Noxious Substances (CS gas, acids, ammonia)

The substance known as CS gas is one of the most commonly used tear gases in the world and law enforcement agencies use it to help control individuals or groups without the need for lethal force. The chemical was used for crowd control as early as the 1950s, but not until the mid-1960s did it come into common use in several countries and is now routinely used by Police Forces in the UK being dispensed from a hand held aerosol canister.

Bericon is often requested to prepare reports that assess the effects on an individual of CS gas being sprayed at them in close quarters and also to comment on the persistence of such a substance on an individual’s clothing, which normally entails the laboratory examination of items using specialised techniques such as Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).

The types of investigation usually include an assessment of the quantity of gas discharged with regard to accepted Police guidelines and also the effects of the discharge at closer range than recommended.

There are other chemicals used in cases of personal attack and similar work can be undertaken by Bericon where other so-called lachrymator aerosols have been used such as capsaicin or pepper spray and also acids and ammonia.