Unclassified

All-Hazards Threat Overview

Emergency Manager Course

Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
20-24 January 2020

Distribution Statement A
Approved for Public Release: Distribution is Unlimited
 Course Overview

• Chemical Hazards
• Biological Hazards
• Radiological / Nuclear Hazards

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 Objectives

• Define various Weapons of Mass Destruction and

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear
hazards
• Explain the effects and potential impact of
Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Give insight into the science of emergency
management

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 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and
Nuclear Hazards

Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, and Nuclear
Hazards

Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear

• Act = Weapons of Mass Destruction and Related

Programs
• Accident / Incident
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 Chemical Hazards

Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, and
Nuclear Hazards

Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear

Weapons of Mass Destruction and Related

Programs
• Chemical Weapons
• Chemical Agents
Incidents
• Toxic Industrial Chemicals
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 Chemical

• Chemical Hazard
• Chemical Weapon
• Chemical Agent

Army
U.S. Army
U.S.
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 Chemical Agent Classes and Effects

Agent Class Agent Effects

Nerve, blister, choking,
• Nerve Tabun (GA)blood Miosis
Sarin (GB) Shortness of Breath
Soman (GD) Runny Nose
Cyclosarin (GF) Convulsions
VX

Blister Sulfur Mustard (H, HD) Redness

Nitrogen Mustard (HN) Irritation
Phosgene Oxime (CX) Blisters
Lewisite (L) Shortness of Breath
Choking Phosgene (CG) Shortness of Breath
Diphosgene (DP) Coughing
Chlorine (Cl)
Blood Hydrogen cyanide (AC) Loss of Consciousness
Cyanogen chloride (CK) Shortness of Breath

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 Chemical Persistency

• Persistent Agent
• Non-Persistent Agent
Persistency Target of Choice Target Effect
Non-persistent • Personnel • Immediate
• Nerve • Lethal
• Blood
• Choking

Persistent • Terrain • Reduced operations

• Nerve • Material tempo or mission
• Blister • Logistics Degradation
• Command and • Lethal or casualty-
Control Facilities producing

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 Dissemination

• Military
• Commercial
• Improvised

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 Toxic Industrial Chemicals and Toxic
Industrial Materials

• Toxic Industrial Chemicals: • Toxic Industrial Materials:

Chemicals manufactured, Toxic material manufactured,
used, transported, or stored by stored, transported, or used in
industrial, medical, or industrial or commercial
commercial processes processes

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 Causes of Chemical Incidents

• Accident
• Defective equipment
• Improper garbage disposal
• Defective containers
• Spontaneous combustion
• Road / Rail accident
• Deliberate / Vandalism
• Defective vehicle

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 Dual-Use Dilemma

• Dual-use: Peaceful and military purposes

• Precursor chemicals
• Chemical facilities can be
• Dedicated
• Converted
• Clandestine

U.S. Department of Justice

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 Biological Hazards

Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, and
Nuclear Hazards

Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear

Weapons of Mass Destruction and Related

Programs
• Biological Weapons
• Biological Agents
Incidents
• Toxic Industrial Biologicals

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 Biological

• Biological Hazard
• Biological Weapon
• Biological Agent

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 Biological Types

Pathogen
• Bacteria (anthrax, plague)
• Virus (smallpox, hemorrhagic fever)
• Toxin (botulinum, ricin)

for Disease
Centers for
U.S. Centers and
Control and
Disease Control
Prevention
Prevention
U.S.
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 Biological Agents (1 of 2)

Disease Lethality Incubation Vaccine Treatment Transmissibility Method of

Period Dissemination
Inhalation High 1-7 Days Yes Antibiotics No Spores Aerosol
Anthrax
Tularemia Moderate 2-10 Days Investig- Antibiotics No Aerosol
ational
New Drug
Pneumonic High 1-3 Days No Antibiotics Yes Aerosol
Plague
Smallpox High 7-17 Days Yes Supportive Yes Aerosol
Venezuelan Low 1-6 Days Investig- Supportive Yes Aerosol / Vectors
Equine ational
Encephal- New Drug
omyelitis
Ebola High 4-16 Days No Symptomatic Yes Contact / Aerosol

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 Biological Agents (2 of 2)

