Advice from the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on riot control agents in connection to the Chemical Weapons Convention

Compounds that cause powerful sensory irritation to humans were reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in response to requests in 2014 and 2017 by the OPCW Director-General to advise which riot control agents (RCAs) might be subject to declaration under the Chemical Weapons Convention (the Convention). The chemical and toxicological properties of 60 chemicals identified from a survey by the OPCW of RCAs that had been researched or were available for purchase, and additional chemicals recognised by the SAB as having potential RCA applications, were considered. Only 17 of the 60 chemicals met the definition of a RCA under the Convention. These findings were provided to the States Parties of the Convention to inform the implementation of obligations pertaining to RCAs under this international chemical disarmament and non-proliferation treaty.Peer reviewe

Adverse effects of plant food supplements and plants consumed as food: Results from the poisons centres-based PlantLIBRA study

Plant food supplements (PFS) are products of increasing popularity and wide-spread distribution. Nevertheless, information about their risks is limited. To fill this gap, a poisons centres-based study was performed as part of the EU project PlantLIBRA. Multicentre retrospective review of data from selected European and Brazilian poisons centres, involving human cases of adverse effects due to plants consumed as food or as ingredients of food supplements recorded between 2006 and 2010. Ten poisons centres provided a total of 75 cases. In 57 cases (76%) a PFS was involved; in 18 (24%) a plant was ingested as food. The 10 most frequently reported plants were Valeriana officinalis, Camellia sinensis, Paullinia cupana, Melissa officinalis, Passiflora incarnata, Mentha piperita, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Ilex paraguariensis, Panax ginseng, and Citrus aurantium. The most frequently observed clinical effects were neurotoxicity and gastro-intestinal symptoms. Most cases showed a benign clinical course; however, five cases were severe. PFS-related adverse effects seem to be relatively infrequent issues for poisons centres. Most cases showed mild symptoms. Nevertheless, the occurrence of some severe adverse effects and the increasing popularity of PFS require continuous active surveillance, and further research is warranted

Advice on assistance and protection provided by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons: Part 1. On medical care and treatment of injuries from nerve agents

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has provided advice on assistance and protection in relation to the Chemical Weapons Convention. In this, the first of several papers describing the SAB's work on this topic, we describe advice given in response to questions from the OPCW Director-General in 2013 and 2014 on the status of available medical countermeasures and treatments to organophosphorus nerve agents. This paper provides the evidence base for this advice which recommended to the OPCW pretreatments, emergency care, and long-term treatments that were available at the time of the request for this class of chemical warfare agent (CWA). It includes a bibliography of over 140 scientific references, which can be used as a platform for watching future medical countermeasure developments. The information provided in this paper should serve as a valuable reference for medical professionals and emergency responders who may have no knowledge of the symptoms and treatment options of exposure to nerve agents.Fil: Timperley, Christopher M.. Defence Science and Technology Laboratory; Reino UnidoFil: Forman, Jonathan E.. OPCW Scientific Advisory Board Secretary and Science Policy Adviser; Países BajosFil: Abdollahi, Mohammad. Tehran University Of Medical Sciences; IránFil: Al-Amri, Abdullah Saeed. Saudi Basic Industries Corporation; Arabia SauditaFil: Baulig, Augustin. Secrétariat Général de la Défense et de la Sécurité Nationale; FranciaFil: Benachour, Djafer. Ferhat Abbas University, Setif-1; ArgeliaFil: Borrett, Veronica. Bai Scientific; Australia. University of Melbourne; AustraliaFil: Cariño, Flerida A.. University of the Philippines; FilipinasFil: Geist, Michael. Basf Se; AlemaniaFil: Gonzalez, David. Universidad de la República Facultad de Química; Uruguay. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Kane, William. Monsanto Company; Estados UnidosFil: Kovarik, Zrinka. Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health; CroaciaFil: Martínez Álvarez, Roberto. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Mourão, Nicia Maria Fusaro. ABIQUIM; BrasilFil: Neffe, Slawomir. Military University of Technology; PoloniaFil: Raza, Syed K.. Institute Of Pesticide Formulation Technology (ipft); IndiaFil: Rubaylo, Valentin. State Scientific Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology; RusiaFil: Suarez, Alejandra Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Takeuchi, Koji. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology; JapónFil: Tang, Cheng. National Defence University; ChinaFil: Trifirò, Ferruccio. Universidad de Bologna; ItaliaFil: van Straten, Francois Mauritz. South African Nuclear Energy Corporation SOC Ltd; SudáfricaFil: Vanninen, Paula S.. Helsingin Yliopisto; FinlandiaFil: Vucinic, Slavica. Vojnomedicinska Akademija; SerbiaFil: Zaitsev, Volodymyr. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil. Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv; UcraniaFil: Zafar Uz Zaman, Muhammad. National Engineering And Scientific Commission (nescom); PakistánFil: Zina, Mongia Saïd. Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté Des Sciences de Tunis; TúnezFil: Holen, Stian. Opcw Scientific Advisory Board Secretary; Países Bajo

