This page requires Chimie Chemscape for best viewing. It is a useful plug in for Chemists If you want a copy for yourself, you can get it free from MDLI . The effective use of any chemical agent is dependent on its physical and chemical properties and on meteorological conditions. Non-persistent agents disperse rapidly after release and present an intermediate but short lived hazard. They are usually released as airborne particles.
Persistent agents continue to present a hazard for some quite considerabley long time.
Effectiveness is the capacity of an agent to produce the maximum number of casualties or amount of disruption of operations with the least amount of agent, although other tactical criteria may be used to gauge this effectiveness. Effectiveness is a general term which takes in such criteria as suitability, toxicity, irritancy, etc. For instance, of two similar volatile toxic agents, the one which is toxic at a lower dose can be said to be more effective. Similarly, of two irritant compounds, the one which is irritant at a lower dose can be said to be the more effective. Effectiveness is also dependent on the ability of the population attacked to neutralise or counter the effects of agents once they have been delivered.