Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism: TICs & TIMs

Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism
Training Support Package
Participant Guide
Slide 36
Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism:
TICs & TIMs
Maine Arsenic Poisonings
• 1 died, 15 others were sickened
following Sunday services in
2003
• Next day, maintenance man died
of gunshot wound to chest
• Victims shared coffee and food
• Arsenic was found in the coffee
pot.
Module One - Chemical Contamination of Food, Water, and Medication
36
This event is an example of inserting a toxin at the point-of-use (end of the distribution
chain). A dispute amongst members of a church resulted in one death and 15 others
sickened after drinking coffee contaminated with arsenic and served after Sunday
services.
An individual with maintenance duties at the church (including making the coffee)
committed suicide the next day, leaving a note implicating himself and possibly another
individual.
A tentative diagnosis of heavy metal poisoning was confirmed within a day and
treatment with a chelating agent (dimercaptopropane sulfonate) begun for the affected
individuals, who presented to the hospital hours after ingesting the coffee with stomach
pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and low blood pressure. This event has had a
lasting effect on this small community (population ~650), with the loss of a “sense of
innocence” (suspicion, locking doors) documented in news articles years later.
December 2008 Version 2.0 Page 292