title: Toxicology of organophosphorus compounds in view of an increasing terrorist threat.
abstract: The implementation of the Chemical Weapon Convention (CWC), prohibiting the development, production, storage and use of chemical weapons by 192 nations and the ban of highly toxic OP pesticides, especially class I pesticides according to the WHO classification, by many countries constitutes a great success of the international community. However, the increased interest of terrorist groups in toxic chemicals and chemical warfare agents presents new challenges to our societies. Almost seven decades of research on organophosphorus compound (OP) toxicology was mainly focused on a small number of OP nerve agents despite the fact that a huge number of OP analogues, many of these agents having comparable toxicity to classical nerve agents, were synthesized and published. Only limited physicochemical, toxicological and medical information on nerve agent analogues is available in the open literature. This implies potential gaps of our capabilities to detect, to decontaminate and to treat patients if nerve agent analogues are disseminated and may result in inadequate effectiveness of newly developed countermeasures. In summary, our societies may face new, up to now disregarded, threats by toxic OP which calls for increased awareness and appropriate preparedness of military and civilian CBRN defense, a broader approach for new physical and medical countermeasures and an integrated system of effective detection, decontamination, physical protection and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, 80937, Munich, Germany. franzworek@bundeswehr.org.
authors.forename: Franz
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3531-3616
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Worek
authors.affiliation: Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, 80937, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wille
authors.affiliation: Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, 80937, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.affiliation: Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, 80937, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thiermann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000931:Antidotes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051337:Chemical Terrorism; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D003666:Decontamination; D004189:Disaster Planning; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D062025:Organophosphate Poisoning / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D000931:Antidotes; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D010575:Pesticides
keywords: Analogues and derivatives; Defense; Organophosphorus compounds; Terrorism; Toxicology