Is there any way duct tape can help save a life in a chemical attack?

Question

...seriously...

Answer 1

Homeland security website lists duct tape as number 7 on their list of what you should do in a chemical attack.

http://www.nae.edu/NAE/pubundcom.nsf/weblinks/CGOZ-66JRHZ/$file/chemical%20attack%2006.pdf

7. Seal all windows, doors and air vents with plastic sheeting and duct tape.

Answer 2

Possibly but I doubt it. Certainly duct tape is a useful item, but despite what the government site and experts say there really isn't much you can do. The fact is there isn't any real detection system for a chemical or biological attack, so any preparation made is iffy at best.

The military does have chemical agent alarms that will sound an alarm when a nerve agent is detected;however there is a major draw back to the system. Besides the obvious limitation of only being able to detect nerve agents, they devices are place on the outside perimeter of the occupied area where it would do no good. If I were an enemy attacking an occupied area with chemical agents I would not attack the outside perimeter but the most populated area of the occupied area. So the cold hard fact of the matter is that there is no way to detect a chemical attack until it is too late.

That not withstanding there is some things that may give a person an advantage. Chemical agents are totally dependent upon the wind to spread beyond the release point. So if you are up wind from a chemical attack your survivability is greater than those down wind. As far as using duct tape to seal your house up are just a room in your house I don't think it will do much good. For one thing it is impossible to make your house or a room air tight and even if it weren't impossible I wouldn't recommend it, because once you lock your self in the only air you have is whats in the room. Once that air is used up you either have to go outside that room or suffocate and die.

Being prepared for emergencies and such is a good thing but to live in fear of something that may in all likelihood never come is not. A terrorist is the ultimate moron, they will kill them selves in a suicide attack in the vain hopes that this will somehow convince the governments to yield to their ludicrous ideals. General Patton said it best, "No man ever won a war by dying for his country. The only way to win a war is to make those dumb SOB's die for theirs."

Answer 3

Seriously during a chemical attack you would be dead before you knew what happened.

Ok just for argument, your at home. News flash Missile got through our defenses and will impact 1 mile for your house, you have 22 minutes. These are made up numbers. Now in this 22 minutes you are supposed to seal you area tight? Ok say you have plastic and duct tape you seal the windows doors, Chimney ( good luck there) Heating ducts and don't forget your hardwood floor. Yes some of you have that floor under your carpet.

Even if you had 5 hours you would be hard pressed. Then your in a bubble, limited air now. Then its what chemicals are they using. ( Prior Army ) They wont use just one, they would use a cocktail of the mix.

Sorry went on tangent, no duct tape would not save you.

Answer 4

As far as how drastic your measures would have to be, you hear a lot of things as far as what's not good enough and how you would really need a full-body suit or whatever. But that depends on how close you are to wherever the source of the contaminant is. Like, whether you're getting sprayed with the liquid stuff before it's evaporated, or whether you're talking about the general atmosphere surrounding your abode being contaminated for several minutes or longer.

You know how when you drive past a run-over skunk, you can smell it after you've driven past it? Then, you can open your windows to get the smell out? It would work the same way in a chemical attack. You might be able to remain inside of an ordinary house and air it out with the correct timing and protect yourself that way. What duct tape and plastic will do is increase the duration over which you can ride out a general atmosphere contamination, even without using positive pressure in your "safe room." But if you want to further enhance your protection, then charcoal filters and such will do that for you. Filtered masks designed to block pesticides will work on people-cides also. Plants in the genus datura (including angel's trumpets and jimpsonweed) are an antidote to nerve agents. Showering ability will be important, and perhaps alternate electrical power sources where you take into account that combustion generators have carbon monoxide exhaust. Parakeets from the pet store would probably make good canaries in a survival situation like that.

Dangerous microbes like the ones used in those mail attacks after 9/11 range in size on down to 5 microns. You might be able to improvise some air filters for your AC if 5 microns is not commercially available.

"Be prepared." -- Boy Scouts of America

Answer 5

You might need a safe room to survive a chemical attack. A safe room is a room or building (possibly underground but not necessarily) that is sealed with plastic and approptiate adhesive (packaging tape, duct tape, etc.).

This room would need a forced air ventilation system that iincludes a charcoal or HEPA filter. The ventilation system would force clean air into the safe room causing the room to be pressurized. The room would not be exactly like a ballon because generally it would be impossible to completely seal a room with plastic and adhesive. But, the higher pressure in the room would prevent contaminants from entering the room from the outside.

This arrangement could be augmented by using an ultroviolet filter to destroy biological contaminants. Keep in mind, however, that you will need to consider in advance things like: How you will will heat or cool the room, what you will eat, and , most importantaly, what you will drink.

Answer 6

of course, duck tape ---- Quack quack, can do anything.

To stop a chemical attack you need a ballpoint pen and a roll of duct tape. The mechenism that releases the chemical is convienently in a timer release container, to allow the badguys to get away. Tape the pen in the timer between the clampers.

For more info, watch episodes of McGyver

Answer 7

By its self duck tape will most likely kill you. You need a complete bio-suit and gas mask. And also the training to use it. Duck tape around your sleeves, ankles, and any where there is a gap in you suit.

Answer 8

I don't know...but if it can...that's good news for Rednecks!! They own most of the duct tape!!!

Answer 9

You could seal yourself in a room, but it would never be as air-tight as a gas mask and a Tyvex suit.