Chemical agents that might be used by terrorists range from warfare agents to toxic chemicals commonly used in industry. Criteria for determining priority chemical agents include:

	chemical agents already known to be used as weaponry;
	availability of chemical agents to potential terrorists;
	chemical agents likely to cause major morbidity or mortality;
	potential of agents for causing public panic and social disruption; and
	agents that require special preparedness.

Categories of chemical agents include

	nerve agents, tabun (ethyl N,N-dimethylphosphoramidocyanidate), sarin (isopropyl methylphosphanofluoridate), soman (pinacolyl methyl phosphonofluoridate), GF (cyclohexylmethylphosphonofluoridate), VX (o-ethyl-[S]-[2-diisopropylaminoethyl]-methylphosphonothiolate);
	blood agents, hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen chloride;
	blister agents, lewisite (an aliphatic arsenic compound, 2-chlorovinyldichloroarsine), nitrogen and sulfur mustards, phosgene oxime;
	heavy metals, arsenic, lead, mercury;
	Volatile toxins, benzene, chloroform, trihalomethanes;
	pulmonary agents, phosgene, chlorine, vinyl chloride;
	incapacitating agents, BZ (3-quinuclidinyl benzilate);
	pesticides, persistent and nonpersistent;
	dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs);
	explosive nitro compounds and oxidizers, ammonium nitrate combined with fuel oil;
	flammable industrial gases and liquids, gasoline, propane;
	poison industrial gases, liquids, and solids, cyanides, nitriles; and
	corrosive industrial acids and bases, nitric acid, sulfuric acid.

Source: "Biological and Chemical Terrorism: Strategic Plan for Preparedness and Response: Recommendations of the CDC Strategic Planning Workgroup," April 21, 2000 / 49(RR04);1-14, Centers for Disease Control, USA.

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