Newsgroups: sci.military
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: howard@cos.com (Howard C. Berkowitz)
Subject: Re: unconventional terror tactics (Iraq)
Organization: Corporation for Open Systems, McLean, VA
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 90 05:10:16 GMT
Approved: military@att.att.com
Message-ID: <1990Oct30.051016.5118@cbnews.att.com>
Keywords: anthrax, survivability
References: <1990Oct15.033902.13042@cbnews.att.com> <1990Oct19.032534.12635@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Lines: 30



From: howard@cos.com (Howard C. Berkowitz)


A note from memory on the survivability of anthrax spores used
as a weapon --

There was an Allied test of anthrax (called Agent N) in approximately
1942 on one of the uninhabited Scottish isles (Surtsey?).  At least
in the 70's, it was quite hazardous to dig the soil there without
a full protective suit.

_Bacillus anthracis_ is an aerobic spore-forming organism.  Oxygen
doesn't hurt it; it likes it (as opposed to anaerobes such as the
_Clostridia_ species responsible for tetanus, botulism, and gas
gangrene).  Spores are generally not destroyed by boiling; the routine
lab sterilization routine calls for 20 minutes steam at 15 psi, 
with a temperature of 121 degrees Celsius.  Dry heat is much less
efficient than moist for sterilization, and is rarely used;
when it is, it is in the 250 degree Celsius range. 

Desert conditions alone are insufficient for a quick kill of
anthrax spores.
-- 
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