[Herodotus]

just before 10:00 AM another phone report from Arnot. Cyanide and Mustard agents in high concentrations in the Eurphrates.

Reverse Osmosis unit with the Marines was filtering the water out to purify it. In the process, tested the water before putting it into the filters. Found large concentrations of cyanide and mustard agents. Arnot is getting this from the regimental commander and intelligence officer. Belief is that it was done deliberately to poison the Marines, rather than an attempt to get rid of it. Apparently the agents are so small that they would not be stopped by the reverse osmosis filters, so this is why they've been testing.

[If this is the case, then downsteam water supplies for the civilians will now be endangered]

[mewzilla]

Was this what they were up to with the fifty gallon drums..?

[Herodotus]

He's going to bring in the divisional NBC [nuclear/biological/chemical] officer to answer questions. The Marines are pushing Arnot to get this story out...it could be a big deal...esp. if they are minutes away from finding the guys who put this into the water upstream!

[emt_27]

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is highly effective at removing impurities from drinking water. Mustard agents work by reacting with the water in your respriatory system to form Hydrochloric Acid and the resulting injuries prevent Oxygen from reaching your blood stream. Placing Mustard agents in water to poison troops would be totally ineffective as it has to be delivered airborne. Cyanide is a highly effective poison delivered orally but is totally removed by RO. If this was an effort to poison Marines it was planned by Abbott & Costello.