and foremost.
The most important aspect of an issues, along with a hazmat specialist Sometimes the scene can be chaotic to
explosive lab response and investigation and forensic scientist. If this is not begin with, especially if it is large and
is safety. Unlike a narcotic or clan lab feasible, the assessment team should multiple victims are involved, but bomb
call out, the purpose of an illegal train in the hazards associated with an technicians should perform a sweep, if
explosive lab is to create something that explosive lab. at all possible, to determine if there are
will cause catastrophic destruction. Knowing that an investigation may multiple devices. Care must also be
Once bomb technicians have made an be prosecuted in court, investigators taken if the IED contained components
assessment, and the lab location is should obtain photos and video of the such as nails or tacks.

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Ever so sensitive
Once the victims have been tended and an explosive lab for a single suspect 1. Minimise the size of the sample to
to and the scene can be processed, and/or incident. Bulk explosives also be tested.
various factors must be considered. If could still be present when a device low- 2. Collect the sample at the location
the site is outdoors, there’s the weather, orders, or the post blast scene could and move it to a safe place. Conduct the
is rain or snow coming? Will additional also be the HME lab that went awry. As testing at the safe location.
equipment be needed to provide light not all of the explosive materials are 3. Do not use Raman technology on
and heat for the investigators, day or fully consumed, depending on the items which can cause a reaction that
night? Is it is safe for an explosive quality used in the device or location of can lead to a fire and/or an explosion,
canine to provide assistance - if there any excess material, they will continue these include dark substances and items
are tacks, nails and broken glass around, to present a significant hazard to containing a mixture of dark and light
then maybe not. As always, the scene investigators at the post blast scene. substances.
should be videoed and photographed If either type of scene, whether post 4. Do not use FTIR on a sample where
before any evidence is retrieved. blast or explosive lab, contains there is a chance of igniting a pressure
Numbered placards or crime scene equipment for manufacturing explosives sensitive chemical.
markers can be extremely useful in and yet none is present and or visible,
identifying fragments and evidence for the investigator should be seeking trace Evidence packaging at explosive scenes
documentation. As mentioned earlier, at evidence by conducting trace sampling is extremely important. Various
one particular scene involving a pipe analysis if the crime scene warrants it. packaging materials are available
bomb, a member of the accident including plastic and paper evidence
reconstruction team utilised computer Trace sampling bags, and metal evidence cans. Different
software to document each piece of Many different types of equipment can situations warrant different types of
evidence in its exact location (floor, be used to conduct trace and bulk packaging, and this is particularly
walls, ceiling) and to scale. This re- analysis. Investigators should use what relevant for explosive and arson
created the crime scene for investigators they are comfortable with and follow evidence. If an accelerant was used (like
and prosecutors, and made a great their standard operating procedures. If gasoline in a Molotov cocktail), a metal
visual aid for the jury. an agency does not have bulk or trace evidence can should be selected. There
Little in the way of explosive testing equipment, it should be able to may be occasions when DNA on specific
material or fuses may remain in many access some through the mutual aid pieces of evidence such as clothing or
post blast scenes, but some may be programme and its people should train rags is requested, however that
present in trace amounts depending on with the equipment to learn its evidence may contain an accelerant, so,
the nature (amount of heat dispersed) capabilities and limitations. if a metal can is used, and stored over
and severity of the blast. Detection time, the packaging may limit the
equipment can be used on these Bulk testing chances of obtaining DNA. This is
remains, as long as it is safe to do so. At an explosive laboratory, the where it is important to follow any
This may include swabbing a fragment manufacture of the explosive product, SOPs for evidence packaging and seek
or sampling the determined area of for instance a binary explosive, can be assistance from a forensic scientist as
detonation. Of course, if there are as simple as mixing ammonium nitrate necessary. If different types of analysis
hundreds of fragments that need to be (fertiliser) and fuel oil, two commonly are required (like obtaining DNA and
collected, a representative amount can used substances. Alternatively, it can be explosive trace residue from the same
be used for sampling at the scene due to as complicated as manufacturing a piece of evidence), everyone involved
time restraints or other considerations. sophisticated explosive such as should discuss the matter as it may not
Evidence collection at a post blast scene azidoazide azide, considered to be one be possible to analyse for one type of
requires a team approach, with a bomb of the world’s most dangerous test (eg DNA) while analysing for the
technician, canine handler, forensic explosives. Either way, bulk material is other type of test (eg explosive residue
scientist and/or accident reconstruction needed. When the items are seized, or accelerants). It’s not impossible, just
team member (or equivalent), but a whether they are precursors, that a discussion is necessary before the
team leader should be managing and intermediate products, reagents forensic scientist(s) begin their analysis
guiding the work. oxidisers, metals or other chemicals, at the crime laboratory.
Some scenes are simple and just investigators should rely on the Above all, the safety of all involved is
require a few hours for gathering small expertise of bomb techs or forensic paramount in any explosive scene, lab
amounts of pieces, while others can take scientists specialising in explosives to or post blast incident All necessary PPE
days to process. The key to any evidence direct the sampling and how much should be utilised to protect the health
collected is to determine and connect to should be sampled. and wellbeing of the investigators, bomb
a suspect, so there could be a secondary When it comes to bulk testing of technicians, canines, forensic scientists
scene of an explosive lab if the suspect unknown powders or chemicals at an and any other team member. Everyone
was making the material elsewhere. It is explosive lab, the following rule of deserves to go home to their loved ones
not unusual to have a post blast scene thumb should be followed: and start 2021 off right!!

