Chemical Terrorism and Forensic Science: Current Scenario and Future Strategies to Tackle Terrorism

Chemical agents were first used, in war, by the Germans and French. These are hazardous substances, administered mainly via inhalation and oral routes, distributed in the body, and produce adverse effects on the human body according to particular properties. Such attacks are carried out on large scales and in an open environment. Detecting chemical agents and categorizing attacks as accident or terrorism is challenging. After 1970, in chemical terrorism, >30.5% and >11.6% of incidents involve unknown chemicals and gases respectively. Terrorism is mainly countered by the government and military, but forensic techniques are required for the analysis of evidence, and chemical agents; and to provide information for further investigations. Forensic analytical tools like spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and chromatography are majorly used for the detection of chemical terrorism agents. Still, new tools with more specificity and sensitivity are required to counter terrorism and minimize threats to human life.