This book reviews the research and practical considerations for the decontamination of chemical and biological warfare agents.

Chemicals Used for Illegal Purposes helps hazmat professionals and others determine if chemicals at a suspicious site could be used to make illegal substances such as drugs, explosives, pyrotechnics, nerve agents, and other toxins. It profiles dangerous chemicals, covering their appearance, smell, incompatibilities, and identification tests.

Written by an author who is an experiencedhazmat-qualifiedfirst responder,forensicspecialist, and educator, this book provides the means to quickly identify the type of explosive or chemical weapon at hand upon arriving at the scene. A thorough and accessible reference, this book contains the identification capabilities for 468 different formulations for explosives and chemical weapons. Packed with critical information and more than 350 illustrations and photographs, it presents detailed descriptions for each of these formulations by breaking down their materials into five concise categories: common name, synonym, class, ingredients, and use. The materials are also indexed by common name, class, and ingredient.