CBRNeWORLD Zoe Rutherford looks at the issue of persistent agent decon,

and hopes we might have an answer soon…
Very persistent
winners’ in the way that tanks, bombers are at least as toxic as VX and that they
T
ime was when persistent chemical
agents were only ever thought and submarines were. So despite their share similar characteristics with their
about by certain professional (relative) absence from the battlefields organophosphate cousins. But they also
groups. In recent years however, these of the second world war, this did not pose unique challenges in terms of
chemical warfare agents (CWAs) have mean that the nations weren’t spending detection, persistency, toxicity, and their
become something that Joe Facebook time and money on developing more potential for delayed onset of symptoms.
would claim to be an expert on. effective and deadly agents as well as Once we encounter a persistent
This began in 2017 when the nerve methods for deploying them. The agent in our environment how do we
agent VX was used to assassinate Kim capture of German facilities such as decontaminate it and make it safe?
Jong-Nam in Malaysia. It was the first Munster and Dyhernfurth, gave an Much research has gone into
time that VX had really come to the insight into the world of nerve agents, developing decontamination solutions
world’s attention, outside movies like and since that time around 70 different and methods for CWAs, and these
The Rock or Mission Impossible. The chemicals have been developed, used protocols vary depending upon the
attack was assumed to be an isolated and/or stockpiled by nations as CWAs. agent and surface you are dealing with.
incident, something on a far-flung These agents can be categorised As a wise man (First Line’s Chris
shore most unlikely to be repeated. according to their persistency, and Hodge) once said, the development of
Boy, was that wrong! when it comes to nerve agents they are decontamination agents is a
Just over a year later we saw the allocated to three main categories, non- formulation balancing act of reactivity,
attempted assassination of Sergei persistent, mid-volatility, and persistent. compatibility, and stability. What you
Skripal, and the death of Dawn Persistency is based on how quickly the are looking for in a formulation is
Sturgess in the UK, using a previously liquid form of the agent evaporates ie something that is effective, gets rid of
publicly unheard of chemical weapon: how volatile it is. For example, sarin is the contaminant (while not destroying
the A-series nerve agent Novichok. quite volatile and so is non-persistent as equipment or property), and can be
Lightning definitely doesn’t strike the liquid will rapidly disperse into the stored and transported without
thrice, so we thought of this, also, as a air as vapour. A persistent agent is one volatility issues.
one-off incident, but again we were that when released remains able to Another facet to consider is
proved wrong. In August 2020 cause casualties for some time between standards or how clean is ‘clean
Novichok made headlines once more, 24 hours and days or weeks: VX and the enough’. The military standard of
when used in the attempted A-series fall into this category. decontamination will be different from
assassination of Alexei Nalvany. Persistent agents were not necessarily the civilian standard, and this has a
But what are persistent agents, why created simply to cause injury and direct impact on research into effective
do we have them, and more death, but are also intended to cause methods as the military are far more
importantly how do we get rid of them long term problems to areas where they likely to encounter CWAs than the
once they have been released? Most are deployed. What’s more, the wider population. The military gold
people will be aware of CWAs either consistency of agents can be thickened standard is ‘repatriation
through history lessons or more so they becomes even more persistent, decontamination’, a level which is safe
dramatically through TV and movies. and even more problematic as simple enough for a decontaminated tank to
Both sides realised the power of decontamination techniques will smear be used in a parade. Repatriation decon
persistent agents in world war one. rather than remove them from surfaces. is the highest of four military decon
Chlorine might be great for a surprise VX is not a new entity, we have had levels, therefore three quarters of
attack, smell aside, but if you can lay data on its volatility, persistence, and military decon concepts deal with the
down persistent mustard on an enemy’s lethal dosage for decades. A-series, or practice of getting enough off to
front line… well, that’s the gift that Novichoks, are something novel and remove the immediate threat and keep
goes on giving! shiny. They have been known about for fighting. Now CWAs are being deployed
Despite the huge volume of agents years in inner circles, and ‘outed’ by on city streets the decontamination
used in the first world war - by the end, defecting Russian scientists, but in the goal posts have moved. In these
largely by the British - these agents real world they are a new challenge. We instances the military’s fourth level
posed many difficulties with know A-series agents are more must be the starting point, rather than
deployment and were not deemed ‘war persistent than other persistent agents, the end one. We want to be at a level

CBRNeWORLD
where we don’t have to destroy homes PAA in a safer, and more easily with the actual level of
and businesses in order to deem transportable form, which is something decontamination achieved as the site
something safe. that companies in the CBRN sphere has been deemed safe by the
In terms of decontaminating have been working on. Kits have been Department for Environment, Food and
persistent agents we know that soapy created using either solid peracetyl Rural Affairs. After consultation with
water and a good scrubbing brush aren’t borate, which produces PAA when local residents it was decided that the
enough against these tough little beasts, mixed with water, or fine powdered best course of action was to demolish it
they are designed to be stubborn and PAA. Both of these are more suited to and leave a green space there instead.
not easily moved. Novichoks, especially, transportation and therefore meet the This comes down to how safe
don’t evaporate or break up in water. requirements more easily, and with less people feel with a property that was
Research into various formulations and hassle and outlay for those wishing to contaminated with a chemical warfare
application methods for sell or procure PAA. It hasn’t come to agent standing in their midst. Strictly
decontamination agents has revealed full universal use yet, but with these speaking it is clean, but if people feel
that a few work well. Of the many, one formulations it could, perhaps, do so, as unsafe what course of action is there
in particular seems to stand out as tried pound for pound it is widely considered other than demolition? The
and true, and that is peracetic acid to be the best oxidising agent we have. psychology of clean will remain a
(PAA), by no means a newcomer to the Even with an agent like PAA in our tough battle, even with education and
decontamination landscape. arsenal we still come back to the assurances from experts in the science
The Environmental Protection question of how clean is clean enough, of decontamination.
Agency.(EPA) first registered PAA as an particularly psychologically. Operation In future decon products for
antimicrobial in 1985 for indoor use on Morlop, the decontamination persistent agents will most likely
hard surfaces, and it is now a staple of programme in Salisbury and Amesbury, continue to evolve beyond current
decontamination in medical and took 355 days, 13,000 hours, and military, and government standards and
hospitality environments. Over the around 1,000 personnel. The Skripal research. Now that persistent CWAs
years much research has been house was left standing albeit with a have been used in peacetime civilian
conducted into effective methods for new roof and refurbishment, and is due settings, the challenges of
decontamination and clean-up of to become a home again. The now decontamination and product design
persistent agent contamination by the famous Salisbury branch of Zizzi was may well be taken up by companies and
EPA and many others, with PAA also decontaminated to a level deemed organisations that do not fall in the
showing itself to be excellent at to be safe enough to reopen. In CBRN and military sectors. Only time
defeating this particular foe. There are Amesbury, however, there was a slightly will tell, but much as with Covid, we
others, such as chlorine-based different outcome. The property in may see yet more novel
decontamination solutions, that also which Dawn Sturgess was exposed to decontamination solutions to this
work effectively against CWAs but many Novichok is currently being sinister problem coming up from
feel that PAA is a better choice. It is a demolished. This has nothing to do surprising companies.
very powerful oxidising agent that
decontaminates CWAs in much smaller
quantities and concentrations, and
much faster than others. As a different
smart man (3M’s David Crouch)
explained: “It’s like a blowtorch
through butter”.
Another bonus of PAA is that at the
concentration required to destroy CWAs
it Is much less corrosive than other
available agents, but that’s not to say it
doesn’t have some downsides. In very
high concentrations PAA can be
corrosive. Some have reported that its
pungent odour, akin to vinegar, is
unbearable, and the biggest downside is
that PAA is transport restricted. That
doesn’t completely stop its use, but it is
restricted at times due to the regulations
and requirements that must be met in What was it that made the decontamination of some properties acceptable (Zizzi's
order to transport it as a liquid. and the Skripal house) while others had to be destroyed (the Sturgess property)?
One way around this is to produce ©CBRNe World

