Sarin Gas

Sarin was first synthesized in 1938 by a group German scientists researching new pesticides. Its name is derived from the names of the chemists involved in its creation: Schrader, Ambros, Rudriger and van der Linde. A pilot plant to study the use of sarin was built in Dyernfurth. Although they produced between 500 kg and 10 tons of sarin, the German government decided not to use chemical weapons in artillery during World War II. The Soviet army captured the plant at Dyernfurth at the end of the war and resumed production of sarin in 1946. The Russian government currently has about 11,700 tons of sarin.

Between about 1950 and 1956, the United States produced sarin. It is estimated to have stockpiles totaling 5,000 tons of the nerve agent stored in different parts of the country. Several other countries including Syria, Egypt, Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Iraq have confirmed or suspected stock of sarin.