Chemical Weapons:
Unlike biological agents or nuclear materials, which are difficult to produce or purchase, the ingredients used to produce chemical weapons are found in common products and petrochemicals. Terrorists can turn these common products into lethal weapons:
Blister agents cause blisters, burns, and other tissue damage.
Blood agents are absorbed into the bloodstream and deprive blood cells of oxygen.
Choking agents attack the lungs.
Nerve agents affect the central nervous system.
Riot-control agents cause respiratory distress and tearing and are designed to incapacitate rather than kill.