CBRNeWORLD
Dr John Hart* looks at the 25th Conference of the States Parties
to the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention and the work still to be done
Party favours During the first session of the CSP,

the DG emphasised that while the
secretariat has had the authority to
identify the perpetrators of the use of
chemical weapons in Syria since 2018, the
For its 25th session, the Conference of the The first session of the 25th CSP was technical secretariat “is neither a public
States Parties (CSP) to the 1993 Chemical marked by unprecedented discord among prosecutor, nor a court of justice”.12 He
Weapons Convention (CWC) will, for the CWC states parties on how the OPCW noted that “states parties have at their
first time, convene in two sessions due to should handle ‘the Syria file’, and the 2020 disposal tools to proceed further, on the
the exigencies of the Covid-19 pandemic. poisoning of Russian opposition leader basis of the information they have
The first session was held on 30 November Alexei Navalny.6 The September/November received”.13 The status of Syria’s
and 1 December 2020. The second session fighting between Armenian and Azeri declarations to OPCW remains open due
will convene sometime prior to the end of forces in Nagorno-Karabakh triggered to still unresolved “gaps, inconsistencies,
April 2021. pointed exchanges between the two and discrepancies”.14
The CSP agenda broadly encompasses countries during the CSP.7
10 items: Armenia drew the states parties’ Navalny case
• Organisation of work and the attention to a report that describes the use The Navalny case deserves - indeed
establishment of subsidiary bodies. of incendiary ammunition of mass requires - separate and extended analysis.
• Consideration of the draft annual report destruction containing chemical elements Framework elements include the
of the Organisation for the Prohibition of (possibly white phosphorus) by Azerbaijani following. In June 2020 two decisions by
Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.8 Azerbaijan the 2019 CSP for amending schedule 1 of
implementation of the CWC in 2019. stated that it does not possess prohibited the CWC’s annex on chemicals took
• The annual report of the executive munitions; its military operations were effect.15 This was done in order to better
council (EC) on performance of its against military targets; Armenia had used ensure that the chemicals employed to
activities for the period 13 July 2019 to 10 white phosphorus rounds ‘on numerous poison the former Russian military
July 2020. occasions’ in 2020 and 2016 as intelligence official Sergei Skripal and his
• The OPCW programme and budget for documented by the Azerbaijan national daughter Yulia in 2018 are explicitly
2021. agency for mine action; and Armenia has embedded within the OPCW’s routine
• Administrative and financial matters. contaminated rivers flowing into its verification procedures in future. Like the
• Fostering of international cooperation country with toxic chemicals.9 Turkey UK in 2018, earlier this year Germany
among states parties for peaceful purposes. ‘condemn[ed] Armenia’s disinformation requested an OPCW technical assistance
• Ensuring the universality of the CWC. campaign and illegal actions during the visit (TAV) under paragraph 38(e) of article
• Engagement with the chemical industry conflict in the strongest possible terms, VIII of the CWC. In October 2020, the
and the scientific community. including its futile effort to distort the OPCW issued a summary report stating it
• Reports of subsidiary bodies, and truth and its vile attacks directed against had confirmed the presence of unspecified
• A consideration of the extent to which the civilian population including children, biomarkers of a cholinesterase inhibitor in
decisions and understandings emanating the young and the elderly without the blood and urine of Navalny, which had
from the Third Review Conference in 2013 discrimination which amounted to serious ‘similar structural characteristics’ to the
have been implemented.1 war crimes.’10 newly-added schedule 1 chemicals.16
The Syria file comprises two main On 6 October 2020 Russia requested a
As of 30 November the OPCW had verified elements: the completeness and TAV from the OPCW under the same
the destruction of 69,317tonnes of category correctness of Syria’s declarations, and paragraph. The DG reported to the 25th
1 chemical weapons representing 98.3% of attribution of responsibility for chemical CSP that Russia and the technical
the global stockpiles declared since the weapons use in Syria. An OPCW secretariat are still “defining together all
CWC entry-into-force in 1993.2 In declaration assessment team established the legal, technical, operational and
September the OPCW resumed some in 2014 is the focal point for the former. logistical parameters” for the visit.17
chemical industry inspections.3 The US An OPCW investigation and On 14 December Navalny summarised
remains scheduled to complete the identification team (IIT) is responsible his understanding of the poisoning
destruction of its chemical weapon for identifying perpetrators of chemical attempt partly on the basis of
stockpile by September 2023.4 Syria has weapon use in Syria. The IIT, which investigative reporting by a Bellingcat
submitted numerous national papers to the issued its first report in April 2020, investigative team. Both items are of
EC relating to the destruction of chemical examined a limited number of cases fundamental importance.18
weapons and chemical weapon production where the OPCW fact finding mission, As indicated by the DG in his opening
facilities on its territory.5 The destruction of established in 2014, has determined that statement to the 25th CSP, the OPCW
old and/or abandoned chemical weapons chemical weapons have been used or technical secretariat endeavours to leave
will continue for an indeterminate number were likely used in Syria.11 The EC has compliance assessments to the states
of years. Finally, the private sector tasked the director general (DG) - parties (eg within the framework of EC
continues to develop technologies for the Ambassador Fernando Arias of Spain - to meetings and consultations at the margins
assessment, recovery and remediation of provide regular reports on the status of of EC meetings). Russia’s foreign ministry
dumped chemical weapons. these work streams. has stated that Germany and the OPCW

CBRNeWORLD
each refer it to the other in response to its arranged findings of the alleged guilt of the No state openly admits to having an
requests for specific information. Syrian government of using chemical offensive chemical weapon programme.
Ambassador Alexandr V Shulgin, weapons in a cloak of pseudo-science. Yet Some aspects of defensive programmes
Russia’s permanent representative to the no convincing facts are provided, and states could support offensive programme
OPCW, has summarised his country’s parties are asked to accept everything at elements or be used to disguise standby
position vis-à-vis the Novichok and Syria face value and be satisfied with conclusions offensive capabilities. Analysis of intent
files as follows: such as ‘highly likely' and ‘reasonable is key in this regard. Defensive
“Frankly speaking, we see that the grounds to believe’… Unfortunately, it is programmes can encompass threat
situation within the OPCW is sliding with increasing frequency that it no longer evaluation, pretreatment prophylaxis,
relentlessly downhill - more simply said, it carries out its functions as a technical body, post-exposure treatment, as well as
is degrading. It would seem as though all and has started to participate directly in detection, identification and monitoring
193 states parties to the convention are political showdowns, in one way or another of candidate chemical agents that could
interested in strengthening it. But in fact, playing along with the endeavours of those be employed to cause death or other
we are dealing with off-the-charts levels of forces that wish to drive the work of the harms. The CWC does not prohibit
politicisation of the work of the OPCW; OPCW in the direction that works to their governments from performing threat
ultimately, we are speaking different own advantage.”19 evaluation and limited testing to defend
languages and not hearing one another. Some states parties are unwilling to against toxic chemicals and their
We are no longer talking about adhering oppose Russia on the Syria file. Many do precursors that could be used by others
to the principle of a consensus, and not seem to hold a view, or are unwilling as a method of warfare.
hysteria is being whipped up more to authorise their delegations to do more State operated assassination
frequently, even for issues that are than reiterate a general commitment to programmes have usually been kept
technical in nature. Unfortunately, this is the provisions of the CWC. A group of separate from traditional state military
being done by a certain group of countries mainly western states is currently more programmes. Governments and legal
that has already been trying to impose its inclined towards decision-making by authorities have generally tended to
own personal agenda onto the OPCW for majority vote in the EC and at the annual evaluate chemical weapon activities in
some time now, while ignoring the CSPs, as well as dispensing with prior terms of use by military personnel during
opinion of other states parties. Russia diplomatic reticence. At the first session of armed conflicts. Certain technical
cannot and will not accept this. the 25th CSP 58 states parties co- expertise or institutional overlaps could
“Within this context, it is particularly sponsored a statement which reads in nonetheless occur between institutions
striking to see a situation developing in part: “We urge the Russian Federation, on and individuals that support state
The Hague regarding the so-called whose territory the attack on a Russian assassination programmes, and those
poisoning of Mr Navalny, a Russian opposition figure took place, to assist the institutions and individuals that supported
citizen. This concerns our relations both conference [of the states parties] in this state military programmes historically.
with the German side, and with the role by disclosing in a swift and Since the CWC’s entry-into-force
technical secretariat. In this matter, the transparent manner the circumstances of states parties have considered how to
Russian Federation initially took the most this chemical weapons attack”.20 It should better capture non-standard toxic
transparent and constructive position also be noted that some states (including chemicals and their precursors under
possible. In turn, the government of the western) rely on the scientific expertise routine declaration and verification
Federal Republic of Germany, instead of and intelligence service capabilities of procedures. A substantial part of this effort
establishing normal channels for bilateral other governments to inform their own currently focuses on so-called central
relations in order to clarify the reasons chemical weapons-related assessments. nervous system-acting chemicals. For
behind what happened and entering into a example, the EC is continuing its efforts
dialogue with our general prosecutor’s Looking ahead to agree a draft decision entitled
office, preferred instead to launch a kind The OPCW has become entangled in the ‘Understanding regarding the aerosolised
of smear campaign against Russia and, broader geopolitical landscape of use of central nervous system-acting
without establishing the facts and without competing national priorities, sanctions chemicals for law enforcement purposes’,
producing any kind of evidence, took this regimes, and investigation and prosecution which it can eventually transmit to the
to the OPCW. This is regrettable. efforts concerning the Syria file and, in CSP for consideration and possible
“This is far from the first time that we principle, the Novichok file. OPCW has also adoption.22 The OPCW’s scientific advisory
have seen the organisation being used for become the focus of increased attention by board is also continuing to assess science
geopolitical interests. All one has to do is security services. In this regard, it is worth and technology developments in order to
recall everything related to forcing noting that on 2 December Germany strengthen attribution capacities. In
illegitimate attribution functions onto the contributed €1m to the newly-established addition, on 7 December the OPCW
OPCW. Starting from the vote that was OPCW trust fund for security and business launched a crowdsourcing challenge to
forced through to assign to the technical continuity. This fund is designed to scientists to submit innovative ideas on
secretariat authorities that are extrinsic to strengthen the organisation’s digital toxic chemical exposure indicators in
it, and ending with the biased, non- resilience, including in the context of natural vegetation by 14 January 2021.23
transparent, and technically unsound work enabling virtual meetings due to the Covid- Areas for possible longer term
produced by the IIT. All of the IIT’s 19 pandemic and (implicitly) to defend institutional engagement by governments
activities are aimed at covering the pre- against further cyber intrusions.21 could include reviewing:

