1.
Forms and Origins of Contamination.
a. Solids.
Chemical, biological agents, and radiological contamination can all take solid forms. In most cases,
these appear as fine dust. The dust can be made of radioactive dirt or fallout, frozen chemical mist, or
pollen coated with biological toxins or spores.
b. Liquids.
Liquid contamination is generally delivered in a mist or "rain" that falls to the ground. Liquid
contamination can be made thick, like syrup or gelatin. This makes it stick to the things it touches and
evaporate slowly, making decontamination much more difficult. Chemical, biological, and nuclear
contamination can all mix with rain and contaminate large areas. When this "rain out" evaporates, the
solid or liquid contamination remains.
c. Gases.
Gases come from chemical contaminants. Toxic chemical agents, delivered as a gas cloud, are
employed either directly on the target or upwind of the target. Depending upon the weather conditions,
wind currents can spread toxic gas clouds over a large area. Most toxic gases dissipate or evaporate
rapidly. However, surfaces contaminated with liquid chemical agents may give off toxic gases for days.
2.
Hazards of Contamination.
NBC contamination poses five types of hazards: Transfer, spread, vapor, desorption, and radiation.
These hazards have great impact upon battlefield conditions, mission accomplishment, and expediency
and level of decontamination efforts required.
a. Transfer.
Anything that touches a surface covered with liquid or solid contamination will tend to pick up the
contamination. This is a transfer hazard.
b. Spread.
The contamination will spread or transfer from one place to another. You need to limit the spread and
keep contamination from being transferred to a clean area.
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CM 2506
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