PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Dismantling Syria's chemical weapons in the midst of war

2013-11-20
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society
Dismantling Syria's chemical weapons in the midst of war Syria no longer has the capacity to produce new chemical weapons en masse, but arms control experts caution that what remains is the more difficult job of destroying the existing stockpile in the midst of the country's brutal civil war. An article in Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, details the challenges involved.

Glenn Hess, a senior editor at C&EN, explains that close to 1,400 tons of chemical weapons are stored at 23 locations scattered throughout Syria. To destroy this stockpile, officials will need multiple strategies. The most dangerous are the munitions filled with "live" chemical agents, such as mustard gas, sarin and VX. Dealing with these weapons will require bringing specialized equipment into the war-torn country. Chemicals that serve as precursor ingredients for warfare agents are more stable and will be simpler to neutralize — though disposal teams will likely have to navigate through a violent landscape to transport them out of country to a safer environment for handling.

The article notes that the "live" agents could be destroyed by the agreed-upon mid-2014 deadline, but neutralizing the precursor chemicals could take longer. The Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, tasked with overseeing the chemical disarmament deal struck between the U.S., Russia and Syria in September, was set to meet Nov. 15 (after C&EN press time) to adopt a schedule for destroying the stockpile.

### The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org. Follow us: Twitter Facebook


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

EORTC head & neck cancer trial shows assessing HRQOL is valuable to both patients and their doctors

2013-11-20
EORTC head & neck cancer trial shows assessing HRQOL is valuable to both patients and their doctors In Europe in 2012, there were an estimated 39,900 new cases of laryngeal cancer and 99,600 new cases of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers (Feraly ...

New research gives clues of antibiotic use and resistance in US children's hospitals

2013-11-20
New research gives clues of antibiotic use and resistance in US children's hospitals Findings coincide with CDC's Get Smart Week CHICAGO (November 20, 2013) – Two studies published in the December issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ...

Study finds differences in brains of children with nonverbal learning disability

2013-11-20
Study finds differences in brains of children with nonverbal learning disability EAST LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan State University researcher has discovered the first anatomical evidence that the brains of children with a nonverbal learning disability – long considered ...

Engineering education may diminish concern for public welfare issues

2013-11-20
Engineering education may diminish concern for public welfare issues Collegiate engineering education may foster a "culture of disengagement" regarding issues of public welfare, according to new research by a sociologist at Rice University. For the first-of-its-kind study, the ...

In an era of less media scrutiny, John F. Kennedy hid serious health problems from the public

2013-11-20
In an era of less media scrutiny, John F. Kennedy hid serious health problems from the public An article published in Annals of Internal Medicine discusses the surprising health history of President John F. Kennedy. At the age of 43, Kennedy was the youngest ...

Framework could improve southeast rainfall forecasts

2013-11-20
Framework could improve southeast rainfall forecasts DURHAM, N.C. -- Summer rainfall in the southeastern United States is vitally important to the region's agriculture, economy and ecology. But accurately forecasting how much rain may fall in an upcoming season can be tricky ...

Dartmouth-led study shows diet alone can be significant source of arsenic

2013-11-20
Dartmouth-led study shows diet alone can be significant source of arsenic Diet alone can be a significant source of arsenic exposure regardless of arsenic concentrations in drinking and cooking water, a Dartmouth College-led study finds. The study also confirms ...

Box office success linked to blogging, study finds

2013-11-20
Box office success linked to blogging, study finds Study shows how studios can stimulate ticket sales in local markets Movie attendance peaks during the holiday season, and studios capitalize on this by releasing dozens of new titles ...

National survey finds frog abnormalities are rare

2013-11-20
National survey finds frog abnormalities are rare A 10-year study shows some good news for frogs and toads on national wildlife refuges. The rate of abnormalities such as shortened or missing legs was less than 2 percent overall — indicating that the malformations ...

World's leading lung societies unite to call for improvements in health care

2013-11-20
World's leading lung societies unite to call for improvements in health care Northbrook, Illinois, November 20, 2013. Experts from the world's leading lung organizations have come together for the first time to call for a worldwide effort to improve ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Dismantling Syria's chemical weapons in the midst of war