CBRNeWORLD
Party favours
1. Multilateral arms control principles peaceful purposes, including for the of intrusiveness of the treaty regime under
and procedures in conjunction with evaluation of detection and protective routine, annual verification. Nonetheless,
intelligence analysis approaches. equipment and pre-exposure and post- the modalities for SSSF declarations
2. Criminal investigations and exposure treatments. Whether a given under the CWC’s routine verification
prosecutions in the context of contested facility meets the criteria for declaration regime could be further considered by
political narratives. depends on the types and quantities of states parties in their efforts to strengthen
3. Gaps, overlaps and complementarities chemicals listed in schedule 1 of the national implementation in the context of
between international legal obligations CWC’s annex on chemicals. Since the anti-terrorism measures.
concerning assassination, terrorism and CWC’s entry-into-force, states parties have In summary, governments and other
chemical warfare, respectively, and declared just over 10 schedule 1 facilities interested parties should remain cognisant
4. Revisiting the routine declaration and (none are in Russia). Whether a given of the nature of such interlinkages and the
verification of single, small scale facilities facility should be declared as an SSSF is broader geopolitical context connected
(SSSFs). essentially a matter for the state party with ongoing OPCW verification efforts.
concerned. The fact that a given state
The CWC contains provisions for the party has not declared an SSSF, however,
routine declaration and verification of is not, in itself, indicative of non- *Dr John Hart is a non-resident scholar
SSSFs many of which are located within compliance with treaty obligations. The at the Janes Martin Centre for
the states parties’ defence sectors. Such question, rather, goes to a broader point of Nonproliferation Studies (Monterey,
facilities are permitted under the CWC for what should be the cost, scope and degree Calif.). Views expressed are personal.
1
See ‘Annotated provisional agenda for the 25th Session of the Conference of the States Parties, 30 November-4 December 2020’, OPCW
document C-25/INF.1/Rev.1, 27 November 2020, <https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/11/c25inf01r1%28e%29.pdf>
2
‘Opening statement by the Director-General to the Conference of the States Parties at its 25th session’, OPCW document C-25/DG.19, 30
November 2020, para. 14, p. 2.
3
4
‘Report of the Executive Council on the performance of its activities in the period from 13 July 2019 to 12 July 2020’, OPCW document EC-
95/3 and C-25/2, 7 October 2020, para. 2.6, p. 4.
5
6
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAwpk-qq_oy67osvOJ9aCfDha3OH_PV_>.
7
Russian peacekeepers are currently monitoring a ceasefire agreement along the line of control. Turkey performs a monitoring role in
accordance with a Russia-Turkey memorandum of understanding (MOU).
8
https://www.ombuds.am/images/files/ea04773e0fcf3a7e4dadb87e9b73d360.pdf .
9
https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/12/Azerbaijan_right%20of%20reply.pdf .
10
https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/12/Turkey-
Statement%20in%20response%20to%20the%20statement%20by%20Armenia.pdf .
11
https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/04/s-1867-2020%28e%29.pdf See also https://www.opcw.org/iit ; and
https://www.opcw.org/fact-finding-mission .
12
13
14
15
OPCW, ‘Changes to the Annex on Chemicals to the Chemical Weapons Convention’, <https://www.opcw.org/changes-annex-chemicals> .
16
https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/10/s-1906-2020%28e%29.pdf
17
‘Opening statement by the Director-General to the Conference of the States parties at its 25th session’, OPCW document C-25/DG.19, 30
18
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2020/12/14/fsb-team-of-chemical-weapon-experts-implicated-in-alexey-navalny-novichok-
poisoning/; and [Case exposed. I know who tried to kill me.] <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smhi6jts97I&feature=youtu.be> See also
work carried out by the Open Society Justice Initiative.
19
Russian Federation, ‘Statement by H. E. Ambassador A. V. Shulgin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OPCW at
the ninety-fifth session of the Executive Council’, 6-9 October 2020,
<https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/10/Russia%20EC-95%20Statement.pdf> .
20
https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/12/Joint%20statement%20v1%20%28FINAL%29%20%281%29.pdf > .
21
https://news.yahoo.com/russianunit-behind-attempted-sergei-151647804.html .
22
23
OPCW, ‘OPCW launches €200,000 plant biomarker challenge’, Press Release, 7 December 2020, <https://www.opcw.org/media-
centre/news/2020/12/opcw-launches-eu200000-plant-biomarker-challenge>

CAPABILITY PROFILES
Bruker Bruker is recognised as a leading authority on the use of
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Rigaku Analytical Devices

