| Names | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɑːrɪn/ |
| Preferred IUPAC name Propan-2-yl methylphosphonofluoridate | |
| Other names
(RS)-O-Isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate; IMPF; GB;[2] 2-(Fluoro-methylphosphoryl)oxypropane; Phosphonofluoridic acid, P-methyl-, 1-methylethyl ester EA-1208 TL-1618 T-144 | |
| Identifiers | |
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| 3D model (JSmol) | |
| ChEBI | |
| ChEMBL | |
| ChemSpider |
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.289.331 |
| PubChem CID | |
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| Properties | |
| Chemical formula | C4H10FO2P |
| Molar mass | 140.094 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | Clear colourless liquid, brownish if impure |
| Odor | Odourless in pure form. Impure sarin can smell like mustard or burned rubber. |
| Density | 1.0887 g/cm3 (25 °C) 1.102 g/cm3 (20 °C) |
| Melting point | −56 °C (−69 °F; 217 K) |
| Boiling point | 158 °C (316 °F; 431 K) |
| Solubility in water | Miscible |
| log P | 0.30 |
| Hazards | |
| Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH): | |
| Main hazards | Extremely lethal cholinergic agent. |
| GHS labelling: | |
| Pictograms | |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | 4 1 1 |
| Threshold limit value (TLV) | 0.00003 mg/m3 (TWA), 0.0001 mg/m3 (STEL) |
| Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
| LD50 (median dose) | 39 μg/kg (intravenous, rat)[3] |
| NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |
| IDLH (Immediate danger) | 0.1 mg/m3 |
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | Lethal Nerve Agent Sarin (GB) |
| Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). N verify (what is YN ?) Infobox references | |
Sarin (NATO designation GB short for G-series, B) is an extremely toxic organophosphorus compound[4] that has been often used as a chemical weapon due to its extreme potency as a nerve agent.
Sarin is a volatile, colorless and odorless liquid. Exposure can be lethal even at very low concentrations, and death can occur within one to ten minutes after direct inhalation of a lethal dose[5][6] due to suffocation from respiratory paralysis, unless antidotes are quickly administered.[4] People who absorb a non-lethal dose and do not receive immediate medical treatment may suffer permanent neurological damage.[7]
Sarin is widely considered a weapon of mass destruction. Production and stockpiling of sarin was outlawed as of April 1997 by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993, and it is classified as a Schedule 1 substance.
Health effects
Like some other nerve agents that affect the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, sarin attacks the nervous system by interfering with the degradation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at neuromuscular junctions. Death usually occurs as a result of asphyxia due to the inability to control the muscles involved in breathing.[8]
Initial symptoms following exposure to sarin are a runny nose, tightness in the chest, and constriction of the pupils (miotic action). Soon after, the person will have difficulty breathing and experience nausea and drooling. This progresses to losing control of bodily functions, which may cause the person to vomit, defecate, and urinate. This phase is followed by twitching and jerking. Ultimately, the person becomes comatose and suffocates in a series of convulsive spasms. Common mnemonics for the symptomatology of organophosphate poisoning, including sarin, are the "killer Bs" of bronchorrhea and bronchospasm because they are the leading cause of death,[9] and SLUDGE – salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, gastrointestinal distress, and emesis (vomiting). Death may follow in one to ten minutes after direct inhalation, but may also occur after a delay ranging from hours to several weeks, in cases where exposure is limited but no antidote is applied.[8]
Sarin has a high volatility (ease with which a liquid can turn into vapour) relative to similar nerve agents, making inhalation very easy, and may even absorb through the skin. A person's clothing can release sarin for about 30 minutes after it has come in contact with sarin gas, which can lead to exposure of other people.[10]
Management
Treatment measures have been described.[10] Treatment is typically with the antidotes atropine and pralidoxime.[4] Atropine, an antagonist to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, is given to treat the physiological symptoms of poisoning. Since muscular response to acetylcholine is mediated through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, atropine does not counteract the muscular symptoms. Pralidoxime can regenerate cholinesterases if administered within approximately five hours. Biperiden, a synthetic acetylcholine antagonist, has been suggested as an alternative to atropine due to its better