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Sarin breaks down rapidly in the human body into a metabolite called isopropyl methylphosphonate. IMPA is the first compound for which the laboratories test, an

Sarin breaks down rapidly in the human body into a metabolite called isopropyl methylphosphonate. IMPA is the first compound for which the laboratories test, and finding it in a blood, urine or tissue specimen has long been considered evidence of exposure to sarin. But that test can be fooled. Isopropyl methylphosphonate is sold commercially by major chemical companies. And IMPA is not only safe to handle but was found by the EPA to be harmless when consumed orally at doses of 3,000 parts per million.

XMPPwocky 7y ago
This is nice information, but I don't quite get where you're going with this?
- deftnerd 7y ago
  Someone who knows this information, which is not hard to find, might have ordered isopropyl methylphosphonate and shipped it to facebook in order to set off a false positive. It's easy to order, unregulated, and most machines out there look for it rather than sarin itself because it's easier to detect.
  - XMPPwocky 7y ago
    I guess, but why that and not just the classic "thing-that-looks-like-a-bomb", if you wanted to cause panic/evacuation? Just seems like a really weirdly specific thing to do.
    - ASalazarMX 7y ago
      "I was handling my fake bombs, one of them must have fallen in the envelope by accident!" is harder to sell than a harmless chemical.
      - londons_explore 7y ago
        I could totally imagine some home-chemistry-lab Facebook employee bought this off the web and had it delivered to work because nobody would be home to sign for it.
iamaelephant 7y ago
Ok?
tgsovlerkhgsel 7y ago
This finding wasn't in a human body, it was in a package. Why would equipment for detecting Sarin in packages be testing for a metabolite?
- whymauri 7y ago
  Common processes for making sarin have diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP) as a by-product, which is not very deadly[0]. You can buy it on Fisher Scientific for 30$. Not sure if biochem screens are matching for this compound, but it's still in the vein of what the parent comment was suggesting. [0] https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=967&tid=203 https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=967&tid=203

XMPPwocky 7y ago

This is nice information, but I don't quite get where you're going with this?

deftnerd 7y ago
Someone who knows this information, which is not hard to find, might have ordered isopropyl methylphosphonate and shipped it to facebook in order to set off a false positive. It's easy to order, unregulated, and most machines out there look for it rather than sarin itself because it's easier to detect.
- XMPPwocky 7y ago
  I guess, but why that and not just the classic "thing-that-looks-like-a-bomb", if you wanted to cause panic/evacuation? Just seems like a really weirdly specific thing to do.
  - ASalazarMX 7y ago
    "I was handling my fake bombs, one of them must have fallen in the envelope by accident!" is harder to sell than a harmless chemical.
    - londons_explore 7y ago
      I could totally imagine some home-chemistry-lab Facebook employee bought this off the web and had it delivered to work because nobody would be home to sign for it.

iamaelephant 7y ago

Ok?

tgsovlerkhgsel 7y ago

This finding wasn't in a human body, it was in a package. Why would equipment for detecting Sarin in packages be testing for a metabolite?

whymauri 7y ago
Common processes for making sarin have diisopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP) as a by-product, which is not very deadly[0]. You can buy it on Fisher Scientific for 30$. Not sure if biochem screens are matching for this compound, but it's still in the vein of what the parent comment was suggesting. [0] https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=967&tid=203 https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=967&tid=203