Rigaku Analytical Devices introduces its stress environments. Its standard library
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The Rigaku ResQ CQL analyzer offers reduce sample fluorescence and identify
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Thermo Fisher Scientific

The military and CBRNE defense teams are subjected to the harshest and
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CAPABILITY PROFILES
Bertin Technologies
Bertin Technologies offers high-end equipment to spot,
identify and monitor CBRN hazards, thus contributing to the
anticipation, prevention, and immediate response to such
risks to the public and the environment.
Our CBRN products include:

• SaphyRAD MS, a multiprobe survey meter especially
designed for the military, first responders & hazardous
materials response teams.
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detector for real-time surveillance & source localization.
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cyclonic technology with an 8- hour autonomy in operation.
• Saphygate G is an easy to use radiatrion Portal Monitor
optimized for truck, train and cargo radiation control. It is
based on large surface high-volume plastic detectors
providing the highest sensitivity.
• Gammatracer Spider is a gamma probe designated for
emergency response and enabling a dast depolymenbt in the
critical arae with minimum human intervention. Data is
transmitted via propriety UHF radio or satellite
PROENGIN Excellence in CBRN Threat Management

Proengin designs and manufactures spectrometry technology. Every detector is operations. Both of these systems can be
chemical and biological detection systems for designed to stringent military standards and connected to visualization modules to display
military forces, HAZMAT teams, and first can operate in severe environments including sensor information and control operations.
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vehicles and AP4C-F detectors for ships manufactured for high reliability as well as
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CAPABILITY PROFILES
Valent
Valent is the world leader in the development and deployment of invasive
technology for the investigation and disposal of wide range of targets in the
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This allows for investigative and disposal procedures to be carried out whilst
preventing any leakage.
Valent first developed equipment in this area in 2000. Since then our systems
have been used by the military globally and with international organisations
such as OPCW, UNMOVIC and UNOPS in the investigation and disposal of
CW hazards. In addition Valent has developed bespoke solutions for other
organisations for hazmat and toxic industrial chemical (TIC) operations.
Tetracore
Tetracore creates and develop highly portable devices, and testing services
innovative diagnostic reagents, assays, and to improve efficiency and succeed in
instruments for the detection of infectious their goals.
diseases and bio-threat agents. We focus
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immunoassays for infectious diseases FlexImmArray™ SARS-CoV-2 human IgG
related to domestic preparedness. antibody test which is a multiplex test for
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As an industry leader in the development plasma and serum samples, against the
and manufacture of products for field virus that causes COVID-19. The test
detection of biological threat agents, our results, along with other clinical and
focus is to empower first responders, diagnostic information, can help a health
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Serstech
Serstech provides truly handheld Raman instruments for quick identification of
many types of substances. Serstech manufactures the smallest, lightest and
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developed in-house in cooperation with police and customs around the world
and with Swedish Defense Research (FOI). Serstech’s powerful solutions for
handheld identification of hazardous and restricted chemicals make the
everyday work of those who protect us more efficient, easier and safer.
Serstech’s instruments come with a complimentary and powerful companion
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Serstech – Simplicity. Speed. Precision.
QuICKSILVER
QuickSilver provides sampling products designed for safely and
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Our comprehensive kits contain all components for taking, containing

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CAPABILITY PROFILES
The clear choice for radiation safety
The capability to act quickly and safely to incidents in dangerous
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Tracerco, part of Johnson Matthey Plc, provide a wide range of personal
electronic dosimeters (PEDs), including intrinsically safe and extended
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3M Scott
With over 75 years of experience in the life safety product industry, 3M-Scott
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Fire departments can take advantage of a 90-day free trial to experience the
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Alexeter Technologies LLC

Alexeter introduced the first dependable solution 15-second analysis for 10 single-target rapid tests;
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Dräger
In an increasingly unsafe world, protecting the people who protect
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For more than 100 years, Dräger has focused on one goal: human
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First Line Technology
First Line Technology, headquartered out of Chantilly, Virginia, USA, is a disaster preparedness and emergency response equipment
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RadEye RADIATION TRAINING SIMuLATOR
Three decades of technological expertise has enabled Argon to produce a
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BioFire Defense - BioSurveillance Systems

We deliver a fully integrated suite of biological FilmArray - Fully Automated Learn more at www.BioFireDefense.com
agent identification products, including: BioIdentification
The FilmArray is the next generation in
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bright, easy-to-read color screen for yes or lethal viruses and bacteria, including
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AirBoss Defense Group
Formed in January 2020 AirBoss Defense Group (ADG) is the product of a
merger between AirBoss Defense, a global leader in Chemical, Biological,
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Critical Solutions International, a leader in route clearance. ADG is an
umbrella survivability group that provides military, tactical and medical
customers around the world with a growing and diverse portfolio of products
that span the survivability spectrum. From threat prevention to incident
response, ADG’s combined product offering is an optimized mix of mission-
critical consumables, durable major equipment, and deployed sustainment
and service support.
AirBoss is a recognized world leader in CBRN Personal Protection Equipment

(PPE), rapidly deployable decontamination systems, patient isolation systems,
and respiratory protection equipment. With locations throughout North
America, AirBoss provides in-house engineering, testing, and manufacturing
to provide a total system solution. AirBoss specializes in manufacturing
products developed from both established military specifications and
independently developed products through AirBoss Research and
Development (R&D) activities. Through a collaborative design approach with
end-users, AirBoss designs technologies that meet the operational intent of
the user communities we serve.
AirBoss’s emergency response and protective equipment is utilized by the

U.S. Office of Strategic Medical Preparedness, FEMA and CDC infectious
disease centers. In addition, AirBoss protection equipment is used by
emergency medical response teams and hospitals in over 1500 U.S. cities, as
well as over 30 countries worldwide. AirBoss responded during the MERS and
Ebola outbreaks to provide critical protection equipment to Government and
civilian medical communities. Again, AirBoss is responding with personal
protection equipment and patient isolation systems globally in the fight
against COVID-19.
ADG solutions span the breadth of survivability response. ADG is Survivability.
CRISTANINI
CRISTANINI CBRN decontamination
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All this allow us to offer our most

advanced solutions and to know about
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which give us a major enthusiasm to
reach new objectives and to propose
our customized solutions with highly
technological systems, which will
always be the main characteristic of
our company.

CAPABILITY PROFILES
EpiGuard
EpiGuard is a Norwegian company experts with first-hand experience in
established in 2015 by a group of providing advanced treatment and
doctors at the Oslo University Hospital, transportation of patients with highly
together with co-founders Inven2, Eker infectious diseases, including Ebola.
Group, and Hansen Protection. We aim to continue to develop and
manufacture high-end medical
The company holds top level expertise equipment for safe transport of
with product development and contagious patients.
manufacturing. The medical
background ranges from intensive
care, infectious diseases, internal “We aim to revolutionize the
medicine, and anesthesiology, through procedures in transport of
to transport medicine. contagious patients”
Our first product is the EpiShuttle, Fridtjof Heyerdahl, MD PhD,
which was developed by clinical FOUNDER – EPIGUARD
NBC-Sys: Innovation focusing on your Safety!

