On 19 July 2004 Dr Andre Richardt, German Armed Forces Research Institute for Protection Technologies and Marc-Michael Blum, Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Frankfurt gave a talk entitled "Beyond Protection and Detection - Current and future technologies for the decontamination of chemical and biological warfare agents for armed forces and civilian first responders".
Remembering the sarin attack on the Tokyo subway or the anthrax and ricin incidents in the USA combined with the recent developments in international terrorism make the possible use of biological and chemical agents still more than a theoretical possibility. This threat affects both civilians and first responders as well as troops deployed around the globe. While both detection of and protection against the effects of BC agents is essential only the decontamination - or more precisely the detoxification - of these agents will allow the safe rescue of people or the possibility to use contaminated infrastructure or material again.
The talk will focus on current available technologies for the decontamination of BC agents as well as on possible future technologies that might become available over the next years. The different needs of armed forces and civilian first responders will be compared with the capabilities of the different technologies. Also the limitations of the different methods will be explained. The presentation will feature an introduction to chemical and biological warfare agents and their effects. No special background in biology or chemistry is required.
Dr Andre Richardt studied biology and is currently the head of BC decontamination at the German Armed Forces Research Institute for Protection Technologies / NBC Protection in Munster. In 2004 he is on a leave working with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Porton Down, Salisbury. Marc-Michael Blum is a chemist and currently working with the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry at the University of Frankfurt where he is working in the field of enzymatic decontamination of chemical warfare agents.
For further information please contact Tanya Conyers-Silverthorn. 
