Biological and Chemical Weapon Use, Disposal, and Impact

Abstract

“Biological weapons (BWs) deliver toxins and microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria, so as to deliberately inflict disease among people, animals, and agriculture. Biological attacks can result in the destruction of crops, temporarily discomforting a small community, killing large numbers of people, or other outcomes.” (Federation of American Scientists, 2013). These weapons, either naturally occurring in the environment or artificially created, impact more than just the people or targets they are intended to hit. They cause risks to the health of communities and to the air and water we breathe. Often times when conflicts are happening and there is a necessity for biological weapons to be provided and used, the disposal portion of the operation is commonly neglected which in turn creates more problems than those that existed beforehand.