Sarin
Background
Sarin was developed by German scientists as a pesticide before it was deemed an effective substance for use in warfare. Since then, it has been used in small-scale attacks such as the one in 1995 that killed several people in Tokyo as well as on a larger scales such as the use by Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq War and more recently by Assad in Syria. More information regarding the recent attack in Syria can be found under the 'Current Events' tab. Among lethal chemical warfare agents, the nerve agents have had an entirely dominant role since the Second World War. Nerve agents acquired their name because they affect the transmission of nerve impulses in the nervous system. All nerve agents belong to the chemical group of organo-phosphorus compounds. They are stable and easily dispersed, highly toxic and have rapid effects both when absorbed through the skin and via respiration. Nerve agents can be manufactured by means of fairly simple chemical techniques because the raw materials are inexpensive and generally readily available.