Disease Lethality Incubation Vaccine Treatment Transmissibility Method of

Period Dissemination
Botulinum High Hours-Days Investig- Anti-Toxin No Aerosol / Sabotage
Toxin ational
New Drug

Ricin High Hours-Days No Symptomatic No Aerosol / Sabotage

Staphyloc- <1% 1-6 hours No Symptomatic No Aerosol / Sabotage

occal
Enterotoxin
B

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Relative Toxicity of Biological Warfare
Agents (1 of 3)

Biological Chemical
Agents Toxins Agents

-8 -7 -6 .01mg
-5 -4
1mg 100mg
10 10 10 10 10
.001mg .1mg 10mg 1gram

Estimated Lethal Dose (mg/person)

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Relative Toxicity of Biological Warfare
Agents (2 of 3)

A paper clip weighs about 500 mg

Biological
Agents Toxins Chemical Agents

-8 -7 -6 -5 -4 .01mg 1mg 100mg

10 10 10 10 10
.001mg .1mg 10mg 1gram

Estimated Lethal Dose (mg/person)

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 Relative Toxicity of Biological Warfare
Agents (3 of 3)

1 gram of anthrax spores contains 10 million lethal doses

Approximately 10 grams of anthrax spores can kill as many
people as a ton of sarin
Biological Chemical Agents
Agents Toxins

-8 -7 -6 -5 -4 .01mg 1mg 100mg

10 10 10 10 10
.001mg .1mg 10mg 1gram

Estimated Lethal Dose (mg/person)

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 Dissemination

• Liquid or powder aerosols

• Fomites (letters, books,
surfaces, etc.)
• Contaminated food and/or
water

Photographer’s Mate Airman Jason Frost

• Topical exposure
• Insect vector
• Injection

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 Toxic Industrial Biologicals

Toxic Industrial Biologicals: Biological material

manufactured, used, transported, or stored by
industrial, medical, or commercial processes which
could pose an infectious or toxic threat

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 Dual-Use Dilemma

Dual-Use Research: Scientific experiments can have

beneficial applications or be used for destructive
purposes

André Luis Carvalho; Leandro Maranghetti Lourenço

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Biological Acts and Incidents

September 2001 – U.S. Anthrax Attack

Richard Taylor
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 Radiological / Nuclear Threat (1 of 2)

Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, and Nuclear
Hazards

Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear

Weapons of Mass Destruction and

Related Programs
• Radiological Dispersion Device
• Radiological Exposure Device

Incidents
• Toxic Industrial Radiologicals
• Nuclear Power Reactors
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 Radiological / Nuclear Threat (2 of 2)

Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, and
Nuclear

Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear

Weapons of Mass Destruction and Related Programs

• Nuclear Weapons
• Improvised Nuclear Device
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 Exposure
Acute Exposure
High levels of radiation in a
short time (24 hours or less)
Overcome body’s repair
mechanisms
Threshold doses for certain
effects (e.g., hair loss)
Symptoms appear and worsen
rapidly
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Chronic Exposure
Low levels of radiation over long
period (years to decade)
Body has the ability to overcome
some damage
Natural background radiation is
chronic exposure
Levels of radiation are difficult to
study since effects are not seen until
years after exposure
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 Radiological Weapons

• Radiological Dispersal Device

• “Dirty Bomb”
• Radiological Exposure Device

Weapon of Mass Disruption

• Improvised Nuclear Device

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 Radiological Dispersal Device

Bottom Line: A Radiological Dispersal Device is not an Improvised

Nuclear Device
Radiological Dispersal Device has no nuclear yield
Differences in magnitude and effects
Nowhere near as devastating
Much lower number of casualties

But, a Radiological Dispersal Device event is serious:

Lethal
Long-term consequences
Requires prompt corrective actions
Will be extremely disruptive
Will have national and international implications

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 Effects of Radiological Dispersal Devices

• Blast
• Radiation
• Fear and panic
• Economic

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 Nuclear Weapons Effects

• Prompt Effects
• Initial radiation
• Thermal radiation
• Electromagnetic pulse blast and shock
• Delayed Effects
• Fallout

Administration/Nevada Site Office

National Nuclear Security
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 Summary

Chemical, Biological,
Radiological, and Nuclear
Hazards

Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear

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Questions?

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