After the outbreak of the wars in Ukraine and Palestine, CBRNe threats are sadly back in the news. This book, based on the first-hand experience of the author, a researcher in the field, reports on recent advances in selected topics and describes current scientific case studies, focusing on the role of actors in the response to CBRNe incidents, the reaction to severe events in major cities, with special reference to immediate investigation and effective communication, and modern laser spectroscopy systems that, using quantum technology and artificial intelligence, enable the rapid and non-contact detection, identification and monitoring of chemical warfare agents and explosive precursors, even at great distances.

"Understanding Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) defense policies is critical in promoting safety to civilian and military personnel in the United States and globally. This thesis first examines a few of the most significant CBRNE policies in history, their place in the world today, and how their creation has impacted society. Utilizing two canonical policy making models– the “linear model” and the “policy stream model”– a range of case studies are analyzed to examine how decision-making behind CBRNE policy compares with other comparable policy domains, particularly non-CBRNE biotechnology innovation. The likelihood of proactivity and the potential influence of foreign affairs across cases were assessed. The results of these studies suggest that, compared with non-CBRNE biotechnology policies, CBRNE policies in the United States are similarly likely to be driven by foreign events (approximately half the time in the cases examined), but they were slightly more likely to be reacting to external events rather than proactively addressing possible risks (43% of CBRNE cases examined were proactive, compared to 50% of biotechnology cases). These suggestive patterns merit further research to test whether they hold over a wider scope of cases."--Abstract.

Originating in the armed forces of the early 20th century, weapons based on chemical, biological or nuclear agents have become an everpresent threat that has not vanished after the end of the cold war. Since the technology to produce these agents is nowadays available to many countries and organizations, including those with terrorist aims, civil authorities across the world need to prepare against incidents involving these agents and train their personnel accordingly. As an introductory text on NBC CBRN weapons and agents, this book leads the reader from the scientific basics to the current threats and strategies to prepare against them. After an introductory part on the history of NBC CBRN weapons and their international control, the three classes of nuclear/radiological, biological, and chemical weapons are introduced, focusing on agents and delivery vehicles. Current methods for the rapid detection of NBC CBRN agents are introduced, and the principles of physical protection of humans and structures are explained. The final parts addresses more general issues of risk management, preparedness and response management, as the set of tools that authorities and civil services will be needed in a future CBRN scenario as well as the likely future scenarios that authorities and civil services will be faced with in the coming years. This book is a must-have for Health Officers, Public Health Agencies, and Military Authorities.

This book covers the security and safety of CBRNE assets and management, and illustrates which risks may emerge and how to counter them through an enhanced risk management approach. It also tackles the CBRNE-Cyber threats, their risk mitigation measures and the relevance of raising awareness and education enforcing a CBRNE-Cy security culture. The authors present international instruments and legislation to deal with these threats, for instance the UNSCR1540. The authors address a multitude of stakeholders, and have a multidisciplinary nature dealing with cross-cutting areas like the convergence of biological and chemical, the development of edging technologies, and in the cyber domain, the impelling risks due to the use of malwares against critical subsystems of CBRN facilities. Examples are provided in this book. Academicians, diplomats, technicians and engineers working in the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive and cyber fields will find this book valuable as a reference. Students studying in these related fields will also find this book useful as a reference.

This book makes an important contribution to police scholarship by focusing on the critical need for law enforcement personnel to receive education on chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear (CBRN) hazards. Under the CBRN umbrella are chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, biologically derived toxins, radiological particulate hazards, and other agents, any of which have the potential to inflict bodily harm, incapacitation, or death. Such weapons have been a part of human history for centuries, starting with biological warfare, later shifting over to chemical warfare, and in the last century, radiological and nuclear warfare. The greater availability and accessibility of such materials necessitates that first response and investigation is no longer limited to the military but is required of police forces reacting to incidents in the community, whether acts of terrorism, traffic accidents, or standard industrial incidents. In this book it is argued that basic knowledge of CBRN is essential for police officers at all levels to assess and protect crime scenes, as well as to investigate cases involving CBRN materials. The author uses case studies and technical education to instruct police on how and when CBRN agents can be used maliciously, and the best methods for identifying, analysing, monitoring, and investigating related incidents. The text makes a clear case for integrating CBRN studies into police education so that first responders are enabled to assess incidents and share information with emergency management and other services to determine the most effective equipment and personnel to deploy. This book is essential for police educators and trainers in both universities and police academies, those administering or engaged in in-service police training, and scholars studying policing, criminal justice, and terrorism.

This book provides a current analysis of the legal and ethical challenges in preparing for and responding to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) crises. From past events like the Chernobyl nuclear incident in Russia or the Bhopal chemical calamity in India, to the more recent tsunami and nuclear accident in Japan or the Ebola crisis in Africa, and with the on-going threat of bioterrorism, the need to be ready to respond to CBRNE crises is uncontroversial. What is controversial is whether we are on a path that adequately prepares us for the next event. The ethical and legal scholars in this volume hold that much work remains to be done and offer this book to stimulate further reflection and dialogue around CBRNE crises. This is an indispensable book for both students and scholars of bioethics, international law, public health, as well as for regulators and administrators developing policy and legislation related to public health planning and emergency responses.

This book addresses the pertinent issues that will need to be considered by those interested in physical security problems of the future. Specifically, it examines how changes in the accessibility of technology – data, hardware, software – are likely to affect both threat and mitigation considerations for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive (CBRE) scenarios and how social science can inform us of the human aspects of each. The trend towards an ever more socio-technical society and infrastructures – encapsulated by concepts such as 'smart cities' – is drawn out as a key motivation for adopting more holistic risk approaches to such security problems, than is currently the case.