VX

Synonyms

(+-)-S-(2-(Bis(1-methylethyl)amino)ethyl) O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate; EA 1701; Ethyl S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate; Ethyl S-dimethylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate; Ethyl-S-diisopropylaminoethyl methylthiophosphonate; Methylphosphonothioic acid S-(2-(bis(1-methylethyl)amino)ethyl) O-ethyl ester; Methylphosphonothioic acid S-(2-(bis(methylethyl)amino)ethyl) O-ethyl ester; Methylphosphonothioic acid, S-(2-diisopropylamino)ethyl O-ethyl ester; Nerve agent; O-Ethyl S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothioate; O-Ethyl S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl)methylphosphonothioate; O-Ethyl-S-2-diisopropylaminoethylester kyseliny methylthiofosfonove [Czech]; S-(2-Diisopropylaminoethyl) O-ethyl methyl phosphonothiolate; Tx 60; VX (van); Phosphonothioic acid, P-methyl-, S-(2-(bis(1-methylethyl)amino)ethyl) O-ethyl ester; Phosphonothioic acid, methyl-, S-(2-(bis(1-methylethyl)amino)ethyl) O-ethyl ester; Phosphonothioic acid, methyl-, S-(2-(bis(1-methylethyl)amino)ethyl) O-ethyl ester, (+-)-; Phosphonothioic acid, methyl-, S-(2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl) O-ethyl ester; S-(2-Diisopropylaminoethyl)-O-ethyl methylphosphonothiolate; [ChemIDplus] Lethal Nerve Agent (VX); [U.S. Army ERDEC MSDS] UN2810

Category

Chemical Weapons

Description

"VX is a clear, amber-colored, odorless, oily liquid. It is miscible with water and soluble in all solvents. It is the least volatile nerve agent." [ATSDR Medical Management]

Sources/Uses

Chemical warfare;

Comments

VX is an odorless, colorless to straw-colored liquid with a vapor pressure of 0.0007 at 68 degrees F. It persists in the soil for 2-6 days. [Jane, p. 87-8] "As little as one drop of VX on the skin can be fatal and 1 to 10 mL of GA, GB, or GD can be fatal." [ATSDR Medical Management] An extremely active cholinesterase inhibitor; Dermal lowest lethal-dose is 86 mg/kg in humans; Absorption of a fatal-dose results in death within 15 minutes; [CAMEO] An experiment using human volunteers demonstrated that VX vapor can readily be absorbed through skin, and poses as great a hazard to a masked man as GB (sarin) poses to an unmasked man; [HSDB] A lethal cholinesterase inhibitor; Doses potentially lethal may only be slightly more than those producing minimal symptoms; [U.S. Army ERDEC MSDS] See the disease, "Organophosphate & carbamates, acute poisoning."

Reference Link #1

Biomedical References

Yes

0.000878 mm Hg

Explanatory Notes

VP from HSDB;

Other Poison

Organophosphate

Diseases

Occupational diseases associated with exposure to this agent:

• Organophosphates & carbamates, acute poisoning