Exposure can be lethal even at very low concentrations, where death can occur within one to ten minutes after direct inhalation of a lethal dose, [ 5 ] [ 6 ] due to suffocation from respiratory paralysis , unless antidotes are quickly administered. Sarin is widely considered a weapon of mass destruction. Production and stockpiling of sarin was outlawed as of April by the Chemical Weapons Convention of , and it is classified as a Schedule 1 substance. Like some other nerve agents that affect the neurotransmitter acetylcholine , sarin attacks the nervous system by interfering with the degradation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at neuromuscular junctions.
Death usually occurs as a result of asphyxia due to the inability to control the muscles involved in breathing. Initial symptoms following exposure to sarin are a runny nose , tightness in the chest, and constriction of the pupils miotic action.
Soon after, the person will have difficulty breathing and experience nausea and drooling. This progresses to losing control of bodily functions, which may cause the person to vomit, defecate, and urinate.
This phase is followed by twitching and jerking. Ultimately, the person becomes comatose and suffocates in a series of convulsive spasms. Common mnemonics for the symptomatology of organophosphate poisoning, including sarin, are the "killer Bs" of bronchorrhea and bronchospasm because they are the leading cause of death, [ 8 ] and SLUDGE β salivation, lacrimation , urination, defecation, gastrointestinal distress, and emesis vomiting. Death may follow in one to ten minutes after direct inhalation, but may also occur after a delay ranging from hours to several weeks, in cases where exposure is limited but no antidote is applied.
Sarin has a high volatility ease with which a liquid can turn into vapour relative to similar nerve agents, making inhalation very easy, and may even absorb through the skin. A person's clothing can release sarin for about 30 minutes after it has come in contact with sarin gas, which can lead to exposure of other people.
