Preventing the Inhumane Use of Chemistry

      With war remaining as a constant throughout history with participants resorting to crueler and crueler methods of warfare, the University of North Carolina has begun a study to create efficient ways of using antidotes to combat chemical warfare. The researchers, lead by Joseph Desimone, will use technology known as PRINT (Particle Replication in Non-wetting Templates) to achieve this feat. This technology will allow scientists to alter the particles of antidotes and utilize microscopic needles to inject this antidote to those affected by nerve gas. The study is further described in this article: http://www.chemistrytimes.com/research/Grant_to_explore_better_methods_for_delivering_antidotes_after_chemical_attacks.asp.

      Personally, I believe this study is extremely relevant to modern society due to situations like what is presently occurring in Syria. In Syria, Syrian rebels are using nerve gas on innocent civilians, and many believe the rebel group is somehow related to the government. Regardless, this is just one incident in which chemical warfare is used against harmless people. By conducting this research, researchers would be developing life-saving technology to combat this heinous act of war. Many gases from the periodic table have been used in chemical warfare throughout history. One example of this is chlorine which is highly poisonous in its natural gas form. This is why it's important to analyze properties of elements therefore if a situation presents itself in which the effects of the element would have to be neutralized, a solution could be made. This situation is chemical warfare. In studying how nerve gas reacts with the body and learning of how scientists can produce the most effective antidote particles, hopefully scientists could develop this way of saving a countless amount of lives presently and for many years to come.