Chemical Terrorism and Threats
Analytes of Interest
[+] Expand All Items Below | [-] Contract All Items Below
- Beryllium
- Barium
- Cadmium
- Thallium
- Lead
- Uranium
- Arsenic
All of these metals are readily available and highly toxic.
- Lead
- Mercury
- Cadmium
All of these metals are readily available and highly toxic.
- Cyanide is present in everyone’s blood at various levels
- Cyanide is higher in the blood of smokers
- Highly Toxic
- Readily Available (1.7 Billion lbs annually produced)
- Has been used in the past (from ancient Egypt to recent terrorist attacks/plans)
- Accidental exposures, Suicides, Smoke Inhalation
- Tetramethylenedisulfotetramine (TETS, Tetramine)
- Tetramine is primarily used as a rat poison
- Prohibited in the US and banned in China (1984)
- Over 1000 deaths in China in the 1990’s and over 800 poisonings in 2002-2004
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, Benzene, Carbon Tetrachloride, Toluene, Tetrachloroethane, Ethylene, Xylenes, and Styrene
- Readily available
- Ease of use
- High Toxicity
- Determines the exposure to Tetranitromethane (TNM) by measuring 4-Hydroxy 3-Nitrophenylacetic Acid (HNPAA)
- TNM indicates exposure to explosives.
- TNM is also highly toxic
- Widely available chemical used in various industrial processes as a chemical intermediate
Nerve Agent Metabolites in Urine
- Determines the exposure to GB (Sarin), GF, GD (Soman), VX, and Russian VX.
- Extremely Toxic
- Not readily available*
*Sarin was used in 1995 Tokyo subway attacks and manufactured by the Aum Shinrikyo
- Determines the exposure to Ricin and Abrin.
- Extremely Toxic
- Both can be manufactured easily from plants found in the United States
- Determines the exposure to Monochloroacetate (MCA) and Monofluoroacetate (MFA)
- MCA is a systemic poison where 10% body coverage is lethal. MCA is used as a chemical intermediate in various processes
- MFA is a tasteless water soluble rodenticide that must be ingested to be effective
- Extremely Toxic
Please contact the CTAT unit for any analysis of unknowns or “white powders” prior to sending
Contact Phone Numbers
William “Tex” Parks
Chemical Terrorism Lab Coordinator
Office: 919-807-8771
Cell: 919-602-2481
Online Forms
- Sample Submission Form (PDF, 59 KB)
- Blood Shipping Manifest (to NCSLPH) (PDF, 45 KB)
- Urine Shipping Manifest (to NCSLPH) (PDF, 38 KB)
- Chain of Custody Form (PDF, 48 KB)
- CDC Laboratory Information for Chemical Emergencies
Specimen Collection and Shipping Information
CDC Specimen-Collection Protocol for a Chemical-Exposure Event (PDF, 10 MB)
Last Modified: November 30, 2012 3:28 PM

