The following Sector Summaries provide a detailed review of the 14th international meeting of the CBMTS, CBMTS Ind V in Cavtat, Croatia from 14-20 April 2007. Each Sector Summary is a complete and separate report.
Sector I: Chemical and Radiological Threats
Chair: Dr. David Moore (Sector review)
Co-Chair: Dr. R.C. Whitcomb Jr.
Co-Chair: Dr. Ronald Chesser
Thirteen oral presentations by scientists from nine counties provided the content of the Chemical and Radiological Threats Sector of CBMTS Industry V. The presentations covered a broad range of topics in three major categories; 1. Medical aspects of toxic chemicals, 2. Detection and health effects of radiation and 3. Policy issues related to the control of hazardous materials. The following is a list of final presentations.
Session 4
Chair: Dr. Mahdi Balali-Mood
Co-Chair: Dr. Mason Soule
Presentations
- Protein Changes in Sulfur Mustard Exposure: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications
Prabhati Ray
- Cell Death Mechanisms in Sulfur Mustard Injury: Basis for Therapeutics Development
Radharaman Ray
- New Directions in Antidote Treatment of OP Intoxications
Christophor Dishovsky
- Radiological Dispersal, Polonium-210, and Lessons for Public Health
Robert Whitcomb
- Border Control of Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials
Sasa Medakovic
Session 9
Chair: Dr. Christophor Dishovsky
Co-Chair: Dr. Tim Bauer
Presentations
- Pakistan's Approach Towards Chem-Bio Issues
Muhammad Javaid Iqbal
- Role of Chemical Weapons Convention in Combating Chemical Terrorism
Jiri Matousek
- Toxic Effects of Peracetic Acid Used as a Chemical Weapon During Worker Riots
Jasmina Jovic-Stosic
Session 13
Chair: Dr. Murray Hamilton
Co-Chair: LT. Bryon Marsh
Presentations
- The Importance of Particle Size in Estimating Downwind Contamination from an RDD
Timothy Bauer
- Contemporary Pollution Due to Old Uranium Tails
Igor Hadjamberdiev
- Diagnostic and Therapeutic Dilemmas in Acute OP Poisoning and New Potential Therapeutic Agents
Slavica Vucinic
- Identification of Opium and Heroin Body Packing in Medical Imaging in a Poisoned and Non-Poisoned Drug Smuggler
Mahdi Balali-Mood
Sulphur Mustard has been employed against military and civilians targets, however specific antidotes, preventatives and treatments remain elusive. Two presentations offered insight into the mechanism of sulphur mustard injury and proposed rational approaches for new drug development. Pathways to SM-induced skin injury such as inflammation and protease stimulation were proposed. Experiments conducted on human epidermal keritinocytes exposed to SM demonstrated the role laminin-5 degradation in the disruption of attachment proteins in the skin. The degradation of laminin-5 can also serve as a rapid and specific biomarker of SM injury. The mechanism of cell death (apoptosis) caused by SM can follow a number of biochemical pathways depending on the type of cell effected, skin, bronchial epithelium or alveolar epithelium. The data presented showed that SM-induced activation of caspase is the major pathway to apoptosis and drugs can be identified that inhibit the activation of this pathway.
In regards to nerve agents, results of pharmacokinetic and efficacy studies of a number of oximes were presented. Special emphasis was made of several pyridinium oximes with hetero-cyclic ring structures. The efficacy of these complex oximes against nerve agent challenges in animals was similar to that of basic oximes, however, their improved safety profiles and bioavailability may make them candidates for future consideration.
The use of oximes against OP intoxication is only one aspect of a multi-drug protocol needed to provide optimum medical support in a hospital setting. In fact the use of oximes may not always add value to therapy and there are dilemmas with each of the standard therapies that must be addressed with each patient.
Forensic analysis of nerve agent exposure in human clinical samples is important for bio-monitoring. Novel methods using solid phase micro-extraction coupled to GCMS for detection of nerve agent metabolites and nerve agent adducts in urine and plasma were described. One method uses reactivation of the nerve agent from adducts prior to detection.
In a clinical report, a case study of a cohort of healthy young men intentionally exposed to high concentrations of peracetic acid vapour and liquid was detailed. The exposures, the resulting injuries, their progression and the ultimate resolution were meticulously documented. The report represents a unique situation but demonstrates a chemical often used as a disinfectant can, under certain conditions, be used as a weapon.
Turning to radiation; In a recent case of intentional poisoning with Polonium-210 the death of the intended target initiated a comprehensive epidemiological study. The spread of Polonium-210 was determined by monitoring urine excretion of the toxicant in persons who could have been inadvertently exposed. Of particular note was the finding that universal hospital precautions minimized exposure to hospital workers.
Modelling of the downwind hazard of a radiological dispersal device was accomplished by using various available radioisotopes. The carrier states of the material determined the particle size and thus the dispersal efficacy, environmental hazard and health effects of the radiation. Critical information regarding the impact of a terrorist use of a dirty bomb can be gained from these models.
Detection of nuclear and radiological materials to prevent transhipment of restricted materials has been implemented at the borders of Croatia. This new capability is not without important technical challenges however. False positive signals from materials such as ceramics complicate the process. We were also made aware of diagnostic procedures to detect unique ways of smuggle restricted materials within human body cavities.
Radio-ecological disasters caused by decades of nuclear weapons production have not been fully identified, let alone remediated, and there is evidence of potential catastrophic pollution from uranium mining in Kyrgyzstan.
The Chemical Weapons Convention and other treaties and national policies aimed at preventing proliferation of danger
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