RESPONDING TO CHEMICAL TERRORISM
The possibility of a terrorist chemical attack underscores the need for a reliable way to determine the identity of chemical agents and find out who has been exposed and to what extent. To this end, CDC is using the science of biomonitoring to protect the American public in the event of a chemical incident.
Rapid Toxic Screen
CDC's Environmental Health Laboratory has developed the Rapid Toxic Screen to analyze people's blood or urine for 150 chemical agents likely to be used by terrorists...more
Laboratory Response to Chemical Terrorism
National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) also maintains a select Laboratory Response Team that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to a chemical terrorism event anywhere in the country. This team supports the collection of clinical samples in hospitals and trauma centers to help ensure that the proper testing can be done to assess people's exposure to chemical agents. CDC's Environmental Health Laboratory itself is equipped to handle analyses of samples collected after an event of even major scope...more
Chemical Emergency Resources for Clinicians (CERC)
A chemical event, intentional or accidental, may have serious physical as well as psychological consequences for the public. Emergency departments may be inundated with real and potential victims. Emergency medicine (EM) physicians will be on the frontlines of response during a chemical event and will play a vital role in activating the Laboratory Response Network. The links on this site will provide EM physicians with pre-event and just-in-time resources about the EM physician's role in the public health response to a chemical event...more
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Fact Sheets