Forensics

Syria 'chemical attack': What can forensics tell us?

The recent incident involving chemical weapons in Syria demands an investigation. But from a technical perspective, what kind of forensic information can be gleaned from an incident like this?

Finding evidence that connects the chemicals to the weapon system and the victims is critical to establishing a narrative that explains what happened in Idlib province.

Chemical warfare forensics is heavily affected by the persistency or lack thereof of the chemicals involved.

The nerve agents all degrade in the environment, both by evaporation and by contact with moisture or other chemicals.

Sarin evaporates quite quickly, usually faster than water.

Tabun, an older nerve agent, and Soman, a somewhat more expensive nerve agent, both evaporate slower than Sarin.

VX is highly persistent, and evaporates extremely slowly.