Question

How can the process of "aging" explain the difference between organophosphates used as pesticides and those used as chemical warfare agents?

Answer 1

Some of the most common ingredients in pesticides are organic phosphorus compounds, also called organophosphates. Organophosphate pesticides are commonly used in and around homes, but related chemicals have been used as chemical warfare agents, specifically nerve agents.

A few of the chemical names of ingredients used in and around the home are malathion, diazinon, dichlorvos, fenthion, and chlorpyrifos.If organophosphate insecticides are misused, they can be absorbed into the body in a number of ways: by drinking, inhaling, or by skin absorption. The most dangerous effects are on the nervous system. There can be many symptoms, though they may not be as clear-cut in children as they are in adults:

• blurred vision;
• tearing and sweating;
• loss of bowel and bladder control;
• difficulty breathing, as the airway may fill with fluid;
• tremors, muscle twitching, and seizures;
• coma and even death

Chemical warfare agents constitute one of the greatest threats in the modern world. Among them, the neurotoxic agents are of special interest due to their high lethality and danger. Neurotoxic agents are organophosphorus compounds that act by inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which is fundamental for the control of transmission of nervous impulses. There are several ways of treating intoxication by organophosphorus compounds, but none of them is efficient against all the known neurotoxic agents or against all of their effects.