>I carry a mask with me and sometimes wear it - not because I think it does any good but it seems to make some people feel safe. I remember when I first went into the Army and we practiced donning our "protective mask" for hour after hour. After a few years I was sent to the Chemical, Biological and Radiological Warfare School. There I learned that the mask worked fairly well against the gases used in WW1- but nobody used them any more. Everyone had switched to V-series gases like sarin. If you were attacked with V-series gases you would probably absorb enough gas thru the skin to kill you in 1-10 minutes. They now have MOPP or PPE now that protects the whole body but for at least 30 years we just had a "security blanket". Do you remember the "Duck, Roll, and Covr" exercises the school kids used to practice? The military had one more step " kiss your ass good-by".

On the Sarin topic, I remember similar broad picture, but with important difference: without a mask chances of dying so fast that atropine was not even considered if concentration inhaled was sufficient is certain. Masks alone were not considered enough to keep you living, they gave you a chance to survive if encountering the stuff.