Tabun

What is it?

The chemical name for tabun is O-ethyl dimethylamidophosphorylcyanide.

In 1936, Germany first developed tabun as an insecticide. It was the first nerve agent discovered and is the easiest of the nerve agents to manufacture. Tabun is almost totally odorless and colorless in a pure state.

What are the symptoms of this type of attack?

The symptoms are: runny nose; tightness of the chest; dimness of vision and miosis of the eye pupils; difficulty in breathing; drooling and excessive sweating; nausea; vomiting, cramps, and involuntary defecation and urination; twitching, jerking, and staggering; and headache, confusion, drowsiness, coma, and convulsions. These symptoms are followed by discontinued breathing and death. If skin exposure is great, death can occur in a couple of minutes. Respiratory dosages kill in less than ten minutes and liquid in the eye kills almost as rapidly.

Treatment of Victims

For inhaled exposure, victims are given atropine or other nerve agent antidotes. If tabun gets into the eyes of a person, they should immediately flush them with water for 10-15 minutes, then put on a respiratory mask. When skin contact occurs, victims should wear respiratory masks and remove contaminated clothing. Skin should be washed with a lot of soap and water, 10% sodium carbonate solution, or 5% liquid household bleach.