# What would chemical weapons do to a zombie? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 2, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427 "2007-01-02T16:28:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/1 "2007-01-02T16:28:46Z")
Rather inspired by [this thread, on Max Brooks’ zombie war novel, _World War Z_](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8110777), I’ve been pondering some methods of zombie-eradication that may have been overlooked over the years. Namely, chemical weapons. Now, for the argument, consider the setup as this: a zombie is an animated, though otherwise normal, human corpse. It has limited mental function, and it’s metabolism seems to be shut down. It has no heartbeat, and doesn’t need oxygen to live—although they may _breathe_, it’s merely to get air into their lungs so they can moan. The only way to “kill” a zombie is to damage or destroy the brain. Even if existing chemical can’t actually _kill_ a ghoul, could they at least _damage_ one? Could nerve agents permiate the tissues enough to render a zombie immobile (or damage nerve connections leading to sensory organs)? Is there anything that could “burn” exposed tissue even if it’s not alive? First weirdo Ranchoth post of 07. “Woo-hoo.” ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/2 "2007-01-02T16:42:12Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] First weirdo Ranchoth post of 07. “Woo-hoo.” [/QUOTE] In 2007, General Questions is still for factual questions that probably have a factual answer. Moved. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/3 "2007-01-02T16:46:33Z")
If you’d consider a strong acid to be a chemical weapon, I’d expect it could take out some zombies. Might need some sort of magical never-needs-reloading super-soaker-like dispenser, though… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/4 "2007-01-02T18:56:07Z")
Blister agents? To destroy the eyes? Enzymes? To speed decay? Liquified pig manure? Because shit is around 80% Bacteria, & this would be wellnigh **certain** to speed decay? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/5 "2007-01-02T19:23:47Z")
Well, if it’s decay and blistering you’re going for, what about a kind of microwave ray that would boil zombified skin and eat through it? ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/6 "2007-01-02T19:25:49Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] In 2007, General Questions is still for factual questions that probably have a factual answer. Moved. **samclem** GQ moderator [/QUOTE] Aw, **samclem** … ☹ I don’t see why conventional chemical weapons wouldn’t work, unless there’s some specific enzyme / agent that turns the dead bodies into zombies… ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/7 "2007-01-02T23:33:46Z")
I suppose it depends on what kind of zombie you’re talking about, how it’s being animated, and how much of its former metabolism and tissue it still needs. I can’t see blister agents being much use, since most zombies don’t need to breath and don’t seem to mind their skin eroding and sloughing off. On the other hand, one consistent thing with nearly all zombie stories is that destroying the brain kills the zombie. That implies the neural tissue is doing something vital to keeping the zombie going, in which case neurotoxins should shut the zombie down. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/8 "2007-01-03T01:24:21Z")
[QUOTE=AndrewL] On the other hand, one consistent thing with nearly all zombie stories is that destroying the brain kills the zombie. That implies the neural tissue is doing something vital to keeping the zombie going, in which case neurotoxins should shut the zombie down. [/QUOTE] That was my thinking, too…however, I don’t know how much nerve agents (if at all) require the target to be _alive_ to be effective. I mean, there’s no metabolic processes to disrupt, no blood flow to carry the chemicals throughout the body; heck, I don’t know if blister agents would even work against what’s basically a slab of meat…you see the problem. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2007, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/9 "2007-01-03T05:07:18Z")
Yeah, aside from some kind of acid aerosol, I don’t see any chemical weapons being effective. From a physiological standpoint, they can move, which means something has to be triggering the exictation-contraction coupling in the skeletal muscle, so in theory, a drug that blocks the muscarinic receptors could paralyze them, however, there’s no effective way to deliver it. They don’t have working lungs, so they won’t be able to breath it in, and no functioning circulatory system, so even if you could inject it somewhere, the effects would be extremely local. The same thing could be said for a nerve agent. Since whatever is still controlling the brain must use part of the nervous system to send the messages to walk around and eat brains, a nerve agent could stop them in their tracks, but again, no way to get it into them. I guess if you put it in a dart gun and aimed for the spinal column that might work. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2007, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/10 "2007-01-03T08:36:02Z")
[QUOTE=Oakminster] If you’d consider a strong acid to be a chemical weapon, I’d expect it could take out some zombies. Might need some sort of magical never-needs-reloading super-soaker-like dispenser, though… [/QUOTE] I’m with you about the acid. Though, I think a better way to kill the zombies with it would be more defensive. That is, when you’re safely barricaded in your shopping mall, dig large pits behind the doors, and fill them with acid. Then, take down the barricades. The zombies come in, fall into the acid, and die. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/11 "2007-01-03T13:41:15Z")
The “zombies” (not) from _28 Days Later_ would die very nicely. Perhaps– > **[Phosgene oxime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosgene_oxime)** > > Phosgene oxime, or CX, is an organic compound with the formula Cl2CNOH. It is a potent chemical weapon, specifically a nettle agent, which is a type of blister agent. The compound itself is a colorless solid, but impure samples are often yellowish liquids. It has a strong, disagreeable and irritating odor. It is used as a reagent in organic chemistry. > Phosgene oxime can be prepared by reduction of chloropicrin using a combination of tin metal and hydrochloric acid as the source of the active h... My memory fails me (as it often does). Isn’t this the chem agent that breaks down into a low analysis fertilizer. BTW–a shout-out to all the Homies at the NSA monitoring this Thread. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/12 "2007-01-03T22:10:49Z")
I (and the members of another board I frequent) have put a lot of thought into this, and the consensus would be that Chemical Agents are going to do absolutely nothing to most zombies. And even an acidic foam drop from a local Department of Forestry plane isn’t going to do much right away… it takes time for acid to work, after all. Napalm, on the other hand, may do enough damage to the skull and the brain inside of it (parbroiling it nicely) that it would “kill” the pussbags. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-chemical-weapons-do-to-a-zombie/386427/13 "2007-01-03T22:58:55Z")
In Max Brooks World War Z, there was an incident reported where nerve gas was used on an immense crowd of fleeing refugees. All the live people died and the zacks got up a few minutes later, were easily spotted and eliminated. Ruthless but effective. So in Brooks’ world, nerve agents had no effect whatsoever.