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BioFlyte, Inc.
BioFlyte is a venture-backed biodefense and microbial identification triggered by an internal UVAPS bioaerosol detector, an external
company that is commercializing a revolutionary new class of fieldable trigger sensor, or from the sensor network. The sample is only
biological threat collection, detection, and identification solutions. The partially desorbed by the MALDI TOF MS measurement, and the
U.S. Department of Defense is funding the development of BioFlyte’s remaining sample is retained for subsequent laboratory analysis.
miniaturized, low-cost, low-power mass spectrometer technology for
the detection and identification of aerosolized bio-threats in near real- The BioCapture z750 was created to provide CBRN Defense
time. The firm’s current application focus is critical infrastructure Forces and Emergency Response Teams with high-performance
protection and emergency response. handheld sampler. The z750 handheld collector is designed around
a proven Dry Filter Unit (DFU) technology that has been in use
The BioFlyte z200 is a combination collector/detector/identifier system worldwide for decades. The advanced filter design incorporated
that uses matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization (MALDI) into the z750 has extensively validated sample extraction protocols,
mass spectrometry to acquire the mass spectrum profile from the and is compatible with PCR, immunoassay, and fieldable mass
collected aerosol sample. The z200 provides a presumptive spec instruments, as well as analytical methods associated with
identification in five minutes from receipt of trigger signal or can be laboratory confirmation.

CAPABILITY PROFILES
FLIR
FLIR builds the most advanced detection
tools – ready to use or integrate on platforms
– that see and sense harmful chemical,
biological, radiological, nuclear, and
explosives substances. Our tools speed
decision-making and response time when
dangerous threats present themselves. The
most recent addition to our portfolio of
solutions is the FLIR MUVE C360 - a multi-
gas detector completely integrated with an
unmanned aerial system (UAS) to provide
real-time continuous monitoring of chemical
hazards while on the move.
u.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development

Command Chemical Biological Center
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Chemical Biological
Center is the primary DoD technical organization for non-medical chemical and biological
defense. The Center’s headquarters is located in the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Maryland with additional sites located at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah; Pine Bluff
Arsenal, Arkansas; and Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. The Center and DEVCOM both align under
the Army Futures Command. The Center performs research and development, testing, fielding
and sustainment of technologies to protect our Warfighters, first responders, and the Nation from
chemical and biological threats.
The Center’s contributions to the Chemical Biological Defense Program include chemical and
biological agent detectors and warning systems, decontamination technologies, protective
equipment and services in support of Soldiers in combat areas and homeland defense initiatives.
The Center also assists civilian enterprise in commercializing these capabilities through
technology transfers.
The Center partners with universities on research and technology development projects through a
variety of partnership agreements. In addition, the Center has partnerships with other government
agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security to
identify and defend against emerging chemical biological threats. Finally, the Center performs
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) outreach to schools in surrounding communities,
and promotes STEM achievement for minorities through internships and a research grants.
The Center began its mission in 1917 when it was first established at Aberdeen Proving Ground
to counter chemical weapons used during World War I. Today, the Center possesses an unrivaled
human and physical research and development infrastructure. It has more than $2 billion in
facilities and equipment spread among more than 200 buildings at its 4 campuses. The Center’s
1.2 million square feet of laboratories and test chambers are used by a multidisciplinary team of
more than 1,400 scientists, engineers, technicians and specialists.
For more information, call 410-436-1479 or visit https://www.cbc.ccdc.army.mil/.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USArmyDEVCOMChemBio.
908 Devices
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Our organization is comprised of over 2,300 talented
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hospitals, universities, national labs, and other specialized
industries, Mirion Technologies strives to deliver cutting edge
products and services that constantly evolve based on the
changing needs of our customers.
Tex-Shield, Inc.
Tex-Shield is the U.S. licensee of the unique SARATOGA chemical protective technology,
the most trusted name in chemical protective textiles and garments in the world.
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Book Review Reviewed by Dr Maria Espona, ArgIQ

Neuroscience a nd the Problem of Dua l Use - His unique academic profile and experience enabled him to write
Neuroethics in the New Bra in Resea rch Projects , a book that is easily understood even by non-scientists.
Part I of the book provides context, explaining what modern
Dr Ma lcolm R Da ndo, Springer, neuroscience projects are, what they mean and the potential
ISBN 97 8-3-0 30 -53 79 0-6 revolution for the field they might suggest. The international legal
Once again, we are positively surprised by the new book from framework is then presented, and its impact analysed. This then takes
Malcolm Dando of the University of Bradford, which addresses the the reader on to neuroethics and how misuse is regulated, and is
much-needed topic of neuroscience and dual use. where different approaches to the issue are considered and discussed.
When asked ‘why now?’ he mentioned that his main aim was to The final chapter in this part discusses how neuroscience has been
analyse how one group of practicing life scientists (non-microbial, by subject to dual use over time. Many examples are presented and
the way, not the usual target of outreach activities) were attempting analysed, making the reader feel really vulnerable since the progress
to deal with the problem of dual use. So, the book tells us the story of neurosciences brings both solutions and weapons at the same time!
of the difficult struggles they had to recognise their responsibilities If chapter 4 in part l was scary, then part ll is very informative.
in regard to potential forms of misuse and then to devise some It also makes the reader think a lot about the extent to which brain
means of dealing with the problem. Its main theme is the passage of projects are trying to understand different aspects of what Is going
time and the difficulties of getting anything done. on inside our brains, allegedly including ethical considerations
At the same time, Dr Dando considers that the lessons learnt while doing so.
could be helpful to other groups of life scientists who will Finally, in part III the author answers questions on national and
increasingly face the same issue of bringing a wider view of ethics to EU projects that prompted the writing of this book. It raised the
bear on their work. issue of whether or not there is concern about dual use, and most
He also mentioned that the 2008 Julian Perry Robinson paper on the importantly, how to deal with these concerns in the short, medium
difficulties facing the Chemical Weapons Convention where the and long term.
facilities for chemical and biological warfare are referenced was part Considering the fast pace at which technology is evolving as well
of the creative process leading to this magnificent book. as the potential security and military uses of the agents that affect
When reading, starting from the preface, it is possible to the central nervous system, I consider this book essential reading. It
understand the author’s perspective, as neuroscientists and including should be read by CBW experts but is also for scientists, encouraging
the author, experienced the evolution of this field of expertise, and them to reflect on the potential misuse of their work. That’s
also the thinking that controls its potential misuse, as do the something they are not trained to do, and because of that misuse
chemical and biological weapons conventions. could create gigantic damage to society.

CBRNeWORLD
Dr. Christina Baxter, of EmergencyResponseTIPS.com &
Hazard3.com, offers helpful advice for first responders.
This issue is about the Covid-19 vaccine.
Keeping you safe!

