Soman

Background

Soman, also known as "GD," is a human-made chemical warfare agent that is a type of nerve agent. It was originally developed as an insecticide (insect killer) in Germany in 1944.

Nerve agents are the most toxic (harmful) and fast acting of the known chemical warfare agents.

Nerve agents are similar to pesticides (insect killers) called organophosphates. They are similar in terms of how they work and the kinds of harmful effects they cause. However, nerve agents are much stronger than organophosphate pesticides.

Soman is a clear, colorless, tasteless liquid with a slight smell similar to camphor containing mothballs or rotten fruit. It can become a vapor (gas) if heated.

Where it is found

Soman is not found naturally in the environment.

It is possible that soman or other nerve agents were used in chemical warfare during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.

How it works

All the nerve agents cause their toxic effects by preventing enzymes from working. Enzymes act as the body's "off switch" for glands and muscles. Without an "off switch," the glands and muscles are constantly being stimulated (worked). They may get tired and no longer be able to keep working on things such as breathing.

Compared with other nerve agents, soman is more volatile than VX (the strongest nerve agent) but less volatile than sarin. Higher volatility means it is more likely to evaporate from a liquid into a gas and spread into the environment.

Because soman is more volatile than VX, it will stay on surfaces for a shorter period of time compared with VX.

People can be exposed to the gas even if they do not come in contact with the liquid form. Because of its high volatility, soman is an immediate but short-lived threat. Soman does not last a long time in the environment.

Signs and symptoms

The level of soman poisoning depends on the amount of soman, how the person was exposed, and for how long.

Symptoms will likely appear within a few seconds after exposure to the vapor (gas) form of soman. Symptoms will likely appear within a few minutes to hours after exposure to the liquid form.

People can be exposed to soman by breathing it in, swallowing, or through skin absorption. Exposure to a low or medium amount can cause some or all of the following symptoms within seconds to hours:

• Abnormally low or high blood pressure
• Blurred vision
• Chest tightness
• Confusion
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Drooling and excessive sweating
• Drowsiness
• Eye pain
• Headache
• Increased urination
• Nausea, vomiting, and/or abdominal pain
• Rapid breathing
• Runny nose
• Slow or fast heart rate
• Small, pinpoint pupils
• Watery eyes
• Weakness

Even a tiny drop of nerve agent on the skin can cause sweating and muscle twitching where the agent touched.

Exposure to a large amount of soman in any way can cause these additional negative health effects:

• Convulsions (muscle shaking)
• Loss of consciousness
• Paralysis
• Respiratory (breathing) failure possibly leading to death

Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to soman.

Exposure

Soman can have a camphor or fruity smell. However, the smell may not be noticeable or strong enough to give people enough of a warning.

If soman is in the air, people can be exposed through skin or eye contact or by breathing it in. Because soman vapor (gas) is heavier than air, it will sink to lower areas and increase chances of exposure there.

Soman mixes easily with water, so it could be used to poison water. If soman is in the water, people can be exposed by drinking the water or getting the water on their skin.

If soman is in food, people can be exposed by eating the food. A person's clothes can also release soman if it touched soman gas, which can expose other people.

What to do if you are exposed

Recovery from soman exposure is possible with treatment, but the antidotes (cure) must be used quickly (within minutes) to be effective. Therefore, the best thing to do is avoid exposure

Get away

Get fresh air by leaving the area where the soman was released. Moving to an area with fresh air is a good way to reduce the chances of death from soman.

If the soman was released outdoors, move away from the area where the soman was released. Go to the highest ground possible, because soman is heavier than air and will sink to lower areas. If soman was released indoors, get out of the building.

Take off your clothes

Remove the clothing as quickly as possible. Cut clothes off instead of pulling it over the head. If you are helping others, avoid touching unsafe areas.

Throw your clothes away

Put your clothing inside a plastic bag. Tie the bag, and then put that bag inside another plastic bag. Throwing away your clothes this way helps protect you and others from any chemicals that might be on your clothes.

When the local or state health department or emergency team arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself.

Wash your body

Wash any soman from your skin with lots of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will protect you from any chemicals on your body.

If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes.

Treatment

Treatment involves removing soman from the body as soon as possible and providing supportive medical care in a hospital setting.

Antidotes (cures) are available for soman. They are most useful if given as soon as possible after exposure. Clinicians should treat suspected cases based on the situation and should not wait for laboratory confirmation.

Long-term health effects

Mildly exposed people usually recover completely.

Severely exposed people are not likely to survive.

More information

You can contact one of the following:

• Regional poison control center: 1-800-222-1222
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Response Hotline
  • Phone: 800-CDC-INFO
  • Teletypewriter (TTY): 888-232-6348
  • E-mail inquiries: cdcinfo@cdc.gov