Analys: VX-nervgift ett hot om massförstörelsevapen

VX (IUPAC name: O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate), an extremely toxic organophosphate, is a tasteless and odorless liquid with an amber-like color that severely disrupts the body's nervous system and is used as a nerve agent in chemical warfare. Ten milligrams (0.00035 oz) is sufficient for it to be fatal through skin contact, and the median lethal dose for inhalation is estimated to be 30–50 mg·min/m3. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) by the United Nations Resolution 687. The production and stockpiling of VX exceeding 100 grams (3.53 oz) per year was outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993. The only exception is for "research, medical or pharmaceutical purposes outside a single small-scale facility in aggregate quantities not exceeding 10 kg [22 lb] per year per facility". The VX nerve agent is the best-known of the V-series of nerve agents and is considered an area denial weapon due to its physical properties. It is far more potent than sarin, another well-known nerve agent toxin, but works in a similar way.