Chemical

WMDTo Better Detect Chemical Weapons, Materials Scientists Are Exploring New Technologies
By Olamilekan Joseph Ibukun
Chemical warfare is one of the most devastating forms of conflict. It leverages toxic chemicals to disable, harm or kill without any physical confrontation. Across various conflicts, it has caused tens of thousands of deaths and affected over a million people through injury and long-term health consequences.
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WMDAs AI Worsens WMD Threat, Australia Must Lead Response
By Devon Whittle
When dealing with AI-enabled CBRN threats, we cannot afford to wait until the first catastrophic incident occurs. AI companies have acknowledged that frontier models have capabilities that, without adequate safeguards, could enable novices to create biological and chemical weapons.
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CHEMICAL HAZARDSFeds Move to Eliminate Petrochemical Watchdog, Putting Texans and Others at Risk
By Elena Bruess, Capital & Main
Amid increasingly intense weather, the Chemical Safety Board is the lone independent agency watching over the Gulf Coast’s petrochemical corridor.
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CHEMICAL EXPLOSIONSTrump Quietly Shutters the Only Federal Agency that Investigates Industrial Chemical Explosions
By Tristan Baurick
Hazardous chemical accidents happen in the U.S. about every other day. Who will investigate them now?
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SENSORSLow-Power Sensors Could Last 10 Years, Providing Surveillance, Security
By Mollie Rappe
Researchers at Sandia have spent the last three years developing an ultra-low-power chemical sensor to detect sarin and other chemical warfare agents or gaseous industrial toxins, aiming to protect the public and warfighters.
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CHEMICAL SECURITYPreparing our Ports for the Future of Alternative Maritime Fuels
Fuels like ammonia will greatly reduce carbon emissions—better for the environment, but are they safe for our infrastructure? The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently conducted a market research survey to assess hazards associated with alternative fuel production, storage, and transport at U.S. ports. High-risk ports could be the sites for future ammonia release tests that will inform preparedness and response.
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FENTANYLHigh-Tech Methods to Stem the Flow of Fentanyl
By Tom Rickey
Keeping up with illicit labs churning out new forms of fentanyl, nitazenes is the goal.
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CHEMICAL WEAPONSRussia Spreads Disinformation to Cover Up Its Use of Chemical Weapons in Ukraine
The United States determined Russia used the chemical weapon chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and riot control agents (RCA) as a method of warfare in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
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CHEMICALSChlorine Is a Highly Useful Chemical That’s Also Extremely Dangerous − Here’s What to Know About Staying Safe Around It
By Aliasger K. Salem
Chlorine is extremely toxic, and because it’s ubiquitous in many industries across the U.S., it often is released in chemical accidents and spills. As with other household chemicals, it is very important to understand its risks, read labels before using it, store it in its original container in a secure place and dispose of it safely.
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CROSS-BORDER THREATSStriving for a More Secure World
By Allan Brettman
PNNL experts work with international partners to tackle cross-border biological and chemical threats. PNNL’s border security focus can be traced to the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. U.S. policy makers became concerned about the security of nuclear material in the newly independent states of the former U.S.S.R.
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DRUG DETECTIONImproving Capabilities of Portable Drug Detection Systems
DHS S&T and partners are working to improve their ability to identify different narcotics, like fentanyl. Narcotics detection systems libraries will be enhanced via the collection of data on approximately 50 restricted substances, primarily related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, that are scheduled and controlled by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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CLOAK & DAGGERWho Was the Cold War “Umbrella Assassin?”
By Christopher Nehring
A new Danish documentary sheds some light on the shadowy figure of Francesco Gullino, alias “Agent Piccadilly,” the prime suspect in the 1978 murder of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov in London.
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RAIL SAFETYIn a Growing Petrochemical Hub, the East Palestine Derailment Triggers “an Uneasy Feeling”
By Eve Andrews
The Upper Ohio River Valley has been layered in industrial pollution for centuries, and residents are fed up.
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RAIL SECURITYCan You Tell Whether a “Bomb Train” Is Coming to Your Town? It’s Complicated.
By John McCracken
This information about trains carrying hazardous materials is out there, but it is not always readily accessible. With the derailment of the Norfolk Southern train receiving international attention, more railroad communities are now asking what is traveling through their backyard, and how to avoid the fate of East Palestine, Ohio.
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RAIL SAFETYOhio Chemical Spill Draws Focus on Railroad Dangers
By Alistair Walsh
The U.S. has one of the most extensive rail networks in the world, but diminishing safety standards puts people and the environment at risk. The latest accident has drawn sharp focus onto the safety standards of the highly profitable freight rail industry and its prolific lobbying against regulation.
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