This column is intended to provide operational guidance to the hazmat/CBRNE community regarding the selection
and performance of equipment and tactics. In this edition we will focus on the
upcoming delivery of Covid-19 vaccines requiring ultra-low temperature storage.
The human body naturally makes messenger RNA (ribonucleic acid),

or mRNA, to build, maintain and repair the body. Scientists at several
companies have developed mRNA vaccines to help the body produce
proteins that mimic those found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is
responsible for the disease known as Covid-19. These proteins
trigger immune cells in the body to produce antibodies against the
SARS-CoV-2 virus.
In addition to requiring two shots Storage

three weeks apart, these vaccines Dry ice must be stored in
must be stored at ultra-cold well ventilated locations,
temperatures to remain viable. The having first been placed in
vaccines will therefore be shipped insulated and ventilated
and stored on dry ice (solid carbon storage containers designed
dioxide, CO2), which is available in for this purpose. Due to its
flakes, pellets or block form. It thermal expansion, dry ice
sublimes (vaporises directly to the should never be stored in a
gaseous state) at a temperature of tightly sealed container
-78.5oC (-109.3oF) or higher with such as an ultra-low freezer
one lb (0.45kg) of dry ice producing or glass container. Styrofoam is an appropriate storage material as it is
250L (55gallons) of gas. This both a good insulator and not airtight. Where possible, continuous
creates a logistical and safety monitoring of gaseous CO2 should be implemented to ensure that levels
challenge for the emergency remain below 5,000ppm. It is important to note that CO2 is heavier
response community worldwide. than air and will accumulate in low lying areas.
Handling
For any event involving the sublimation or release of gaseous CO2, self-
contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) should be used due to the
potential for low oxygen environments, caused by displacement by CO2.
Structural firefighting ensembles, including both fire gloves and
extrication gloves, provide limited protection in extreme cold
temperatures, however, they can be utilised for rescue operations.
Specialised loose fitting gloves are required when handling the dry ice
itself or leaking containers. If an area is well ventilated and it is
determined that SCBA is not required, eye protection should be worn.
Where possible, fans should be used to increase the natural ventilation.
Adding water to dry ice will increase the speed of the sublimation
process and results in a corresponding higher risk of asphyxiation.

CBRNeWORLD
Hazard – asphyxiation
Carbon dioxide is a simple asphyxiant therefore
continuous monitoring of CO2 and oxygen should take place
whenever working around dry ice. Remember that a 0.5%
drop in the oxygen level is equivalent to a 25,000 ppm
(2.5%) increase in CO2 levels in the environment. While
exposure to this level of CO2 increases the depth and
rates of respiration, the corresponding decrease in
oxygen concentration results in decreases in coordination,
intellectual performance, and ability to perform strenuous
work. In extreme cases where the oxygen concentration
drops to 10% (from 19%), death can occur.
Hazard – burns/frostbite
At -78.5oC (-109.3oF), skin contact with dry ice
can lead to severe frostbite. In case of contact,
do NOT apply hot water, dry heat, or radiant
heat. Remove any clothing that is not frozen to
the skin. Move the exposed person to a warm
area before thawing the affected part by
carefully washing the area concerned with
lukewarm (less than 35oC) for 10 to 15 minutes,
immersing if possible. Do not rub the exposed
areas as tissue damage may result. If there is
contact with the eyes, flush them while holding
the eyelids open.
Hazard – explosions Stay safe!

Due to its thermal expansion, dry ice should never be
stored in a tightly sealed container or any container
with a screw-top lid. Dry ice will sublime about five to
10lbs every 24 hours in a typical storage container.
This alone could cause an explosion in a tightly
sealed container.
Disposal
The best disposal method is to just place the unused
portion of dry ice in a well-ventilated area and allow it
to sublimate naturally. Dry ice should never be disposed
CBax away!
of in the trash nor should it be placed in a sink, toilet
or other drain. Images are courtesy of Phil Buckenham
https://philbuckenhamart.wixsite.com/philbuckenham

CBRNeWORLD Dr Christina Baxter, of EmergencyResponseTIPS.com and

Hazard3.com, offers helpful advice for first responders
Keeping you safe!

This column is intended to provide operational guidance to the hazmat/CBRNE
community regarding the selection and performance of equipment and tactics.
For this segment, we will focus on the use of thermal imaging cameras (TICs)
in hazmat/CBRNE response.
TICs have a wide range of uses in hazmat response including detecting

chemical reactions, tracking leaks/spills, taking incident photos, looking
through vapours or smoke, ‘seeing’ invisible fires, and determining the level
of a product in a container.
Purchasing considerations
Before purchasing a TIC for hazmat/CBRNE response, it is important to
consider the instrument’s effective temperature range, accuracy of
measurements, resolution and refresh rates. While instruments with
low resolution and low refresh rates are often used for situational
awareness in firefighting, they are not as suitable for hazmat
response. In those situations, tactical TICs with high resolution and
refresh rates are more helpful.
It is also advisable to look for instruments with an effective

temperature range from less than 0◦C to greater than 500◦C.
While instruments that measure down to -80◦C would be an excellent choice, they generally come at an
increased cost and size, and require more maintenance. Finally, it is important that the accuracy or thermal
sensitivity of the camera is low enough to allow for early detection of chemical reactions.
Technical considerations
Before employing a TIC, the operator must consider
the distance to the target and the emissivity of
the target container. When measuring a
Temp 84OF target at a distance, it is important to
remember that the instrument is
looking at a larger field of view
than the target alone, and
will be averaging
temperatures. On
getting closer to the
product, the field
Temp 325 F O
of view gets smaller

and the temperature
resolution will be
much greater.

CBRNeWORLD
The Merriam-Webster definition of Tactical utility
emissivity is: the ratio of the energy 1. Detecting chemical
radiated by a material’s surface to that reactions - Chemical
radiated from a perfect emitter, known reactions often result in
as a blackbody, at the same temperature a temperature change, with
and wavelength and under the same most being exothermic
viewing conditions. In an operational (involving the release
context, emissivity describes how of heat).
reflective, or shiny, a surface is, whereas 2. Tracking leaks and
in a tactical context, a TIC will probably spills – When a chemical escapes from a container, it may be
be unable to see the product level in a visible using a TIC if the leaking chemical is at a different
shiny container such as a tanker truck, temperature to the environment or if the chemical is
and may also provide an inaccurate evaporating (evaporating vapours cool the area around the
temperature for the container. liquid). It is important to remember that toxic or flammable
concentrations may still be present beyond the plume that
is visible with the TIC.
3. Determining product level in a container – Solid and
liquid products inside containers may be at different
temperatures to that of the vapour space above them.
Containers that are double walled, insulated, or jacketed
will likely not be conducive to evaluation with a TIC. If the
container is not insulated, but very shiny, and it can be
approached safely. Consider applying masking tape or black
vinyl electrical tape (or another high emissivity material) to
allow for thermal measurements.
4. Looking Through Smoke and Vapours – In cases where part of Stay safe out there!
the incident scene is obscured by smoke or vapour, a TIC may help
see through the smoke or vapour to locate containers or personnel.
In the event of a sudden change of visibility resulting from a power
failure or a sudden product release, a TIC could be used to help
the entry team navigate their way out of the hot zone or to assist
the back up team with locating the entry team.
5. ‘Seeing’ invisible
fires – Some
materials such as
methanol may burn
with an invisible
flame, while others
like hydrogen burn
with a barely visible
flame. In some
cases, the flames
are easy to see at
night, but difficult
to see in daylight.
6. Taking incident
photos – Many
newer devices take both thermal and traditional photos
simultaneously. These photos become an important part of the
Images are courtesy of Phil Buckenham
incident documentation. https://philbuckenhamart.wixsite.com/philbuckenham