Advice on assistance and protection provided by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons: Part 3. On medical care and treatment of injuries from sulfur mustard

Blister agents damage the skin, eyes, mucous membranes and subcutaneous tissues. Other toxic effects may occur after absorption. The response of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to a request from the OPCW Director-General in 2013 on the status of medical countermeasures and treatments to blister agents is updated through the incorporation of the latest information. The physical and toxicological properties of sulfur mustard and clinical effects and treatments are summarised. The information should assist medics and emergency responders who may be unfamiliar with the toxidrome of sulfur mustard and its treatment.Fil: Timperley, Christopher M.. Defence Science And Technology Laboratory; Reino UnidoFil: Forman, Jonathan E.. Organisation For The Prohibition Of Chemical Weapons; Países BajosFil: Abdollahi, Mohammad. Tehran University of Medical Sciences; IránFil: Al-Amri, Abdullah Saeed. Saudi Basic Industries Corporation; Arabia SauditaFil: Baulig, Augustin. Secrétariat Général de la Défense Et de la Sécurité Nationale; FranciaFil: Benachour, Djafer. Ferhat Abbas University; ArgeliaFil: Borrett, Veronica. La Trobe University; AustraliaFil: Cariño, Flerida A.. University Of The Philippines Diliman; FilipinasFil: Curty, Christophe. Spiez Laboratory; SuizaFil: Geist, Michael. Basf Se; AlemaniaFil: Gonzalez, David. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Kane, William. Monsanto Company; Estados UnidosFil: Kovarik, Zrinka. Institut Za Medicinska Istrazivanja I Medicinu Rada; CroaciaFil: Martínez Álvarez, Roberto. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Mourão, Nicia Maria Fusaro. Brazilian Chemical Industry; BrasilFil: Neffe, Slawomir. Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna; PoloniaFil: Raza, Syed K.. National Accreditation Board For Testing And Calibration Laboratories; IndiaFil: Rubaylo, Valentin. State Research Institute Of Organic Chemistry And Technology; RusiaFil: Suarez, Alejandra Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Química Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Química Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Takeuchi, Koji. National Institute Of Advanced Industrial Science And Technology; JapónFil: Tang, Cheng. Ministry of National Defence. Office for the Disposal of Japanese Abandoned Chemical Weapons; ChinaFil: Trifirò, Ferruccio. Universidad de Bologna; ItaliaFil: Straten, Francois Mauritz van. Independent Former Opcw Sab Member; SudáfricaFil: Vanninen, Paula S.. University of Helsinki; FinlandiaFil: Vucinic, Slavica. Vojnomedicinska Akademija; SerbiaFil: Zaitsev, Volodymyr. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Zafar-Uz-Zaman, Muhammad. National Engineering And Scientific Commission; PakistánFil: Zina, Mongia Saïd. Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté Des Sciences de Tunis; TúnezFil: Holen, Stian. OPCW; Países BajosFil: Alwan, Wesam S.. Monash University; AustraliaFil: Suri, Vivek. OPCW Office of Strategy and Policy; Países BajosFil: Hotchkiss, Peter J.. Organisation For The Prohibition Of Chemical Weapons; Países BajosFil: Ghanei, Mostafa. Baqiyatallah University Of Medical Sciences; Irá