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The danger posed by chemical terrorism is very real, and the
military use of chemical toxins is well documented. These
toxins range from Sarin, a potent chemical nerve agent developed
during the 1930s, to common industrial chemicals like ammonia
and chlorine. Sarin and related compounds pose a large threat,
because they are fairly easy to manufacture. A thimble-sized
dose of a nerve toxin like Sarin or Tabun can kill a person
in minutes; a few mist particles can produce death in 24 hours.
Additionally, in the United States alone, thousands of tons
of toxic industrial chemicals are produced annually. Though
not as dangerous as nerve agents, these compounds, including
hydrogen cyanide, chlorine, hydrogen fluoride, and a host
of others, are still inherently lethal. Large enough quantities
of these chemicals exist so that, if purposefully or accidentally
dispersed, they would produce devastating effects.
The threat of chemical attack is serious and immediate, as
demonstrated by the Aum Shinrikyo sect's attack on the Tokyo
subway system in 1995, and the recent military use of chemical
warfare agents by such countries as Iraq. The threat of industrial
chemical accidents is no less real: To cite just one tragic
example, the accidental release of lethal gases by the Union
Carbide plant in Bhopal, India resulted in more than 6,000
deaths and 520,000 injuries, including blindness and terminal
emphysema. Vulnerable targets for chemical agents include
densely occupied public spaces as well as high profile strategic
government structures. Toxic chemicals, once released, may
contaminate both indoor and outdoor environments, severely
affecting people and critical assets at great cost to both
government and private interests.
To contain and minimize the effects of chemical attacks,
and/or the accidental release of chemicals, requires a system
that can detect chemical agents and toxic industrial chemicals
in complicated structures. Such threat detection must operate
continuously, with minimal intervention and for a reasonable
period of time; and it must do so in an unobtrusive manner.
The mission of OSS is to manufacture and sell systems that
use 21st-century optical technology to address the need for
rapid, reliable warnings of chemical threats. DICAST®
is the first product developed to fill this mission.
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