Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism: TICs & TIMs

Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism
Training Support Package
Participant Guide
Slide 1
This module presents the major potential scenarios involving the release of radiation by
terrorists and reviews the basic fundamentals of radiation biology and concepts of
exposure, contamination and containment. Decontamination and treatment strategies
are presented for managing victims of radiation exposure.
While the science dealing with generation of energy sufficient to disrupt elements
(ionizing radiation)and the release of radiation from radioactive isotopes (high-energy
forms of some elements) seems distant from medical toxicology (the science of human
poisoning), there are many areas of overlap or similarity.
The principles of dose response, specificity of effect (toxidromes), and the importance of
supportive care with appropriate use of antidotes during treatment are exactly the same
in the evaluation of a terrorist event involving radiation or the typical industrial chemical
release. In addition, the principles of risk communication are very important (perhaps of
primary importance) in most potential radiation terrorist events.
December 2008 Version 2.0 Page 364