CBRNeWORLD Governor Gabriel Cinomis, a Prairie Dog, gives his

opinion of CBRN matters from his unique perspective
Prairie Dog
T here There is a curious form of
contagious insanity spreading around
Dogtown. This insanity does not seem
forces entrenched in government who
simultaneously run the nation, eat pizza,
have sex with pups, meet in basements (of
McShank, has said there was no evidence
whatsoever of such a thing having taken
place. Poor BT McShank! We all dislike
tied to SARS-CoV-2 infection but is pizza restaurants), and plot The Pumpkin’s you but at least you went out cutting
related, and while it is difficult to cure, it overthrow. I will give the creator, who your own throat. Thank you for your
is easily diagnosed. Only the very young represents themselves with Ж, much credit sacrifice. Another minion, charged with
are spared, but may be forced to for learning their trade from the Great overseeing election security across the
participate in the insanity by older dogs. Bear’s best espionage schools. They created nation state not only called the election
The insanity is resistant to medication a conspiracy theory and placed a secure but flatly rebuked all of The
and likely resistant to talking therapies. sociopath/narcissist as its hero figure Pumpkin’s disinformation. His reward
Chief characteristics are a propensity to battling the forces of evil, saving us all was being fired via Twitter.
believe in and subscribe to conspiracies, from pepperoni-tinged pup rapists. So, all these conspiracies and the
the more outlandish the better, and a The Pumpkin did not stop at trying to Pumpkin Cultists are coming together to
near complete resistance to logical legitimise the PPC. No, with nearly every form a section of the populace fervently
thought or presentation of hard fact. sentence, he told outright lies, completely believing the election was rigged, stolen,
This insanity has resulted in mobs of unsupported by any fact and at times or otherwise illegitimate. The sole
dogs moving through the streets of directly contradicted by his own words! benefactor of this is The Pumpkin,
Dogtown, shouting seditious chants, Lies involving nearly everything, from the attempting to grasp autogolpe with his
spouting complete nonsense, and size of his tiny paws to, say, the integrity tiny paws. Weapon of mass destruction
engaging in violent acts with those dogs of elections. indeed. Through insanity - shared, spread,
trying to present them with facts. There The Pumpkin cultists ate it all and cultivated, nurtured even - these
has been a marked increase in stabbings apparently believe in enough of it. The conspiracies threaten to destroy a nation
and other assaults. conspiracies were weaponised by The state. Is that not the purpose of using a
The Ferret Bureau of Investigation Pumpkin, whether deliberately or not, WMD no matter what form it may take?
recently tagged conspiracies as weapons and the effect has been violence, tension, Meanwhile, speaking of WMD of a
of mass destruction. I have mentioned and attempts at autogolpe. Autogolpe is more traditional type, Rock-Paper-
this in past reports, but strongly feel it when a regime attempts to stay in power Scissors reported the assassination of its
bears repeating. Quite a few learned dogs illegitimately. This is also known as self- top nuclear weapon scientist. Initially
scoffed at this proclamation, but I would coup (which sounds like masturbation) described as having involved some kind of
hope they have reconsidered their or autocoup (which sounds like car accident, he is now being reported as
position. The insanity began with the software). Autogolpe just sounds like a the victim of a remote-controlled
spread and uptake of conspiracy theories, repeated swallow. machine gun fired from another vehicle
the chief one being the Pizza Paedophile Thankfully, many of the attempts at at the nuclear weapon scientist’s ‘bullet’
Cult (PPC). Adherents to conspiracy autogolpe have been quite laughable, such vehicle. For some reason, the scientist
theories, such as the prime minion, can as the major announcement made at the exited his safe place, only to be shot by
cause violence and when enough Four Seasons. Not the swank hotel but a the remote-controlled weapon. At this
adherents believe strongly enough lawn care service next to a crematorium point, in some clear action-movie-
violence may incited on a much larger and an adult bookstore. Many felt this inspired glitz, the vehicle housing the
scale, as Dogtown recently witnessed. juxtaposition was fitting, especially as the remote-controlled weapon exploded.
Such lunatic rantings do not usually main speaker quite resembles a ghoul and Rock-Paper-Scissors has assigned much
survive to the mainstream but his master is no stranger to pornography. blame to the Gophers. Of course, no one
unfortunately the prime minion is no Then have come the lawsuits, defeated at is talking. My bet is the team behind the
ordinary prime minion. He is nearly every turn for lack of facts or merit but upcoming Fast & Furious film.
devoid of any qualities one would continuing the spread of a false narrative. In other news, a vaccine against SARS-
associate with a normal dog. Instead as a Yet despite all this the conspiracies CoV-2 has been approved by the Dogtown
sociopath/narcissist The Pumpkin has no spun forth by The Pumpkin and his Bureau of Drugs-n-Stuff (BDS). After
regard for his fellow dogs. Only what is minions describe a battle with forces so attempting to follow a rigorous process,
best for The Pumpkin is important. vast and organised they were able to affect providing information to the public and
Couple this with a shocking ignorance millions of dogs’ votes, while leaving carrying out independent analyses of the
and gullibility and you have the right mix millions more untouched (to their pharmaceutical company data in an
for horror on a nation state level. detriment). Allegedly vast rigging took attempt to win wide public support and
The Pumpkin has perpetuated and place, but multiple independent audits buy-in, The Pumpkin fucked up. He
supported numerous conspiracy ideas and have shown nothing. There’s no evidence denigrated the BDS and told its lead
theories, especially the PPC. The originator of a vast, multi-nation conspiracy to affect minion to approve the vaccine or else.
of this wacky (it would be wacky if it hadn’t the election in just a few places, altering
caused actual harm) collection of ideas put millions of votes. Even The Pumpkin’s ’Til next I poke my head up.
The Pumpkin at the centre, battling evil own chief law dog, Bloated Toad Gabriel

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CBRNe December 2020

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CBRNe December 2020 cover and spine vPress:CBRNe December 2020 cover and spine vPress 29/12/2020 15:53

Veni, Vidi, Vici Shock and awe Time to die... not!

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CBRNe World (ISSN No: 2040 - 2724, USPS No: 000 -

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Aum surveillance Poisoned Base townhouse village close to one of the

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Tracerco’s range of Personal Electronic Dosimeters

34743 A4AD1chosen.indd 1 06/10/2020 16:25

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Commerical Biological Defense Systems

• Providing design, manufacture,

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WMD, national strategy for chemical

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T (UK): +44 (0)1582 491616 | (USA) 1 571 210 1258

Some of the participants at the live event ©Falah

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2. Future of Syria – What is the likely future

3. Future of State conflict and CBRN

4. A rose by any other name… What CBRN

6. It’s worse than that, he’s dead, Jim – mass

7. Evidence never lies… – CBRN forensics

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Zoe Rutherford talks to Edoardo Cavalieri d’Oro about the work of

ZR: A number of other agencies have

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the emergency management sector, they

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Photo by ©Training Support Activity Europe (Spc. Craig Carter)

CBRNeWORLD Eliot Higgins, Founder of Bellingcat, talks to Gwyn Winfield

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ISO-POD FLEXAIR HE/P100

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CBRNeWORLD Colonel Ron Fizer* (retd) on how military CBRN

Mitigating CBRN and Infectious

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